Sutton's 1897 Officials, Churches, Lodges

In 1897, 125 years ago, The Sutton News newspaper ran this directory in the left column of the front page every week. 

We have a list of the city and county officials, the churches in Sutton, and the list of "sivic" societies - the lodges and other organizations, though today we'd call the civic societies. 

I suspect that the German Congregational church did not meet at 1:30 AM on Sundays. Surely a type that likely meant 10:30

The A.O.U.W. lodge was the Ancient Order of United Workmen which, like many of the early lodges of the time began as a mutual insurance company before the commercial insurance industry developed.

The I.O.O.F. was the International Order of Odd Fellows which was an active organization for years. My father, Clarence Johnson was one of the last five members when the state organization representatives showed up at their Monday night meeting and closed them down. The lodges letters are visible on their old building on Sutton's south end, west side. 

Note that there were two G.A.R. lodges in Sutton.

Missing on this list and appearing later were the Royal Highlanders, another insurance-based lodge that originated in Aurora. Sutton was Chapter 11 of that lodge - the Dundee Castle Lodge. We have an article about them at this link:   Royal Highlanders