A brief history of Dows Prairie Grange
Organizational meetings to form Granges on the north coast were held by National Representative R.P. VanAllen during the 1930s.
The first meetings of Dows Prairie Grange #505 were held at Washington School, which became known as Blair House on School Road. The Charter was obtained on Dec. 14, 1932. Officers were elected January 18, 1933; Henry Miller was selected as its first Master (President). A By-Laws committee was appointed, and By-laws were adopted at the second meeting. Meetings were held then on the first and third Wednesday of the month and Dues were 15 cents a month.
As Grange is politically proactive, three resolutions were read and approved at the first meeting:
- Abolish compulsory compensation insurance for farm laborers.
- Retain only one judge in Humboldt County.
- Eureka Fisherman’s Union be allowed to troll beyond the three-mile limit year-round and prohibit dragnets.
At their second meeting, the membership approved a resolution by Bayside Grange asking that salmon spearing be placed on par with hook-n-line fishing.
Meetings were moved to Clam Beach Hall on May 17, 1933. Dows Prairie Grange met there until the Grange Hall was built across from Dows Prairie School on land purchased for $50 from Hammond Lumber in 1937. The hall was partially built with recycled timber from lumber company buildings.
A committee was appointed in 1934 to have a club for ladies of the Grange to make plans for raising money. Their first meeting was held at the Dows Prairie School. Fundraising included box suppers, dinner dances, card games, and later, Bingo.
Dows Prairie School held classes in the Grange Hall, first in 1957 while they built the new school, and then again in 1961-1962 when the school was over-crowded. The kitchen was also used to cook school meals at various times before the school’s kitchens were built.
Dows Prairie Grange has always been supportive of youth activities. Around 1938, a committee was appointed to sponsor and promote 4-H activities and the DPG 4-H Club met at the hall for over 40 years. In more recent years, the Arcata Bottoms 4-H rabbit and chicken groups have met at the Hall.
For many years, the Grange Hall was a sponsor for Boy Scouts Troop 99 and Cub Scout Pack 99. In 2006, the Grange partnered with Girl Scouts of Northern California and allowed local Girl Scout troops to meet and host area-wide events.