Anti-Treating Movement: Temperance in 1874 Ahnapee

Knights of the Iron Band was one of Ahnapee’s early societies. Unlike the earliest of Wolf River organizations – the Philothean Society, for instance – it wasn’t a literary group. It wasn't a veterans' club or a sewing circle either. Knights of the Iron Band addressed anti-treating. And what is anti-treating? Just that. But it was that to which one could not treat another -  beer or spirits. Anti-treating was an early local effort to control John Barleycorn. One could drink as one wished, however he could not buy someone else a drink.

Alex Doak, John Doak, Orange Conger, Michael McDonald and George Wing were the charter members of Ahnapee’s  Lone Lodge #1 of the Knights of the Iron Band when it organized on January 3, 1874. With the exception of Wing, the men were sailors with three being captains. Wing was the 17 year old editor of the fledgling Ahnapee Record. Membership, which met in the Temple of Honor building, grew quickly according to History of Northern Wisconsin. Where some community members saw the group as “diabolical and horrible,” others thought it as merely strange because of its secret nature.  

Non-members had the opportunity to see for themselves when they were invited to a Lone Lodge meeting in April 1881. Most surprising was the catafalque draped in black, holding the clay representation of a man. Candles stood at each corner. Men taking office that day promised temperance because excess was degrading, opening the door to misery and suffering. A member's obligation was to neither accept from, nor treat another in places where malt or spirit beverages were sold. Members wore their black robes, but had to forego the most secret parts of that meeting as the public was present. Earlier in the year, on a mild January evening, the community witnessed Lodge members dressed in their regalia parading in Ahnapee.

Lone Lodge #1 had a membership of 50 when the building was destroyed by fire. Nothing was saved. Without a hall, their accouterments and regalia, membership became lax and by early 1900s, the group faded from existence. During the meetings men were encouraged to “rat” on each other and those violating their pledge were drummed from the society. It was said there were often expulsions of young men  who were sometimes careless or ridiculed into treating by others. In later years it was said the group’s membership included most of the business and professional men in town and throughout the entire area.

Knights of the Iron Band was a temperance group, but it did not believe in prohibition. Its membership included saloon owners and those whose habits were well known. Though it supported Temperance, the group was not supporting total abstinence. Members were required to be moderate in their drinking while avoiding excess. They were not allowed to treat or accept a drink from another and that is what caused all the controversy, and sometimes even humor.  The History of Northern Wisconsin opined that Ahnapee had a claim to fame as its society was organized years before (the book was compiled in 1881) and Ahnapee “may therefore be the dominant pioneer city in the anti-treating campaign.”  When such laws were introduced throughout the country in later years, it was a recognized fact that the movement had its roots in Ahnapee/Algoma. One hundred forty years later, more than a few would think, “Say what! This happened here?”

An Anti-Treating Bill found its way to Wisconsin’s Legislature in 1877 and by March 1881, Gov. Smith signed the bill which had passed both houses. Fines of 5 and 10 dollars were assessed for offenses. Some felt the law was ludicrous, but others felt it was positive as a man could drink as he chose while not adding to his neighbor’s problems. Treating was said to be part of the generosity of an American, but treating was also said to be a nuisance. Anti-treating was a law that was open to disregard. And, it was. A month later Judge Mallory in Milwaukee had a test case. His ruling was such that the law was disposed.

The February 6, 1915 issue of the Record pointed out that those who originated the group were “more or less addicted to the flowing bowl,” which was one of most effective temperance effort ever because it converted men to a more temperate use. From Wisconsin, the idea spread. Tacoma had an anti-treating ordinance in 1912. Some saw it a violation of rights but it was ruled legal. Nevada passed such a law in 1885 but repealed it two years later. At the time anti-treating was coming to the fore in England, there was concern about stay-at-home-patriots showering soldiers with too much kindness. Much was also written about anti-treating movements in Ireland just after 1900

Ahnapee's history doesn't record the number of violations and the fines. It doesn't record who was standing by in the saloons ready to nab the abuser. Beer was part of socialization among the hard-working German, Bohemian and Belgian immigrants, and reading through the charter and original members, one wonders how it ever came about. That saloon owners were among the members says they weren't worried about their bottom line. If a man couldn't buy a round, he'd more money to spend on himself.

Following is the original original membership as listed as found in an April 1904 Algoma Record:

Michael McDonald, Alex Doak, George Wing, Andrew Bennett, I.W. Elliott, Henry Schmiling, Simon Warner, Albert Sachtleben, A.C. Eveland, John Culligan, M.T. Parker, Albert Sibilsky, George Bacon, William Dingman, Charles Bozneck, Henry Hackett, John McDonald, John Warner, Fred Damman, Charles Bacon, W.H. Seymour, H.G. Borgman, W.F. Palmer, George McDonald, James Ross, John R. Doak, Charles W. Borgman, Orange Conger, Michael Mullen, John Goettinger, Jr., J. Thain, E.T. Tillepaugh, Levi Parsons, George Warner, Charles Ross, W.N. Perry, Peter Schiesser, Thomas Osborne, W.H. McDonald, Thomas Vose, J. Meverden, Edward Barrand, Henry Hallam, Fred Berndt, William Hilton, J.R. McDonald and John Kumbalek.

Sources: An-An-api-sebe: Where is the River?, c. 2001; Algoma newspapers; History of Northern Wisconsin, c. 1881;  Wikipedia definitions.