History of the Bayside Grange

This is Old Arcata Rd looking north where Jacoby Creek Rd comes in on the right. You can see the Old Jacoby Creek School, the Temperance Hall and the Grange

Susie Van Kirk and Lorrane Henriques
study photos at the Grange.

During a Photo Day in 2002, historians Suzy VanKirk and Suzanne Guerra collected and scanned photos from long time residents personal collection

Constructing the Grange Building
(Notice the Old Jacoby Creek School in background)

Jacoby Creek

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BAYSIDE GRANGE

The Bayside Grange serves the communities of Bayside, Arcata, and the Arcata Bottoms, from the Jacoby Creek watershed to the Mad River in the north and west to the Pacific Ocean. Bayside Grange No.500 was chartered on October 8, 1932; thirty-five men and women signed the original charter. Recognizing that, in family farming, women were full participants and sometimes sole proprietors the Grange was one of the first national organizations in the nineteenth century to allow women full participation.

The first meeting was held in the Bayside Community Hall, also known as the Good Templars Hall, and Clarence Anvick was elected the first Grange Master. Members worked actively with other granges throughout the county on community projects, including the establishment of local 4-H programs, college scholarship programs, a credit union, and neighborhood improvement projects.

Soon outgrowing their Templars Hall meeting place, the Bayside Grange sponsored dances, public dinners, bingo and card parties to raise funds for their own building. A great deal of the planning, organization and fundraising was provided by the Grange Women's Association (GWA), a separate women's auxiliary that developed its own projects and activities. In 1935, the Bayside Grange Orchestra was formed to furnish the music for fundraising dances, on the floor of the unfinished new Hall, and played at Grange events throughout Humboldt County.
One of the most popular musical groups in the County at that time, the Orchestra included Donald Malone, Ray Malone, Earl Malone, Atlant Dolson, Rollo Guthridge, and Paul Crawford. One observer said, "I never saw anyone get such two-fisted pleasure ripping down the ivories as Mrs. Atlant Dolson," the only female member of the group. The home-cooked chicken suppers provided by the GWA only added to the popularity of these fundraisers.

BUILDING THE COMMUNITY HALL
The land for the new Hall was purchased in 1940, and the main building finished in December 1941. Designed by Dewey Dolf, it was constructed almost entirely by members for a total cost of under $3,000. Over 400 people attended the dedication in 1944 and 500 attended the grand opening dance. Members of the Bayside community employed the new facility for club meetings, family reunions, wedding receptions and birthday parties.

The Bayside Grange Hall was soon known for its public dances and theatrical entertainments. One of the only grange halls in Humboldt County with a stage, it was soon popular for other local events such as the annual Humboldt State University Football Season Kickoff Dinner, school plays and graduation.

Plays, dances, along with the midnight suppers provided by the Grange Women's Association (GWA), made it a popular USO canteen during WW II. The kitchen and a meeting room for the GWA were completed several years later. Members bought "Grange Bonds," certificates for personal loans to the Grange building project, at no interest. All of these "Grange Bonds" were repaid before the building was completed.

THE BAYSIDE GRANGE: A COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
The Patrons of Husbandry, better known as the "Grange" was originally created to educate the family farmer and as an advocate for agricultural communities. In this spirit, the Bayside Grange has developed partnerships with other local groups like the Jacoby Creek Land Trust and the Humboldt Folklife Society.

Over the last seventy years, the Bayside Grange has actively supported local community projects such as Neighborhood Watch, Bayside 4-H, Bayside Garden Club, scholarships, and has provided meeting facilities for many community organizations throughout the region.

THE BAYSIDE GRANGE HALL: A STATE HISTORICAL RESOURCE

With sixteen local granges, Humboldt County is one of the most active Grange regions in California. Local Granges, called "Subordinates," are the foundation of the Grange. Grange Halls are often a hub of activity in rural communities.

The Bayside Grange Hall is listed on the California Register of Historical Resources. It is recognized as significant for its over 50 year role as Bayside's community center, and as its continuous association with the Bayside Grange #500.

While the National Grange is over 125 years old, all of the existing Granges in Humboldt County were chartered around sixty years ago. The fact that most of these locally constructed Grange Halls continue to serve their communities is a testament to the important role of the Grange in rural communities.

Each Grange hall is carefully designed according to a plan established more than one hundred years ago by the National Grange and incorporates common elements, a large meeting room with ample space for official ceremonies and seating on the sides for members.

With the completion of the historic building rehabilitation project, the Bayside Grange Hall can continue to host programs and meetings for members, and family and community events for our Bayside neighbors. For more information on how you can get involved contact us at (707) 822-9998.