Panama Rocks Grange No. 526

This Grange was organized August 17, 1887. The first meeting place was a rented hall over Panama’s leading grocery store. The hall burned and all the records were destroyed. In 1912, the group purchased the former Presbyterian church which had been rebuilt into a hall and apartments on East Main Street in Panama.

From The Town of Harmony History, p. 255: Taken from information provided by Ethel M. Cochran, secretary of Panama Grange.

“In 1887 some two or three dozen progressive farmers , realizing their community lacked cooperation in farm problems, and realizing the Grange was able to obtain this cooperation, organized the Panama Rock Grange No. 526 and on August 17, 1887 the first degrees were given. J. Shirley Eddy as Master. Meetings were held in various placed and one hall burning destroyed all records.

A Juvenile Grange was organized on February 3, 1940.

In 1958, the Grange had 118 members. In the late 1890’s the Presbyterian Church at Panama was closed and in 1900 the old church property was bought by August Anderson and in 1900 and 1901 he remodeled the church building into apartments.

In 1912, Panama Rocks Grange, lacking a hall of their own, with a membership of nearly 300 purchased the property. It was converted into one of the finest Grange halls in the county with a large hall on the second floor and a well arranged kitchen and dining room on the first floor. With many enthusiastic young people, two fine degree teams, the annual Grange Fairs, the Grange was the pleasure center of the surrounding community.

Due to financial difficulties, the Grange was forced to sell the property and on November 9, 1942 at a public auction the Grange Hall and ½ acre of land as well as kitch and dining room articles with S. H. Cook as auctioneer was sold to the highest bidder.

The Grange minutes for November 25, 1942 shows the Grange Hall and ½ acre of land was sold to Clifton Sweet for $450.00. Mr. Sweet took the Grange building down. Panama Rock Grange rented the use of the fire hall where they conducted their meetings."