On December 4, 1867 in a small Washington, D.C. building that housed the office of William Saunders, Superintendent of Propagating Gardens in the Department of Agriculture, the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, more commonly known as the Grange, was born.
Here, sitting around a plain wooden table, a group of seven earnest men planned what was destined to become a vital force in preserving and expanding American democracy. They were all men of vision. They had faith in God, in their fellow man and the future.
The Seven Founders of the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry were:
- Oliver H. Kelley • William Saunders
- Aaron B. Grosh • William M. Ireland
- John R. Thompson • Francis McDowell
- John Trimble, assisted by Caroline Hall, who was later named an honorary 8th founder of the Grange
Their names are inscribed on a Birthplace Marker located near the site of the original building on the south side of 4th Street SW, near Madison Street on the mall in Washington DC The marker was officially dedicated on Sept. 9, 1951, and is the only private monument on the mall.