At the close of the War with Mexico, Lt. William Tecumseh Sherman was Adjutant to Col. Richard Barnes Mason at the time of the gold discovery at Sutter's Mill. E Clampus Vitus originally began as a parody of mystical lodges, such as the Masons, Elks, and the Odd Fellows, which Clampers thought to be much too serious with their arcane rituals and fancy dress. What Say the Brethren? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In late December 1895-January of 1896, a British expatriate, Lord Sholto George Douglas (7 June 1872 - 6 April 1942), the fourth son of John Sholto Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry, John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry, was managing a travelling troupe of actors on a tour of Northern California. The organization is said to have been brought to California by a pioneer named Joel Henry Zumwalt, who encountered it in Missouri. If our mayor was a Clamper, it was Tommys duty to dust off the old red and black and honor the tradition. The next day we all went to brunch together, and any one of the attendees will surely tell you that it was one of the most fun weekends of his or her life. While these plaques are good fun and demonstrate the societys preoccupation with history, none of these monuments record the secret mysteries behind the founding and evolution of the order. Were actually a nonprofit historical organization.. Initiation rites are sometimes spur-of-the-moment, such as forcing a blindfolded candidate to be lifted into the air by a block and tackle. Steve "Iggy" Myers. The question then becomes whether it was the particular Chinese brand of E Clampus Vitus passed down through the native progeny of Hop Mee, Empress of Gumshaniana, that was practiced by the miners of Gold Rush California, or whether it was the form spread by the Frollicking Friars during their rapacious journeys through the New World. Thereafter free to pursue his dream life as a sailor, Lo-Hung-Whang always kept that massive toilet with him to remember his deliverance. It is the only party that we ladies are invited to attend. Ephraim Bee, an early leader of the group, was styled Grand Gyascutis and later the Grand Lama. New specials all the time from mild to wild! The three founded a new chapter, Yerba Buena Number 1, or the "Capitulus Redivivus." Perhaps nowhere are the Clampers more revered than in the Sierra Nevada, where they flourished in the small towns and prospector camps during the Gold Rush. 2020. I will commence with a discussion of the rather successful revival of a secret society that died out with the end of the California Gold Rush of the 19th century. Those groups had come to the mining country prior to ECV, and when ECV appeared, the older, more established groups looked down upon the more rowdy nature of E Clampsus Vitus. I thought E Clampus Vitus was a tennis player, at first. By tradition, a man can only become a Clamper by invitation. The fraternity is not sure if it is a historical drinking society or a drinking historical society. There are chapters in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Outposts in other western states, including us in Wyoming. Im looking forward to sharing and helping in anyway possible for my fellow brotherhood. They were contacted by Adam Lee Moore, one of the surviving leaders of the original ECV, who passed on all that he could remember of the organization's rites and legends. Sir Francis Drake's 1579 Plate of Brasse was left at Point Reyes, claiming California for England. Hollister, CA 95023, Grill: No one knows. When a stranger came to town, Clampers would inform him that to do business in the town it was essential to join the local secret society. The Proctors continue to meet annually with the Grand Council for the transaction of business and an . Mckinley, Jesse. Allen instructing my grandson Joseph on where he could help out. The same holds true today, which brings me to why I wrote this blog. In determining when the society of E Clampus Vitus began and who started it, it is necessary to consider its name. The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Societies : the ultimate a-z of ancient mysteries, lost civilizations and forgotten wisdom. At Clamper doins, as they are called, seasoned Clampers initiate new members and generally drink themselves into a stupor while playing crazy hazing games. Enraged at the man responsible for leaving too large a chamberpot in her room, she had the foul toilet forced onto the mans head. A "second era" version of the organization was formed in 1930 by San Franciscan attorney and cartographic historian Carl Irving Wheat. Whether you choose to believe that is entirely up to you, but in their heyday they did a lot to help the widows and orphans of dead coal miners. The society was also careful to assist the widows and orphans of fallen members. These poor women were subjected to terrible abuses, and if they dared raise their voice in protest, they were silenced by having a handful of red pepper powder thrown in their faces. Sunday Bar-B-Que 1 pm, Bar: C $26.72 + C $14.02 shipping. Afterward, he spoke only in signs, and his followers sought his canonization as a saint. The new order retained many of the customs and traditions of its forebear, though public drunkenness was (and is) frowned on, and interest in Gold Rush history is one of the requirements for initiation. So, they both describe uncontrolled shaking, as in the DTs, as in the morning after tying one on with cheap booze. Indeed, his adventure would inspire another expedition many years later, this one more purposeful and also less successful. However, rather than finding themselves hailed and well met, they instead found themselves under attack by the Clampas. My clamper husband abused me so I divorced him am I still allowed to call myself a widder or no? As an example, in the quaint town of Murphys, they have a plaque that preserves the memory of the saber-toothed tiger that prowled the neighborhood in the distant past, and in the town of Volcano, they celebrate the invention of Moose Milk, a cocktail composed of bourbon, rum and heavy cream that was popular among Gold Rush miners. appreciate a bit of Western lore. In 1931, a new chapter of E Clampus Vitus was founded in San Francisco with the help of Adam Lee Moore, one of the few surviving members of the original order. Lodges of E Clampus Vitus were active in many towns in the mining country of California from the early 1850's. ECV as an organization in California was established by Joseph Zumwalt. It was truly a family affair. Upon Sherman's retirement in 1853, his replacement at the Benicia Arsenal was Lt. Ulysses S. Grant, who spent 30 days in the Arsenal Guardhouse for being drunk on duty and firing his cannons at the Martinez shoreline. I have felt like a helping hand all my life. These fanciful claims show ECV's propensity for not taking much of anything particularly seriously, least of all itself. There are chapters in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Washington, Idaho . Accessed 19 Mar. Council assumes NO Box 12842 Fresno, Ca. The men of E Clampus Vitus a.k.a. The Clampers' Book of Balladry or Hewgagiana, Credo Quia Absurdum: Being a Compilation of Historic Documents & Trivia Pertinent to a Full Understanding of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus, The Story Of E Clampus Vitus (Then and Now 1852-1966), The enigmatical book of Vitus, in which is included the marvelous histori es & astounding prophecies of the clampatriarch, the Credo in absurdum according to St. Vitus, the one true & [Leather Bound], An hour's walk through Yerba Buena : the town that existed for eleven years seven months and five days then became San Francisco 1957 [Leather Bound]. The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Societies : the ultimate a-z of ancient mysteries, lost civilizations and forgotten wisdom written by John Michael Greer John Michael Greer 2006. In addition, nativism was rising in the United States, as evidenced by such political organizations as the Know-Nothing Party. Taking place at Bolado Park, a great venue featuring Bike Camping, , Hollister is the Birthplace of the American Biker! At that time most of northern California was full of little mining towns and camps whose populations shifted constantly. In fact, there is something of an origin story for E Clampus Vitus to which we might give more credence. No matter what one makes of the meaning of the orders name, it cannot be denied that its central figure was Saint Vitus, after whom Sydenhams chorea, or St. Vituss Dance was named, that malady being one suspect for explaining the notorious Dancing Plague I have discussed in the past. In the years that followed the revived E Clampus Vitus spread throughout northern California and into Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona. In a kind of running theme, the Clampers seem to celebrate a fair number of places overtaken, biblical-like, by water. A bunch of Clampers in 1973 got a boat and chucked a plaque into the water. It is the misfits, failures, fugitives, outcasts and their like who are among the first to grapple with the new.Eric Hoffer (19021983). They could pass it out, but they couldnt take it., Persecution by Emperor Diocletian, via WikiArt.org. That lack of remembrance didnt sit right with the Order of E Clampus Vitus, a mens fraternal organization with chapters scattered around Gold Country. DISCLAIMERThis site is solely Mon Fri 11 am 2 am Not long after forming their Chapter Redivivus, however, a mysterious stranger telephoned Wheat, claiming to have been, in his youth, the last Noble Grand Humbug of the last practicing lodge. The early history of the organization is unclear. The prime requisites to becoming a Clamper are a good sense of humor, an interest in Western history, an open mind, and a cast iron stomach. I have a question. The What Bee established, however, was a burlesque of the well known secret fraternal organizations. VIII: The California-Oregon Stage Route (ECV 7-11), E Clampus Vitus, now & then: The replete history of ECV, Ritual and ceremony of initiation of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus 1959 [Leather Bound], Adam was a Clamper: An abridged history of Clamperdom from the Garden of Eden to Hangtown and the founding of Platrix Chapter No. [7] When the local LeBroke lodge of became aware of his predicament, Lord Douglas was proffered and accepted an opportunity to join the Order. God bless, Cat. The first ECV chapter was established in America in 1845. The official site for South Pass Chapter #1867Home of the WY 67ers, The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus(ECV) is afraternal organizationdedicated to the study and preservation of the heritage ofthe American West, especially the history of theMother Lodeandgold miningregions of the area. The Squibob Chapter of E Clampus Vitus pulls into SAM'S DIEGO SHOW to shed some light on what they truly are all about. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for California FRATERNAL 2 1/4" Button~"E. CLAMPUS VITUS"~Dr. Yes ..we survived. ECV, on the other hand, made fun of the stuffed shirts of the Masons: they made great fun of the sashes and ceremonial attire of the "upscale" fraternities, and began dressing in red shirts and pinning on badges made of cut-out tin can lids. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The actor, the hairstylist and the eye surgeon: Drugs and death in a Malibu beach house, Have guests in town? Likes: 0. A bar owner named Ephriam Bee established the ECV in Lewisport, West Virginia, claiming to have received an ECV charter from the Emperor of China. Asked how he got the name Chainsaw, he explained that a fellow Clamper years ago somehow got it in his head that Koen had cut off his own kneecap with a chainsaw. XVIII: Henness Pass (ECV-711), An E Clampus Vitus Hoax Goes Awry: Sir Francis Drake's 1579 Plate of Brasse, David Holmes Chandler, Dr. Robert J. , James M. Spitze, Stephen Zovickian, What was your name in the States? Perhaps this was obvious from the ridiculous and frankly racist names of its central characters as well as its bawdy subject matter. New chapters sprang up in Los Angeles (Platrix Chapter #2) and other major cities in California, and were numbered sequentially. I was home working on a deadline for my new book and missed out on the party. What the heck is a Clamper? you may be asking, The E Clampus Vitus organization dates back to the early1800s and is rumored to have members of stature like Ulysses S. Grant, J. Pierpont Morgan, and even Ronald Reagan. They were some crazy times and i wouldnt trade them for anything. E Clampus Vitus is governed by a board of fifteen Proctors elected from the past Humbugs of the chapters, to guide and lead the organization. plural clivi -v. Others maintain that the group is a native Californian institution, founded by one Joel Henry Zumwalt in Mokelumne Hill. They were required to present a poke of gold dust, although the value of the poke was left to the discretion of the brotherhood, and was frequently waived entirely if the prospective member could not afford it. Tommy and I were over the moon that the citys elite wanted to hang out at our bar and grill. Many people believe that they are just a drinking club that requires members to take part in wild initiation ceremonies, which is entirely true; however they have played an important part in preserving our history. The nickname "Clampers" is still used, as is the motto "Credo . Allen was nineteen at the time and came to Hollister from San Jose, where he was living, for weekend visits. Supposed image of Ephraim Bee circulated on the Internet by Clampers who knows if its really him, Until next time, Ill leave you with a wonderful quotation shared by Thomas Duncan as an epigraph on his book E Clampus Vitus: Anthology of New Dispensation Lore, which ended up serving as my principal source on this episode mainly because all the other works on Clamper history seem to be held hostage in the Special Collections rooms of California libraries, and the few available at my local library, I discovered, have been stolen.

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