Hi, At one time the Grange was a political force to be reckoned with. They could affect the outcome of a Presidential election as much or more than any labor union. Some replies have mentioned the IOOF (International Order of Oddfellows). Many Erath County grave headstones have the IOOF log on top of the headstone. I think a chain was also included to show a chain was only as strong as it's weakest link. I think Lingleville had an academy and the one in Huckaby may have had more than one owner before it closed. Two organizations that have assumed some activities of the Grange today are the Double Circle Co-op and the Southern Farm Bureau. The latter for insurance, discount tires, and political action, the former for specialized co-ops such as a retail store and a peanut mill I saw either in Oklahoma and/or Mississippi. Double Circle Co-op has a large feed and seed mill near McGregor, Texas. Remember- back then 90% of the Texans were farmers and ranchers or sharecroppers. Today it has dropped to 5% or 10% at the most. actually making their full time living on the farm. Speaking of Chains- do you know why early farmers would drag chains behind their plows", especially their cultivators? 2 reasons. The first one is to get the rust off it so it would not make the horse's side sore when rehooked to harness. The second is- did you ever try to push a chain????? Take care, Charles Wyly