Sons of Temperance, Louden Division, #27 (Plum Creek, Neb.) [RG3970.AM]

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID



RG3970.AM:  Sons of Temperance, Louden Division, #27 (Plum Creek, Neb.)



Account book:  1876-1877

Plum Creek, Dawson County, Neb.:   Fraternal organization

Size:  1 volume on 1 reel of microfilm



BACKGROUND NOTE



After 1825, the temperance crusade spread over the United States. The Washington Temperance Society, formed in 1840, practiced the ‘salvation of drunkards by reformed drunkards’. In this, leaders relied entirely upon their own ability to persuade drinkers to sign a pledge.



The Sons of Temperance was formed to make up for the lack of coordination of the Washington Society, which did not integrate its local societies. The Sons of Temperance was organized on September 29, 1842 at Teetotaler’s Hall in New York. It was a highly centralized, mutual benefit, semi-secret organization which combined the temperance doctrines of the Washington Society with additional fraternal elements of the Masons and Odd Fellows, providing fraternal care and watchfulness over its members.



The Constitution of the Sons of Temperance provided a national division, which met annually, state divisions, which met quarterly, and subordinate divisions, which held weekly temperance meetings. The popularity of its practice of total abstinence spread and by 1855, the organization had reached its peak with forty-one Grand Divisions, 3,543 Subordinate Divisions, and 134,177 members. Although membership dropped during and after the Civil War, the organization did make a comeback in the 1870s and 1880s.



SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE



This collection consists of one volume, an account book, dating from 1876-1877. The volume contains financial records of one of the subordinate or local divisions of the Sons of Temperance, the Louden Division, #27, of Plum Creek, Nebraska. The entries record dues paid by members of the organization. An alphabetical index of members (and other miscellaneous notes) appears at the beginning. Members’ names, dates of payments, and amount paid are shown.



This volume was loaned for microfilming by the Dawson County Historical Society in September of 1979.



DESCRIPTION



Reel 1

Volume




    1. Account book, 1876-1877



 



ADDED ENTRIES:



Dawson County (Neb.) — History

Fraternal organizations — Nebraska

Plum Creek (Neb.) — History

Social reform

Temperance



 



Revised 07-12-2008   TMM

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

You May Also Enjoy

The Story of Omaha Police Fingerprint Expert Emily Byram

The Story of Omaha Police Fingerprint Expert Emily Byram

Marker Monday: Cather Childhood Home

Marker Monday: Cather Childhood Home

Yutan Tornado – March 23, 1913

Yutan Tornado – March 23, 1913

About History Nebraska
History Nebraska was founded in 1878 as the Nebraska State Historical Society by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed History Nebraska from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director and CEO Jill Dolberg. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for History Nebraska.
Explore Nebraska
Discover the real places and people of our past at these History Nebraska sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of History Nebraska members.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast.

Nebraska Collections

History Nebraska's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

History Nebraska Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

Support History Nebraska
Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to History Nebraska help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of History Nebraska by donating to the History Nebraska Foundation today.

Volunteers are the heroes of History Nebraska. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.