Friday, September 15, 2017

The History of the Order of Knights of Pythias


The Knights of Pythias was founded during the Civil War in Washington, D.C. and was the first fraternal organization to be chartered by an act of Congress. Justus H. Rathbone founded the group based on the legend of Damon and Pythias, a Greek story of honor and friendship. 
 
Membership in the organization required a belief in a supreme being and was open to men in good health. According to the secret rituals of the organization, when a man was inducted into the group, he received a ceremonial sword usually bearing the letters FCB, which stood for Friendship, Charity, Benevolence – the three attributes of the organization. Their motto is “to speak the truth and to render benefits to each other."

Pythian Sisters
The fraternal group was comprised of three tiers – Castles made up local meeting places, state buildings were called Grand Lodges, and Supreme Lodges were the designation for national buildings. Officers included the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Prelate, Secretary, Treasurer, Master at Arms, Inner Guard, Outer Guard and the Past Supreme Chancellor. The organization also had a women's auxiliary – the Pythian Sisters, along with the Pythian Sunshine Girls and the Junior Order of Princes of Syracuse for boys.

Knights of Pythias at the turn of the century
During the high point of fraternal groups, the Knights of Pythias had close to one million members, but once interest in secret societies died off, numbers dropped. There were fewer than 200,000 members by 1980. Today, there are more than 2,000 lodges in the world with membership over 50,000.

KPNSAEAA) Members
The Knights of Pythias of North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa (KPNSAEAA) was formed in 1869 after an African American lodge was denied membership. By the turn of the century, the KPNSAEAA had close to 40,000 members with lodges in 20 U.S. states and countries around the world.
By the 1870s, the organization began offering fraternal insurance benefits to members. In the 1930s, this endowment group broke from the mainstream Pythians and became the American United Insurance Company.
 
The Improved Order, Knights of Pythias began in 1892 as the result of a ruling that only English could be spoken at meetings. Many members also spoke German so in the 1895, the group fractured yet again but mended itself a few years later.

Louis Armstrong
Well-known Knights of Pythias included Presidents William McKinley, Warren G. Harding, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Vice Presidents included Nelson Rockefeller and Hubert H. Humphrey along with numerous Supreme Court justices, members of Congress and state representatives. Jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong was also a member.

The Knights of Pythias still exist in more than 20 states in the U.S. along with international groups. The Pythians provide camps for under privileged children, and homes for older members. The American Cancer Society is the national charity of the group.
Pythian Castle in Missouri
Pythian Lodge structures can still be found throughout the United States. Many of these grandiose castles and lodges have been listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and with the National Park Service.
Although a central register of deceased members does not exist, the organization is happy to answer genealogy questions. Contact them at Pythias.org.
~ Joy

My new book The Family Tree Cemetery Field Guide will be hitting bookshelves across the country this month. Click here for book information.


22 comments:

  1. I know where the grave of Joseph A. Hill. Founder of the sisterhood.

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    1. Hello I live in western Pennsylvania and my house was built in 1884 and on the deed says that it was once either owned or was a local meeting lodge for the K of P I'm trying to find more info if you can help I would appreciate any. Thank you.

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    2. You can contact them by email at supremelodge - at - pythias.org. The phone number is 781-341-2422 and fax is 781-341-0496. Good luck!

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  2. I found an old picture in an empty house. Behind the picture is a signed endowment policy of knights of Pythias for $500 signed in 1910 with. Perfect condition. Anyone know anything about it?

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  3. Where did you find what the motto was? I have never heard that before.

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  4. My great grandfather was a Mason I would like to learn more about the organization I have his sword and all his membership wardrobe. It's amazing to see all the historical value in the craftsmanship of this sword.

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  5. I am an historical archaeologist and back in 1993, my excavation crew uncovered a Knights of Pythias pin in the sand outside the ruins of the 1890 United States Lighthouse, Ballast Point, San Diego. The Treasury Department demolished the buildings in 1966 and may have closed the service in 1957. I am guessing a man in service to the lighthouse lost the pin while standing on the porch. This artifact is curated at the San Diego Archaeological Center and no longer available to me. I am now interested in the castle that would have existed in San Diego between 1890 and 1957. Can you help me. Ronald V. May, Legacy 106inc@aol.com .

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  6. I have a mustache cup with this on it. My great grandfathers name is under the crest. He lived in Boden,N Dakota owned the only hotel there from 1885 to 1909.

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  8. My grandfather,,I was told was a knight of Pythias. He was born in April, 1873,, in Mount Pleasant Texas. His name was Jim Craddock.

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  9. I would like to become a member,like my grandfather. How can I make this happen?

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    1. Their is a website with a membership request form there. A read of the history is good to do too.

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    2. Contact the organization for membership information. Email supremelodge - at - pythias.org. The phone number is 781-341-2422 and fax is 781-341-0496. Good luck!

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  10. I think its great that yo want to join an organization that your ancestor was part of. Just be sure their criteria and values are something you also support. Here is their web site. https://www.pythias.org/ The memberships are by state so find out where you can go to a meeting, virtually right now, and get all the information there. Best! Joy

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  11. Stumbled upon a whole cemetery section reserved for KoP in Globe today...

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  12. I visited Dawson Cemetery in Dawson, NM this past weekend, and discovered one section of plots labeled "Knights of Pythias" as well as Masons plots and a few other specific sections. I had never heard of the KOP. In researching, I came across you blog post. Thank you for the information.

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  14. I am buying a house in rural WI that was once a castle for the Knights of Pythias. There is a coffin upstairs 😐.....just looking for more info.

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  15. Hi Aja, The coffin may have been used in past initiation rites. Here's some information from a book on how the group holds meetings: "Chancellor Commander:
    1. Shall appoint two or more members to assist the Master of the Work in the preparation of the floor, which shall be as follows:
    On two trestles, twelve inches high, covered by a black pall reaching to the floor, shall be placed an open coffin, which shall contain a skeleton. On the coffin shall be two crossed swords, with the hilts towards the Prelate, and on these the open book of law. The coffin may be placed in the center of the floor, or in front of the station of the Vice Chancellor, or in an alcove of the lodge-room.

    Where the skeleton came from - I don't want to guess but at least the coffin in the house you are purchasing isn't included. Hope that helps. Best!

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  16. I'm a chimney sweep from baltimore maryland and found one of the swords I a fireplace smoke chamber. Basically just above a fireplace damper while a was doing a sweep. So I started looking stuff up. Very cool

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