Anonymous ID: c6ea31 Aug. 26, 2020, 8:39 p.m. No.10434505   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>4573

>>10434399

>Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF)

Here is an April 1943 C E Ward Company Catalog of Odd Fellow Costumes, Collars and Supplies . In 1891 Clyde E. Ward and his brother in law, Ed Stilson, paid four New London gentlemen $138 for their lodge rosette business. Shortly after this they received an order from the Odd Fellows Lodge for 600 bullion collars and the Ward-Stilson Company was on its way. Mr. Ward had a gentleman from Columbus come up and show the two women on a treadle sewing machine how to do the bullion work since this was all new to them. They later added caps, robes, swords and other lodge paraphernalia. About 1905 Ed Stilson paid C.E. Ward for his half of the business and set out on his own. He had a large order from the Masonic Lodge that helped his business after splitting from C.E. Ward. By 1910 the Ward Co. Regalia business had expanded so that it included costumes, swords, with inland hilts, bugles, horns, harps, jewels and hand-painted scenery. Later they added lanterns and electric arc lights. The company built a new factory building on the corner of James and Williams Streets in 1910. Even with this the business expanded so fast that they rented part of the old St. James Hotel building and used it for sewing and stock rooms. A two story brick addition was added to the Williams Street side in 1911 to relieve the situation. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1943-e-ward-co-ioof-catalog-costumes-1813412248