The Upper Applegate Grange was officially chartered in 1936 in a vertical-log building near McKee Bridge. After this building burned down in September 1955, members worked hard to build the current Grange, which officially opened in June 1957. Membership began dwindling at some point, and the organization officially closed its doors, possibly in the late ‘90s or early 2000s. There was a brief revival in the 2010s, which was followed by several years of dormancy. Recently, the Upper Applegate
Grange received an official charter, signed by the National Grange Master, recognizing Upper Applegate Grange #839 as an official, legal Grange once again. We are excited to display our Charter Certificate in the hall.
As I write this article, the Upper Applegate Grange has been officially reorganized for almost eight months. It took a lot of work to make the building usable again, as it had been sitting empty for several years. We found some mice, a few bats, and a couple of lizard residents, who were calling the Grange home. After our initial deep clean, we held our first event in September 2024—a rummage sale made possible by your amazing donations, which really helped us get off the ground. Since then, we’ve
hosted several events and the building is now available for rent through our event scheduler, Rebecca Maddox.
The Grange community has been working hard these last several months with outdoor cleanup, backroom organizing, and addressing building needs. Last winter’s upgraded heating system has made the concrete building much cozier for our community gatherings. This spring, we have been painting the interior of the Grange, giving it a fresh new look. We will continue with building upgrades and maintenance as funds allow.
We’ve hosted a themed Bingo Night every third Saturday of the month since December, which has been a lot of fun, and we plan to keep those going several times a year. Our first pancake breakfast in mid-March was a huge success, and we plan to host many more. Thanks to all local businesses that donated food and beverages to the Grange for this event—we couldn’t have done it without you.
It has been proven that joining a club can significantly benefit your life. You’ll meet new people, improve your overall health and well-being, have access to more community support, and embrace a sense of belonging. They say you’ll live longer too. Interested in becoming a member? Join us at our monthly potluck and meeting to pick up a member form.
Member dues for the entire year are $65 for individuals and $115 for families. $50 of each individual membership and $100 of each family membership are sent to the Oregon State Grange as payment for the building and access to Grange benefits. We keep $15 of each membership payment to benefit the Upper Applegate Grange, which helps us maintain the building, provide community events, pay Grange bills, etc. If you’d like to be involved and informed about these ventures, please join us at our monthly meetings and potlucks, which take place every second Sunday of the month. We enjoy a lovely lunch potluck in the Grange dining hall at 1 pm, then gather for a meeting in the main hall at 2pm. This is a great way to develop relationships, and we encourage all members and interested folks to attend.
As a nonprofit organization, we depend on our fundraising events, membership dues, and donations to keep the Grange open and active. We are always accepting monetary donations and new members. If you would like to be added to our Grange email list to stay up to date on events and information, please send us an email. Want to host an event or have ideas for events or learning opportunities? We’d love to hear from you! To schedule an event, contact Rebecca Maddox at 541-951-6765. Follow us on Facebook at Upper Applegate Grange #839. See you at the Grange, Applegater!
Allie Parkin
upperapplegategrange@gmail.com
