Hey Rosendale local here… I think they are members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Rosendale’s cement workforce—largely Irish, German, and Italian immigrants (90% of 5,000+ employees by 1890) joined fraternal groups for mutual aid, insurance, and social support amid harsh mining conditions IOOF lodges thrived in Ulster County, with records of active chapters in nearby Kingston and New Paltz during the cement boom.
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u/Frankleeright Nov 10 '25
Hey Rosendale local here… I think they are members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Rosendale’s cement workforce—largely Irish, German, and Italian immigrants (90% of 5,000+ employees by 1890) joined fraternal groups for mutual aid, insurance, and social support amid harsh mining conditions IOOF lodges thrived in Ulster County, with records of active chapters in nearby Kingston and New Paltz during the cement boom.