Reported in the Bangor Daily News, April 21, 1893 (from Charlotte Lenentine Melvin’s files):
New Sweden Grange organized with 17 charter members. First master was F. O. Landgren. First secretary Solomon Johnson. First chaplain J. O. Wickstrom. (All three deceased by 1966). Later grange records note that some of the regular grange sessions which were then held on Saturday afternoons, drew an attendance of 77 members compared to the final year’s attendance which was not sufficient to fill the 13 officer’s chairs. Also noted in one of the earliest of secretaries reports was the purchase price of half a cord of kindling wood which was 50 cents and a half cord of hard wood which was $1.25.
A large pencentage of members have been awarded the Silver Star certificate for 25 years of consecutive grange membership and 12 or more members have received the coveted Golden Sheaf Award for 50 or more years of membership.