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Fraternal organizations have existed in the US since the colonial era. They reached peak popularity in the 1800s through early 1900s, with millions of members nationwide.

Because they were so popular, at both local and national levels, it’s likely your ancestor belonged to at least one.

While their heyday may be past, fraternal societies gave our ancestors a support network of like-minded people with social or financial benefits.

In this blog post, I discuss the types of fraternal associations your ancestors may have taken part in and give some examples of each. I also share the kinds of information you can find in their records that can benefit your genealogy research.

What is a fraternal organization?

A fraternal organization is a group of people with similar interests to serve a purpose like volunteering or providing financial benefits to its members.

Although in the past the majority only allowed White men, some had ladies’ auxiliaries or later included women. Some were founded by women, for women.

The records can be harder to dig up since they are private documents but can be well worth the effort to seek out. By discovering which ones they were a part of, you can get an idea of their personality and understand more about their interests and life experiences.

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Types of fraternal organizations

Let’s get into the types of fraternal clubs that your relatives may have taken part in. Note that there can be overlaps, such as social and benevolent or ethnic and benevolent, but these are general categories to consider.

A lot of the ones I mention here had a presence in most or all states, as well as other countries and US territories. Because they were widespread, there is a chance that your ancestor may have been a member.

There were also those local to only a city, state, or region.

There were far too national and local societies many to dive into in this article, so be sure to explore what existed in the places your forebears were. Because they can have some quite interesting names, they can be fun to explore!

Each had its own organization system and rules and had office positions like Grand Esteemed Loyal Knight and Royal Vizier.

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African American man, member of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, wearing fraternal order collar and apron. Image source.

Social fraternal organizations

Technically, many, if not all, fraternal clubs are social. Yet some began for social purposes and have since evolved to include other work, like charitable giving.

Freemasons are probably the most well-known social fraternal association. Their history is far too extensive to go into, but Masonic lodges have existed in the US since colonial times. Although they are a frequent subject of conspiracy theories since they are a secret society and have a long history, Freemasons promote friendship, self-improvement, and social betterment. Given how popular they have been for centuries, it is probable that one of your ancestors was a member.
Another society, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks has an interesting origin story. Entertainers disappointed by New York City Blue Laws began meeting on Sundays to enjoy alcoholic beverages. At first called the Jolly Corks, after the death of a member in 1867, they incorporated the Elks to support social activities and service to others. These days, they host programs like scholarships, veterans’ services, and grants to non-profits.
Originating in 1888 in Kentucky, the Loyal Order of Moose’s goal was to give men a social outlet and celebrate life together. With members in every state, at present, they also donate volunteer hours and financial support in their community.

Ethnic fraternal groups

The majority of associations in the past were only open to White, Christian men, prompting people from other backgrounds to form their own. Black fraternal organizations like the Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa came about when Black men weren't allowed to join existing institutions.

Some ethnic fraternal clubs have origins as aid societies for recent immigrants and to celebrate their traditions.

Norwegian immigrants organized the Sons of Norway in 1895 as a benefit society to help other immigrants during times of need. Despite the name, women can nowadays be members. They offer life insurance to members as well as social activities around Norwegian culture.
United Brothers of Friendship was an African American benevolent order founded in 1861 in Kentucky by freemen and enslaved males. They later grew to add a women’s branch called the Sisters of the Mysterious Ten.

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Benevolent societies

Benevolent societies have a humanitarian mission, usually to help a specific group of people, like poor children. While some were religious, others were secular.

The Society for the Relief of Poor Widows and Small Children began in the 1790s to support widows with food, financial support, and other aid. They helped widows get jobs so they could get back on their feet and also ran schools.
Independent Order of Odd Fellows was once one of the largest societies. They believe in making the world a better place, improving mankind’s character, and promoting goodwill and harmony between people regardless of their background. Beginning in the UK in the 1700s, the fraternal order of Odd Fellows’ first US lodge formed in New York in 1806.
Knights of Pythias launched in 1864 in Washington DC and does work like volunteering and supporting local non-profits.

Religious fraternal organizations

These associations supported members of the same religion and performed acts of service to the community.

Knights of Columbus is a Catholic men’s service order. It began in 1882 as a lay institution with insurance benefits for members in times of death or illness of husbands and fathers. Today, over 1.5 million members offer both volunteer time and donations in the US and other countries and US territories.
Two Lutheran orders were the Aid Association for Lutherans and the Lutheran Brotherhood. Both were mutual aid outfits created in the early 1900s in the Midwest and had large memberships. Shortly after its start, the Aid Association allowed women to join. They had social activities and did charitable work. Over time, they supplied loans, health insurance, mutual funds, and other financial services to members. In 2002, they merged to become Thrivent and evolved into a general financial services company.

Trade or occupational orders

Trade groups of the past were like today’s unions. Specific types of laborers, like shoe workers, created them to advocate for themselves.

The United Sons of Vulcan was a band of skilled steel workers who came together to fight for better pay and working conditions. Although it only lasted from 1858 to 1876, it evolved into United Steelworkers.
The Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo. (I had to include this one because of the name.) Still in existence, they formed in Arkansas in 1892 by lumbermen to promote the health and happiness of its members. The original members clearly had a sense of humor as “hoo-hoo” was a catchphrase they used to describe anything unusual. A black cat is their mascot and in honor of the nine lives of cats, the number nine is prominent in their rules. From the start, they agreed not to follow the usual rules of fraternal orders, like lodge rooms or uniforms. They are still a social and service club for those in the timber trade.
The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, better known as the Grange, commenced in 1867 for farmers. Unusual for the times, they accepted women and men of all ethnicities and religions as members since its start. Grange chapters organize social and service activities for their rural communities. If you have farming ancestors, definitely see if they were members of their local Grange.

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Fraternal organizations for women

As mentioned, it was common for societies to be only for men. But there are still opportunities to learn if your female ancestors were members of a fraternal club. Many of the societies discussed in this article, and others, had related orders for women. Women also assembled independent groups for themselves.

Order of the Eastern Star is another example of secret societies. It began in the mid-1800s as a Freemason order for women who were the wife, mother, daughter, or sister of a Freemason. They are now co-ed.
Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) came about in 1869 by students at Iowa Wesleyan University. Their aim was to promote educational opportunities for women on campus but expanded to women off campus.
The Daughters of Isis is an African American women’s order of the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Shriners). They are a benevolent society aimed at developing leaders, encouraging health awareness, serving disabled and senior citizens, and recognizing the achievements of African American women.

Grand Army of the Republic document. Image source.

Military fraternal organizations

Veterans formed various bodies after service in a war as a way to stay connected and network.

The Grand Army of the Republic was one such group formed for Civil War veterans. Beyond socializing, they became powerful lobbyists, fighting for pensions and building soldiers’ homes for disabled vets. If your ancestor fought in the Civil War, including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Revenue Cutter Service, he may have joined one of the local “posts”. It later evolved into the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War after its last member died in 1956.
Sons of Spanish American War Veterans describes itself as a patriotic and fraternal heritage body. Its goal is to preserve the memory of those who served in the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, and the China Relief Expedition (1898-1902). At the time of its formation in 1927, it also lobbied for support for widows and minors of veterans. They have a separate membership for women.

How to tell if your ancestor was in a club

To discover whether your forebears were members of an organization, start by checking city directories to see what clubs were nearby that they might have belonged to. Consider the various parts of their life, like occupation and religion, to get an idea of which were more likely.

Then begin looking for clues, like:

Cemetery symbols. Lots of people have their group’s insignia on their grave marker.
Photographs of them in regalia or uniforms.
Membership cards and related papers with club names or symbols.
Newspaper mentions. Articles about social or fundraising events and elections were common. I learned about a relative’s participation in the Knights of Pythias through election result articles.
County histories may mention local clubs and have biographies with membership information.
Jewelry or other accessories with society symbology.
Other genealogical documents. I know this is vague, but I’ve discovered membership information in places like alien registration files and pension records. Keep an eye out for mentions of acronyms, lodges, or symbols.

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What you might find in fraternal order records

Types of genealogical information you can uncover, depending on the type of club and its recordkeeping include:

Membership years
Officer positions someone held
Which lodge/chapter they belonged to
Transfers to other lodges/branches
Biographies
Addresses
Burial location
Birth dates
Death dates
Photos
Names of family members
Life insurance paperwork with names of beneficiaries and payments
Birthplaces
Information about their events, giving you a sense of your ancestors’ experiences
Occupation
Whether a citizen or intending to become one
Number of children
Health issues

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Final thoughts

Fraternal organizations often played a role in the lives of our forebears, giving them community, identity, and social and financial support.

Given how popular and diverse they were, they can help us get to know our ancestors' interests, values, and social connections.

While finding these records can be challenging, they are an overlooked resource that can paint a more complete picture of your ancestor’s life.

Have you discovered that your ancestor was in a fraternal organization? If so, which one(s)?

Are you looking for help with your genealogy research?

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How To Use Fraternal Organizations To Enrich Your Genealogy Research