The national order was first instituted in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1819, by five people; a blacksmith by the name of Wiley being the head organizer. The first local lodge instituted and chartered was Rock Island Lodge, No. 18, in 1850; some of the older members being Washington L. Sweeney, Charles B. Knox, William Bell, W. T. Norris, Henry Burgower, Ernest Krell, Charles Engel, Cyrus Churchill, Jacob Huber, John B. Hawley and W. T. Magill. Ucal Lodge, No. 608, was chartered in 1876; the older members being Jonas Bear, Reuben Bollman, Frank Bahnsen, Benjamin Hartz, Herbert Scott, John South and Charles Hodgson. The Odd Fellowship Association have a strong bond of help or assistance, which they contribute to the dead or sick. Rock- Island Lodge, No. 1S, giving a burial fund of eighty-five dollars, and a weekly sick benefit fund of four dollars. Ucal Lodge, No. 608, giving a burial fund of two hundred and ten dollars, and a weekly sick benefit fund of three dollars. The membership of the two lodges at the present time is four hundred and six.Rebekah Lodge, No. 73, Ladies’ Auxiliary The founder of this auxiliary to Odd Fellowship, was Schuyler Colfax, who later was vice-president of the United States. It was organized in 1850, fifty-eight years ago.
Source: Historic Rock Island County, pub. Kramer & Company, Rock Island, Illinois, 1908