Coldwater Legion No. 8 (Coldwater, Mich.)

The Select Knights of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, Coldwater Legion No. 8 of Coldwater, Michigan was a chapter of the larger order. The Ancient Order of United Workmen was a fraternal insurance group established in 1868 by John J. Upchurch. The purpose of the organization was to provide relief for the widows and orphans of the deceased members who were part of the working community. Upchurch credits witnessing a strike, which deprived families of much needed sustenance, as the inspiration for the founding of the order. In terms of organization, the Grand Lodge was the head at the state level, with individual branches at the local level. The Coldwater Legion was thus under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Grand Lodge. The Grand Lodge of the AOUW is listed in the Journal of the House of Representatives of Michigan State for 1883 as a "Cooperative and Mutual Benefit Association."

Material in the Special Collections Research Center

• Coldwater Legion No. 8 (Coldwater, Mich.) in the SCRC database.

References

• "John Jordan Upchurch." Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon. modified 23 September 2007. Accessed 8 December 2011. http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/upchurch_j/upchurch_j.html

• Michigan Legislature, House of Representatives. Journal of the House of Representative of the State of Michigan, Volume 2. Supervised Daniel L. Crossman, Clerk of the House of Representatives. Lansing: W.S. George & Co., State Printers and Binders, 1883. http://books.google.com/books?id=r5UlAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA1482&lpg=PA1482&dq=ancient+order+of+united+workmen+coldwater,+michigan&source=bl&ots=C6aDvxeMEq&sig=N5ajpyxW4vu8LRzcgHj1JJSZwPQ&hl=en&ei=99jgTrv3FIPt0gH_4Li9Bw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=ancient%20order%20of%20united%20workmen%20coldwater%2C%20michigan&f=false

• Upchurch, J. J. The Life, Labors and Travels of Father J. J. Upchurch, Founder of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Ed. Sam. Booth, P.M.W. San Francisco: A. T. Dewey, 1887.

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