Were any of your relatives buffaloes? No, not the big furry four-legged kind but the two-legged members of the the Benevolent Order of Buffaloes? This was a fraternal organization started in 1881 and by the early 1900s was extinct.

By the the 1910s at least there were more lodges or “Herds” as they were called. One, Lowell Herd Number 10 had a few of our family members, let me know of others!

James E. Hughes

He was the first husband of Violet Broadhurst and by 1915 was the “Supreme Trustee” and in 1916 was the General Manager of the Herd

John Richard Broadhurst

My grand-uncle and in 1916 was on the reception committee along with ..

Peter Ernest Broadhurst

My Grandfather.

Frank A. Crossley

Husband of Frances Mary Broadhurst and Past President of the Herd and in 1916 he was the Assistant Manager

You can read about their third annual concert and dance from the January 28, 1916, Lowell Sun here …

And their 1915 meeting from the Lowell Sun of October 2, 1915 here …

And one more …

From the 1907 The cyclopædia of fraternities By Albert Clark Stevens:

“untraced and unsuspected Benevolent Order of Buffaloes Whether or not the original Benevolent Order of Buffaloes a social secret organization in England had any more to do with the forming of the American secret society by the same name which consists of one Lodge in Philadelphia and one in New York has not been ascertained The New York body was organized May 1 1881 The Order pays sick and death benefits and in reply to inquiries states that the Philadelphia and New York Lodges are the only ones in existence”