The origins of Odd Fellowship are lost in ancient history.

The signs and symbols used by Odd Fellowship over the past 200 plus years have been found in Egyptian tombs and in Roman temples in the same arrangements that we use them today. However, the earliest documented record of an organization called “Odd Fellows” are the minutes of Aristarchus Odd Fellow Lodge Number 9 in England, dated March 12, 1748. By being number 9, there must have been others before this date, but we do not have documented evidence.

In July of 1817, Thomas Wildey, an Odd Fellow belonging to the Order of Odd Fellows Number 17 of London, England, emigrated to America and arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in September 1817. In April 1819, he met with four other Odd Fellows who had come from England and they formed Washington Odd Fellow Lodge Number One in Baltimore. In February 1820, a Charter was received from the Duke of York’s lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Preston, County of Lancaster, England. This Charter listed the titles of “Washington Odd Fellow Lodge Number One”, as well as, “The Grand Lodge of Maryland, and of the United States of America” and gave power to grant Charters to other lodges on the North American Continent. Now, there are hundreds of Odd Fellow lodges covering virtually all of the Free World.

The names of Odd Fellows, Rebekahs, Junior Odd Fellows, and Theta Rho Girls were developed over a considerable period of time. First the Odd Fellows were developed and later, realizing that there was a place in the organization for women, the Rebekah Degree was developed. Subsequently, The Junior Odd Fellows and then The Theta Rho Girls Organizations were added. The I.O.O.F. is, as it should be, continuing to develop, and currently both men and women of “good moral character” are allowed to join either an Odd Fellow or Rebekah Lodge or both by presenting a petition to the lodge of their choice and going through the investigative and approval process. Odd Fellows and Rebekahs may join the Order at the age of 16 years. The Junior Odd Fellows and the Theta Rho girls may join at age 8 years and remain until age 21.

The first lodge of Odd Fellows in Texas was instituted in Houston, as Lone Star Odd Fellow Lodge Number One on July 25, 1838 by Jacob DeCordova, Grand Master of Louisiana.

The Story of the Widows and Orphans Home in Corsicana, TX

A Children’s Home was established in 1885 on 200 acres of land in Corsicana. It reached a peak population of over 400 children during the Depression years of the 1930's when the home had its own school district, football team, baseball team, and band.

In 1886, a very good year,

• Coca Cola and Dr. Pepper began showing up at corner drug stores

• Mr. Sears and Mr. Roebuck started selling stuff

• Thomas Crapper invented the modern flush toilet

• Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty

• The Odd Fellows of Texas began an institution that was destined to change the lives of children over the next 106 years.

To put things into perspective, the Odd Fellows of Texas were among the pioneers in the building of Orphanages in the United States. A book published in 1927, titled “Album of Odd Fellows Homes”, contains color photographs of every Odd Fellows Orphanage in the world. Of the 72 listed worldwide, 62 were in the United States.

The first home was established in 1872 in Western Pennsylvania. Four more homes would be established before the Texas home got its start. With Texas still part of the broad frontier, and with the large obligation of capital, the 1886 opening must have been a proud moment. With this bold stroke, Odd Fellowship in Texas surely began its journey into its most dynamic period. The legacy begins.

As they opened the door to the IOOF Widows and Orphans Home in Corsicana, the first child through the door was a boy named T. H. Streich and I was the 1,520th child to enter. I am proud to call myself an ex-student. T. H. and I, along with all those that came between and after us, are part of a large group of children that benefited from the legacy that the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs established over these many years and continues to build on today through its outstanding facility in Ennis along with its other important programs. I am personally aware of the quality of the Ennis facility as my mother spent her final 25 years there. She died at age 92.

With the closing of the home’s door in 1991, some 2,000 Widows and Orphans, representing 575 families, of brothers and sisters of this order, were nurtured and cared for and went on to become productive citizens of our great country. Consider what may have happened to those 2,000 souls if not for help from their father’s and mother’s fraternal brothers and sisters. We should never forget the good the order has done and continues to do today. As our numbers dwindle, I hope, no I know, that Odd Fellowship, with energetic leadership and redoubling efforts to make our numbers grow, can once again be a force in the community, as it once was.

The Odd Fellow’s impact on the area of the home is obvious when you consider what they have done with the land that was the Home. Sitting on that land today is; a Community College, Hospital, High School and a large recreational area which includes the old home lake, and of course a few buildings still remain under the control of the order. This generosity will always stand as a reminder of the great good that went on there.

The number of children steadily declined until 1990 when the Home was closed. We are proud of the work we did in providing homes for children and in converting orphans into leaders of our communities and state. A large portion of the land was donated to the City of Corsicana for a public park and soccer field. The remainder of the land and the buildings still left now are home to the Grand Lodge of Texas.