Moose meeting hall: A family place

Published 3:03 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

Besides meetings and ceremonies, both planned and impromptu

holiday parties, karaoke, steak nights, weddings and even memorial

services are common practice inside today’s Moose Hall, according to Moose

Hall Administrator Bill Cavanaugh.

“I don’t think there was ever anyone born here,” Cavanaugh

admitted, but a lot of other things have occurred over the years. We’ve held

two memorial services in the past 6 months. This hall is a hub, a safe place

for members, the community and families to meet.”

The current brick meeting hall, originally built in 1959, has

experienced various additions and upgrades over the years. A few

notable Valleyites responsible for the current facility were listed in The

Valley Record 25 years ago. Those names included George Siefferman,

Kenny Bowie, “Slim” Berosek, Parney Grina, Wayne Hale, Lee McGill,

John Haglund and Jerry Peoples, to name a few.

The first Moose chapter was officially established on January 4,

1925, and its hall purchased from a Mr. D.O. Reinig. The hall was

commonly known at the time as “The old school house on the North Fork.”

According to uncorroborated reports in The Valley News, during

Prohibition years the Sno-Valley Moose Hall housed illegal parties and

dances, involving the consumption of our nation’s forbidden refreshment of

the time, alcohol. Moose Lodge members were reported to take turns

standing watch for federal marshals lurking in the Valley. However, those

allegations were never proven and remain simply rumors.

The second home to the Moose was a 5-room home built in 1928

by lodge members just before the Great Depression hit. The total cost for

the structure was $580.