Today in Williams County history (January 20, 1874, 144 years ago): Northwest Grange No. 413, Williams County’s first Grange, was organized. A Northwest Township correspondent submitted the following report of the Grange’s organization to the Bryan Press newspaper: “Last evening Mr. H. Hayes, State Deputy, organized a Grange in Northwest Township with a full membership for charter and with the following officers installed: W. H. Parsons, Master; D. Coolman, Overseer; S. D. Pond, Lecturer; I. Parsons, Steward; A. Johnson, Chaplain; N. Kellogg, Assistant Steward; W. Rice, Treasurer; W. Gore, Secretary; B. Cook, Gate Keeper; Mrs. A. E. Gore, Ceres; Mrs. H. Johnson, Flora; Mrs. R. Potts, Pomona; Mrs. E. Myers, Lady Assistant Steward.”
In 1882, Northwest Grange erected this two-story wooden frame structure northeast of the intersection of Ohio Route 49 and County Road P-50 in Northwest Center/Cooney. The first floor was occupied by general stores with the Grange hall on the second floor. The historic structure is today unoccupied and has fallen into disrepair.
This February 3, 2017 photograph of the former Northwest Grange hall is from the Kevin Maynard collection–Courtesy of the Williams County, Ohio, Local History Exchange.
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When was the last year this store was operating?
Any pics exist from its hey day?