The Story Behind the Name: Left Hand Grange

Not unlike other local businesses and attractions, Chief Niwot is the namesake for the Left Hand Grange as the Arapaho word for "left-hand" is Ni-wot.

What is interesting about the building known as the Left Hand Grange Hall is its rich history.

The local Grange organization, known as Left Hand Grange No. 9, initially operated out of the Batchelder School House southwest of Niwot, and received its charter on January 24, 1874. It is currently the oldest active Grange in Colorado.

The Granger Movement started in the late 1860's as a coalition of U.S. farmers, especially in the midwest. The movement was initiated by Oliver Hudson Kelley (an employee of the Department of Agriculture) and fought monopolistic rail transport practices during the decade before the Civil War.

Kelley also organized the Patrons of Husbandry in 1867 to bring farmers together for educational and social purposes. The organization became increasingly political in the 1870s, and was divided into local units called "Granges." At first, only Kelley's home state of Minnesota responded to the Granger movement, but by 1870 nine states had Granges. By the mid-1870s, nearly every state had at least one Grange, with national membership reaching nearly 800,000.

The objective of the Granger movement was unified action against the railroad and grain elevators (usually owned by the railroads) that charged exorbitant rates for transporting and handling of crops. The alternative to these monopolistic practices was to let crops rot in the field.

The building now used by Left Hand Grange No. 9 was built by John Nelson in 1905, and was known as Nelson Hall. The Grange met upstairs in Nelson Hall, which stood at the east end of the block, next to the post office and across the street from the drugstore. Next to the drugstore, where the town doctor saw patients and dispensed drugs, were a barber shop and a pool hall, also built by Nelson. In the back room was a full-sized bathtub where residents of the Livingston Hotel could bathe for 25 cents. The pool hall served as a gathering place where locals visited the soda fountain for drinks and treats after baseball games and concerts at the bandstand.

Nelson Hall operated as a mercantile with various businesses on the first floor and the second-floor meeting room used by groups including, but not limited to, Left Hand Grange No. 9, Odd Fellows, Rebekahs, Royal Neighbors and Modern Woodmen. In 1945, Left Hand Grange, Inc., a Colorado non-profit corporation, was formed to acquire the building from the estate of John Nelson.

Since then, the non-profit corporation has made the Grange Hall available for use by Left Hand Grange No. 9, and the building has become an important fixture of the two-block "Old Town" Niwot business district, functioning as the town's community center.

The Grange Hall has a long history with music, as it was the location for square dancing in the 1950s and a common location for bluegrass concerts in the 1980s and 1990s. Niwot resident Pete "Dr. Banjo" Wernick is renowned worldwide for his accomplishments and contributions to bluegrass music. As the hot-picking force in several trend-setting bands including Hot Rize and its alter ego, Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers,, Dr. Banjo performed with his group at the Left Hand Grange Hall. Today, the Left Hand Grange No. 9 still sponsors live music, with Open Mic performances from October through April on Sunday afternoons.

Left Hand Grange No. 9 supports so much more than music, and is a longtime sponsor of Boy Scout Troop 161B, Cub Scout Pack 161 and Scout Troop 161G for girls. Public meetings for Boulder County are held here, along with meetings conducted by other Niwot non-profit groups. Lectures about Niwot area history are regularly held by the Niwot Historical Society, along with craft fairs and the annual visit from Santa during Christmas. For many years, the Grange hosted annual chili suppers to raise money for the Niwot volunteer firefighters, hosted annual book sales and plant sales as fundraisers, and invited those interested to knit together on Sunday afternoons.

Left Hand Grange No. 9 was an early supporter of the women's movement, and even asked women to run for offices in the Grange. "Farm men tended to recognize women more than other professions because they knew the farms and families would not operate without the woman as a partner," explained Kathy Koehler, President of the Niwot Historical Society.

The old Niwot Volunteer Fire Department garage building is located on the Grange property and is now used for extra storage space for the Grange and by other community groups to store equipment for various outdoor events.

In 2010 the Grange Hall received a "Historic Building Preservation" award from Boulder County, and tours of the Old Fire House Museum next to the Grange are available (scheduled and by appointment through the Niwot Historical Society).

The Left Hand Grange Hall has been a community center and gathering place for Niwotians since 1945, with roots since its establishment and charter in 1874. With its roots in agriculture, the Left Hand Grange has evolved to serve those in town and outside of farming, and is a warm and welcoming hub for all.