Medal ID, age and value???

[LunarWolf]

I found this while helping my parents Demp their old garage last summer. I ran the detector over the yard after we were done and found this about 2" down. Anyone know what this medal was for? Looks masonic to me but i'm not 100% sure. Sorry about the blurriness i will try to get some clearer ones later on the medal reads.....


Concord School House Birthplace of Jr. O.U.A.M. 1853-1929

the backside reads....

The Whitehead & Hoag Co. Newark NJ

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Upgraded Night Vision Monocular Digital Infrared Monocular Telescope for 100% Darkness with 8X Zoom - Grab it through Amazon!

[PBK]

It's a watch fob (possibly originally serving as a badge "drop," or suspension medallion) issued by the fraternal organization known as the Junior Order of United American Mechanics.

http://bessel.org/jouam.htm

Book price would be $20-25+; however, only a couple of days ago a similar fob sold for $8.27 on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1928-Fraternal-Watch-Fob-Jr-OUAM-Merit-Award_W0QQitemZ300201947956

 

[possumheaded]

Looks like it might be part of a medal or watch fob. The Jr. O.U.A.M. stands for the Junior Order of United American Mechanics.
Here's a picture of the school house from the Library of Congress.

Do a search on eBay for Jr. O.U.A.M. and you'll find one watch fob that's is similar but newer than yours for 14.99 and there is a older silver one with a buy it now price of 350.00 so I guess it depends on what it's made of more so than date but I'm sure the older the better.

Also here is some info I found very interesting and thought you might be interested in reading it.

The following is from the Monticello Council No. 63
Junior Order of United American Mechanics website.



"The United American Mechanics more than any other imitator of Freemasonry's structure and symbolism sought to co-opt for itself the good-will and respect associated with Freemasonry by the square and compass emblem of Masonry," the same author explains.

"The Jr. O.U.A.M. irritated the Masons with their use of the Square and Compass and it said the Masons hauled them into court to try to get them to stop using it. This was obviously not successful as they are still using it today," adds David Lettelier of the Phoenixmasonry Masonic Museum.

The Junior Order of United American Mechanics, historians inform, was a "nativist" order organized with stated goals of protecting "American principles and American-born citizens; to uphold the Federal Constitution, the free, unsectarian common school and the reading of the Bible therein; and to furnish sick and funeral benefits to members"

Other sources dub the J.O.U.A.M. "anti-Catholic" and lump it with the Ku Klux Klan due to its radical "nativist" orientation (seemingly a euphemism for the racist exclusion of anyone but white American-born men.) One source claims that the K.K.K. and the J.O.U.A.M. once published a newsletter together called The Searchlight in the area of Atlanta, Georgia.

An article in the May 2002 issue of Christianity Today attributes the zeal with which the J.O.U.A.M. and K.K.K. advocated a rigid separation between church and state, far from being based in enlightened Jeffersonian liberalism, was rooted in a xenophobic fear of Catholics and foreigners -- which was evidently shared by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black and perhaps others on the high court. The article describes a lawsuit filed by a member of the J.O.U.A.M. which resulting, in 1947, in the overturning of a New Jersey statute authorizing local school districts to make rules and contracts for the transportation of children in the community to Catholic parochial schools (Everson v. Board of Education of Ewing Township, 330 U.S. 1). Wolf reports:

"All these strands came together in the Everson case. Arch Everson, who brought the suit, was a member of an organization, the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, that had its origins in 19th-century nativism; his lawyer, Albert McCay, had represented similar groups in earlier cases. More important, the author of the Court's majority decision, Hugo Black, had been a member of the Ku Klux Klan, the most notorious anti-Catholic organization in American history. Hence Black's invoking the ideal of separation of church and state serves to remind Hamburger of the more unsavory history of this particular doctrine. And it thus throws into question decisions by the Court since Everson that rely on the doctrine of separation of church and state to keep religion out of American public life.

Though the J.O.U.A.M. is not a Masonic organization by any stretch today, some evidence exists that there was a time when the two organizations were mutually supportive. The history of Hoffman Lodge #412, F.&A.M, of Middletown, New York (26 miles east of Monticello) reports that after a 1922 fire inflicted heavy damage on the Masonic Temple there, "[e]arly in December, the lodge accepted the hospitality of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics (J.O.U.A.M.) on Washington Street until the lodge could be rebuilt."

Over time, the original nativist mission of the J.O.U.A.M. has allegedly been modified in favor of more charitable aims. "It became an independent secret society by 1885 with its fundamental purpose directed at keeping undesirable foreigners out of the country," writes Joyce M. Tice in her description of commemorative flag-holders in Bradford, Chemung and Tioga counties of New York. "It considered German, Irish and Roman Catholic persons as among those undesirables and it concentrated its rituals on religious 'principals'... Over time, J.O.U.A.M. changed its ideology and requirements so that Jews, non-whites, and Roman Catholics could join, and women were also accepted as members. It is hard to understand why groups that were formerly targeted by this organization would want to join it," Tice concludes.

Hard indeed. It equally as hard to imagine what place, if any, such hateful ideas could have ever had in the beneficent Masonic fraternity with its immutable landmark that Masons meet together on the same Level, children of one G-d. Maybe the only similarity between the J.O.U.A.M. and the Freemasons was that they both held closed-door ceremonies for members only, and were viewed by the world as "secret societies". More than this, among the founders of the J.O.U.A.M. there may have been some individual Masons. I don't know this, but it would not be surprising. Yet it is startling to see the square and compass used by a non-Masonic organization. The following information is from the History of the J.O.U.A.M. by Deemer, Shanor, & Deily, published in Boston in 1896 by the Fraternal Publishing Co., as summarized and provided by Masonic researcher and writer R.W. Ronald M. Goldwyn of the Matinecock Masonic Historical Society:

The Order of United American Mechanics was organized on July 8th,1845 Chaired by Mr Luther Chapin as "The American Mechanics Union" whose objects were 1) To assist each other in obtaining employment; 2) To assist each other in business, by patronizing each other in preference to foreigners; 3) To assist the unfortunate in obtaining employment suitable to their affiction; 4) To established a cemetary for deceased members of the society; and 5) To establish a funeral fund. 6)For the establishment of a fund for the relief of widows and orphans of deceased members. In 1852 a group s in a PA council said to the State Secretary that a few young men wanted to form a "Junior Order". Thus on May 17th, 1853 at the Concord School house in Germantown PA the Washington Council No. 1 of the Junior Order of the United American Mechanics was instituted.

PREAMBLE
We, the undersigned, Americans by birth, having viewed the disadvantages under which Americans labor from the effects of foreign competition and foreign combinations, not only by the different articles of foreign manufacture being imported into the several States of the Union, thereby depriving the mechanics of American birth from realizing that material benefit from their labors which they should ; but the present system of the importation, into this country, of paupers by the nations of the Old World has been, and is, carried to such an extent that, if some remedy is not very soon applied, the Americans by birth will become paupers themselves-and from past experience and present appearance of the future, instead of the evils abating, there is a certainty of their increasing ; therefore we feel ourselves bound, by the duties we owe our country and our countrymen, to provide for the protection of Americans, by forming ourselves into an association to advance such objects and carry out such principles as shall best promote the interests and shall secure the happiness of ourselves and our countrymen ; in addition to which is added the praise­worthy duty of aiding our brothers in distress. Therefore, for the purpose of advancing such objects and principles, we pledge ourselves, as Americans, to use every fair and honorable means consistent with our sacred duties, and, in accordance with the paternal voice of the Father of Our Country, Beware of foreign influence," agree to be governed by the following constitution. THE OBJECTS OF THE ORDER are set forth as follows: 1. To assist Americans in obtaining employment. 2. To encourage Americans in business. 3. To establish a sick and funeral fund. 4. To prepare the youth of America to become members of the Order of United American Mechanics, and other American orders, when they arrive at the proper age. 5. To use such means, when able, as will prevent the present system of emigration of foreign paupers to our land. They continued to grow in membership and councils, first in PA and then elsewhere. On Sept 30th, 1869 State delegates assembled to form a National Council. They were from PA, NJ,& DE. and continued to grow adding councils in many more states. In 1871 they had 124 councils with 8,317 members. Realize that there was the original Senior Order that took in the Jr. members when they reached the mandatory maximum age. That age was extended to 45 in 1881. In 1882, at the session held in NYC a proposal was made to change the groups name to the "American Legion", but it was soundly defeated. By 1886 they had 15,299 members in 171 councils and worth about $180,000 with two established funds - the Junior American Mechanic Funeral Benefit Association and the American Beneficial Association of the USA. In 1890 they had 893 councils and 81,780 members. Again the name change was put to a vote and again it lost by a vote of 1575 to 11,732. the following were also adopted.
DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES

The National Council of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics in annual session assembled declare: That the constant landing upon our shores of the hordes of ignorant, vicious, and lawless criminals of the Old World should be viewed with alarm by the loyal and patriotic citi­zens of this country. We affirm a warm and hearty welcome to all immigrants who desire to better their condition and become a part and parcel of our nationality, but we have not one square inch of room for the Anarchist, the Socialist, or Nihilist. or for any one who is not willing to bow allegiance to that flag would give every assistance to protect all in the exercise of this liberty, but we object most strenuously to the inter­ference of any church, no matter under what name it may exist, in the temporal affairs of this country, We believe that the Bible should be read in our Public Schools ; not to teach sectarianism, but to inculcate its teachings. It is the recognized standard of all moral and civil law : we therefore believe that our children should be educated in its teachings, but that no dogma or creed should be taught at the same time. We believe that patriotism and love of country should be instilled into the hearts of children, and that, with the sacred words of " Mother," " Home," and " Heaven," our children should be taught that our flag is the symbol of all that makes a " home " for us. We would place a flag upon every Public School in our land, and a Bible within; and the object lesson therein set forth should be a beacon light in every storm that threatens to engulf us.which is powerful enough to shield and protect them, as well as us, in the exercise of all civil and religious liberty. We affirm our devotion to the Public School System of this country. We believe in compulsory education, and that all teaching in our schools should be in the English language, to the end that future generations may be able to take their place in the ranks of our country's workers, educated in the history, the customs, and manners of Americans. We guarantee to every man the liberty of worshiping God according to the dictates of his own conscience, and in this noble and patriotic work we ask the cordial and hearty co-operation of all good citizens. In this grand work we need the helping hand of all organizations holding the same views and principles. We have no time for jealousies and bickering, but with a united front we should march for­ward, shoulder to shoulder, remembering that " United we stand, divided we fall." In the strictest sense we are a national political organi­zation, but we oppose with unanimity the slightest taint of partisanship. "Our Country" is our motto, and we keep this motto steadily before us. We are cognizant that there are great and powerful enemies within our midst. requiring the strictest surveillance of all who are at heart, word, and in deed AMERICANS. We, as members of this Order, affirm our allegiance to the objects of the Order as paramount to any partisan affiliation, and urge upon the membership har­monious, united, and intelligent action in carrying out these principles. In 1894 they were up to 1980 councils with 153,268 members. They were the first organization in the USA to present flags to public schools starting on May 29, 1888 in Mt. Pleasant, PA. The first council in NY was Independent Council #1 instituted July 21,1870.

On October 12, 1868, "the State Councilor of Pennsylvania, Bro Jno. O. Montanye, submitted a design as a badge of the Order -- a shield, with arm and hammer, compass and square in the center; when it was resolved that the design submitted be made the badge of the Order." It was not until the National convention of 1892 held in Atlantic City NJ that National Secretary Deemer presented a new ritual which was adopted, the previous ritual was obtained by a contest with a $25 prize first used in PA. Then Bro D.A. Reese of PA transferred all rights to the Emblum manufactured by him to the National Council of the J.O.U.A.M.

 

[jeff of pa]

great ID PBK

 

[possumheaded]

great ID PBK

When I saw LunarWolf's post I figured what the heck , I'm sitting here with nothing to do and I had heard of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics so I thought I'd reply but do some research to give some background on it before posting. Well, you won't believe it but while doing some reading something came over me and I said to myself "By the time I get this posted either PBK or Jeff of PA will have already responded. Dang if I wasn't right and it's funny because PBK got the first reply and then you come along right afterward. Just goes to show you guys got it going on.
Keep up the good work and LunarWolf, thanks for sharing. I learned some new things doing some research on this thing. Cool find.
Ed

 

[LunarWolf]

WOW! Thanks alot guys! helps me out alot!! glad you guys are here!!