How the Moose Lodge partied hard back in 1913

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:

You may have heard about that time in 1932 when Sault Ste. Marie celebrated Wolf Week. But have you heard of Moose Week?

In July of 1913, the Soo was abuzz with excitement. The Sault Daily Star encouraged people to “hit for the Sault for moose meat” and declared that there was “something stirring every minute,” with “the denizens of the wilds… already blowing for the Canadian Locks.”

While the animal was certainly the mascot of the event, Moose Week was actually a celebration of the Loyal Order of Moose, a popular fraternal organization with a strong membership in Sault Ste. Marie. An editorial in the Sault Daily Star in 1913 helped to illuminate the nature of the organization: it consisted of “workingmen,” with an emphasis on hard work over formal education. They prized being “in partnership with Nature,” and started their own educational institute to further their values.

The Loyal Order of Moose, which exists across Canada and the U.S., also became well-known for some of its less savoury policies.  At one point, the lodges would only accept men who were white or Caucasian; that policy has since been repealed. In past years, the lodges also became subjects of lawsuits and criticism in the United States over their refusal to provide services to black men.

In the Sault Ste. Marie of 1913, however, there was little controversy and a lot of celebrating.  The cost of decorating the city ran up a bill of approximately $2,000 – in the neighbourhood of $40,000 by today’s standards, according to the Bank of Canada’s inflation calculator. Most of the decorations were displayed downtown, along Bay Street, between Brock and East.

It was a large expense for what would prove to be a huge undertaking. Featured attractions were split between a hippodrome and the fairgrounds and included polar bears, trained dogs, a headslide act, a trapeze act, an equilibrist performing balancing feats, an aviator, and a ladies running team brought in from Toronto.

Horses and motorcycles raced for the crowds, and a football match pitted the Sons of England against the Sons of Scotland. There were also boxing matches, and a wrestling competition between the Sault’s Karl Lehto and Detroit’s Gunner Gronlund.

The events were praised by attendees in the papers as being “the largest, best and cleanest of any they have ever seen.”

The event didn’t go off without a hitch, however. Some of the sideshows found themselves held up at customs on the way over and charged a heavy duty; the fee was so expensive that they opted not to perform due to concerns that they could not possibly make a profit.

As well, Lincoln Beachey, the famous aviator who was supposed to fly over the Soo and perform a parachute drop, refused to perform. He cited a lack of space and concerns that he would not be able to fly safely. Just two years later, Beachey would die when his plane crashed into San Francisco Bay during a public flight.

Moose Week came and went with much fanfare. Today, more than 100 years later, the Moose Lodge has its Sault Ste. Marie headquarters on Trunk Road, where they hold fish fries, dinners, and dances.

Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provides SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.

Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more Remember This? columns here