The Worcester of eighteen hundred and ninety-eightFifty years a city . character. Ot these organizations, the first in point of age and influence is theSociety of Free Masons, ^vhiL?h was introduced in Worcester in 1793,and was the sole occupant of the field for more than fifty years. the first lodge of Odd Fellows was organized, followed soon bysome temperance organizations and the German Einigkeit, D. O. H. Itwas not, however, until several years later, or about the time of theCivil War and the vears immediatelv following, that the movement inthis direction received the impetus that
The Worcester of eighteen hundred and ninety-eightFifty years a city . character. Ot these organizations, the first in point of age and influence is theSociety of Free Masons, ^vhiL?h was introduced in Worcester in 1793,and was the sole occupant of the field for more than fifty years. the first lodge of Odd Fellows was organized, followed soon bysome temperance organizations and the German Einigkeit, D. O. H. Itwas not, however, until several years later, or about the time of theCivil War and the vears immediatelv following, that the movement inthis direction received the impetus that has carried it along withincreasing strength and activitv, till now the lodges are legion, andthe names on their roll are numbered by the tens of thousands. But Worcester is not peculiar in this growth. It extends over wideareas of our country; wherever, in fact, we find communities in thepushing ranks of progress and prosperity, there we find that thesesocieties abound. It is one of the indications of the restless activity * See sketch in Biographical The Worcester of 1898. 269. of the age, and tlie awakening desire for social and intellectual improve-ment. Many of these societies doubtless are ephemeral, but others doubtlesswill remain. Of some we may be sure that having come down to usthrough many generations, surviving with unimpaired but chastenedvigor, trials from within and assaults from without, they will endure forgenerations yet to come, a soiirce of helpfulness to men, and blessing to-the world. For purposes of classification the secret societies in Worcester may begrouped under two general heads: I. The Purely Fraternal. II. The Beneficl\ry and Insurance Orders. Typical of the first group is the Society of Free Masons. This groupalso includes the military fraternities, the Patrons of Husbandr\, andthe various secret temperance organizations. Under the second group typical examples are the I. O. O. F. and theRoyal Arcanum. Here also belong the trades uni
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