On March 25, 1856 the
Odd Fellows’ Festival was held at West’s Hall in the West House in downtown Sandusky. The floor managers were John
Youngs, Warren Smith, and Jerome Monroe. Twelve Sandusky men served on the
Committee of Arrangements, including John W. Holland, a well-known local sign
painter and businessman.
Clock’s Band provided music for the
evening’s entertainment. Rev. Samuel Marks addressed the Daughters of Rebekah, the women lodge members, who attended the
festival in full regalia. An article in the March 26, 1856 issue of the Sandusky Daily Commercial Register reported
that the Odd Fellows’ Festival was “one of the most brilliant and admirably conducted entertainments ever given in Sandusky.” After Rev. Marks’ address,
the crowd enjoyed a dance and music. Several amateurs sang throughout the
evening. Dinner was served at eleven o’clock p.m. One hundred seventy people
attended the banquet, which featured three tables “loaded down with all the
luxuries and substantials the most craving appetite could demand.” The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is a fraternal organization. The I.O.O.F. symbol
features a three link chain, which represents Friendship, Love and Truth. The I.O.O.F. building in
Sandusky was dedicated on March 18, 1890. Several attorneys and businesses are
now located in the I.O.O. F. building on Washington Row in downtown Sandusky.
1 comment:
Interesting story behind this building. The architect was John Feick brother to Adam Feick . The plans were originally drawn up for the Masonic Lodge. It was Built by George Doezerbach while the Feicks were building the Masonic temple.
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