Records of Knights of Pythias lodges in Oregon

Collection

Identifier: Coll 1132

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Record books of multiple Knights of Pythias lodges located in Oregon, as well as one from the affiliated organization Pythian Sisters. Most of these books are either minute books or ledgers recording membership information and dues. One item is a registry book for Calanthe Lodge No. 21 of Portland. Lodges represented in this collection were located in Portland, Bend, Brownsville, Coquille, Halfway, Independence, Scio, Wallowa, and Yamhill. The collection also includes two ledgers of unidentified lodges that were likely located in eastern Oregon.

Dates

Creation: 1883-1964

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Historical Note

The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society that was founded in 1864 in Washington, D.C. Membership has historically been open to men who believe in a supreme being. By the early 1920s, the society had almost 1 million members. By 1979, membership had declined to fewer than 200,000. An affiliated independent women's organization, the Pythian Sisters, was founded in 1888. For much of its history, the Pythian Sisters limited eligibility to women with a familial relationship to a member of the Knights, but no longer does.

Sources: "Knights of Pythias," Wikipedia (accessed May 2026), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_Pythias; "Pythian Sisters," Wikipedia (accessed May 2026), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythian_Sisters

Extent

1.81 Cubic Feet (3 legal document cases; 1 flat box (14x18))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Records of multiple lodges of the fraternal organization Knights of Pythias that were located in Oregon. These include minute books and ledgers with dues and membership information. One of the minute books is for a group belonging to the affiliated women's organization Pythian Sisters.

Arrangement

Collection is arranged in alphabetical order by lodge name, followed by materials from unidentified lodges and the Pythian Sisters temple. For identified lodges, the city where the lodge was located is noted in the folder title in parentheses.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from Virginia Young, January 1996 (Lib. Acc. 25095).

Related Materials

Other materials at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library relating to the Knights of Pythias include Mss 602, the Knights of Pythias Mystic Lodge No. 2 articles of incorporation; Org. Lot 1202, a panoramic photograph of the 65th Grand Lodge, Knights of Pythias; plans for the Knights of Pythias Astor Lodge No. 6 in Mss 3010, the Houghtaling and Dougan architectural papers; and materials in Mss 1511, the Associations and institutions collection.