Olalla Grange – A Brief History
(Picture -1949 Olalla Grange Staff taken at the Olalla Community Club)
Olalla Grange: A Legacy of Service and Community
Founding and Early Years
Olalla Grange No. 1125 was founded in 1947 by forty-seven community members dedicated to fostering community connections. The Grange quickly took on its first project, beautifying the Olalla School Park with picnic tables, and went on to lead other initiatives, from supporting Columbia River flood relief to sponsoring local Girl Scout and Little League teams.
Growing Community Involvement
By the 1950s, the Grange expanded its reach, joining improvement associations, supporting healthcare through hospital bonds, and assisting in the clean-up and fencing of the Olalla Cemetery. Members remained deeply committed to community service, and the Grange became an anchor for Olalla’s growth.
Our First Grange Hall
In 1959, the Grange finally acquired a permanent home at the historic Fragaria Church site. Members invested personal loans and organized work parties to transform the space, removing obstacles like an old boat and refurbishing the building into a welcoming community hall. The Grange met here for the first time in April of that year.
Challenges and Rebuilding
In the 1960s, the building was tragically lost to a fire, but the community rallied together to rebuild, creating a new concrete-block structure that has become today’s Grange Hall. In the 1980s, a state-of-the-art bingo console brought new life to the hall, and Saturday bingo nights became a vital source of community support and funding.
A Grange for Today
Today, the Olalla Grange continues its legacy, providing a gathering space, supporting local causes, and hosting beloved bingo nights that fill the hall with neighbors and friends. Through decades of service, the Grange remains dedicated to being a vital community resource.
Fragaria School 1900