MODERN WOODMAN OF AMERICA

                         MODERN  WOODMAN  OF  AMERICA

                                         NORMAN  V.  KELLY

 

Last time I was on the radio with Roger Monroe he handed me what looked like a medal some one might have received for service in the Illinois National Guard.  I say that because it had a ribbon and it was attached to a golden State Of Illinois medal with a red, white and blue ribbon. He wondered what it was and I decided to try and find out just exactly what it was. I was wrong about the medal because it most certainly was not connected with the military in any manner.

 

I needed a magnifying glass to clearly see the letters and words that were part of the medal. It said:  Head/Camp M.W. of A at the top.  Below it said:  Peoria Welcome Home.   Two clasped hands were etched under that. Below that in gold was something that looked like a shield, you know, a Roman shield. Within that shield were the words M W of A.    There was an axe and a hammer within that shield and they were crossed over the words.  It was a rather pretty medal, all nice and shining gold, with 5 stars on a red background. Pretty impressive and down at the bottom was what looked like an old Indian arrow head pointing to this:  

                          JUNE  15-20-1908.  SO WHAT IS  IT?

 

Anyone that has read my work over the years knows that I am a Peoria Historian and have no interest or knowledge of other cities.  That will hold true here as I tell you that this medal had a Peoria, Illinois connection.  The medal is one of hundreds that were on sale and available here in Peoria, Illinois during the week that the Modern Woodmen of America came to literally camp out here in Peoria, Illinois.  This is a very old and large group of men that belong to this Fraternal Benefit Organization founded in 1883 by Joseph Cullen Root.  Seems he was listening to a preacher praise woodmen for clearing the land in his town so Mr. Root decided to take the name of Woodmen but added the word ‘Modern.’   He wanted to make sure that as the years went by the fraternal order would still stay current and modern.   That makes sense and he was certainly correct because the Woodmen exist to this very day, are totally modernized and number at least 770,000 members. The

annual fee for belonging was a whopping one dollar.

 

                                         PEORIA  BOUND

 

And so they came by boat, wagon and train and by foot to Peoria, Illinois.  They filled our hotels, rented rooms and brought enough tents and supplies with them to fill our parks and river front. Every business in town welcomed them with open arms and decorated our downtown streets as if it were Christmas time in old Peoria. The truth is that a total of thirty blocks in the city were illuminated and the stores added lights and of course signs welcoming the Modern Woodmen.  It turned out to be the largest group that has ever come to Peoria, Illinois to stay a few days.  The Civil War Monument dedication of 1899 brought many thousands but after the ceremonies they were gone.  Not the Woodman, who stayed and set up ‘Head Camps’ all over the Peoria area.  They held meetings in our available halls and they filled the vast Coliseum where our dying old Armory stands today.

 

They headquartered in the Majestic Hotel, elected new officials and had meetings in all our available spaces. A very special segment of the Woodmen called Foresters came into town and they were the closest thing to a military arm of the Woodmen ever assembled.  Their camps were a series of small camps consisting of just over 2,000 plus tents, and they had all the military discipline of an organized, fighting army.  They trained and drilled and competed with each other and absolutely enthralled the folks of Peoria, Illinois.  Most of their activities were open to the public and this group spent money.  The highlight for locals was the impressive parade through Peoria Streets, and the marching band that thrilled the thousands of folks that lined the streets of Peoria, Illinois.

 

They were a religious group and many of the local churches invited the visitors to tour the local churches and listen to the local pastors.  They also virtually took over the National Hotel, and the downtown activity

continued for five days.  The evenings were spent in gatherings around the town, and singing and music could be heard everywhere.  The medal that I told you about was just one of the hundreds of souvenirs that were available for the visitors and of course Peorians bought them as well. But all things must end and with closing ceremonies attended by thousands the Modern Woodmen said goodbye to Peoria, The leading officials were driven off in Peoria’s Glide automobiles and deposited at the railroad depot.  It was a glorious time and the people of Peoria cheered them and wished them well.  Peoria has never seen anything like the Modern Woodsmen since that magic week of June 10 through June 15, 1908, and they never will.

Editor’s Note:   Norm is a local historian and author and a monthly contributor to

50 plus News & Views.   norman.kelly@sbcglobal.net