[7] When the local LeBroke lodge of became aware of his predicament, Lord Douglas was proffered and accepted an opportunity to join the Order. The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV) is a fraternal organization dedicated to the study and preservation of the heritage of the American West, especially the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area. Considering all the false and absurd history told by the Clampers, in the end, its hard to believe anything you read about them. During an ECV meeting, he revoked the cession of land to England, and ceded it all to the United States government. The name E Clampus Vitus means absolutely nothing. In addition, nativism was rising in the United States, as evidenced by such political organizations as the Know-Nothing Party. 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. At the time, secret societies were all the rage. John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, "Promoting Offbeat History Between the Drinks", "The Nevada journal. Of course, it may have been a combination of both. Once initiated, each candidate was given the official title of Chairman of the Most Important Committee. Clampers also marched in parades, with a billy goat for their mascot and a banner consisting of a womans hoop skirt and the motto, This is the flag we fight under.. [citation needed], The original E Clampus Vitus faded in some regions after the Civil War, while in other areas it thrived until 1918. ECV historical plaques are found on many buildings around California. [Check under the wirespool table on the porch I lost my kidney belt down there in the Hill Climb in 47 Indians Fo-evvah!!]. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 10. I've known about the ECV (E Clampus Vitus) organization for 45-50 years, but was recently invited to, and did join them last May. Happy I did. ), The organization's leader was known as the Noble Grand Humbug, a title carried over into the later incarnation, and other "officials" included the Clampatriarch. But in the secret order that flourished among miners in the 19th century, called E Clampus Vitus, Carl Wheat saw something more than an organization for the elite. The group parodied the sashes and ceremonies of stuffier and wealthier social clubs, like the Odd Fellows and Freemasons. As the gold was mined out and the mining towns dwindled, however, E Clampus Vitus faded as well, and the Hewgag announced a meeting of the original order for the last time in Quincy, California in 1916. New specials all the time from mild to wild! Well guess know about as much about the Clampers as I ever did. Sir Francis Drake's 1579 Plate of Brasse was left at Point Reyes, claiming California for England. What Say the Brethren? may I always appreciate a little bit of the "ridiculous"; may I always be a two-fisted Clamper when the bottle pass's my way, The Clampers really like to promote the drunken historian persona but when it comes down to history, they are pretty serious, even though they might not pick the most conventional places, said Nicole Grady, a librarian at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, which holds an extensive Clampers archive. 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. In 1936 a plaque appeared in Northern California purporting to have been made by Sir Francis Drake during his voyage of discovery in which it was stated that he had claimed all of California for England, and that he had the authority of the claim by having been ceded the land by the local Miwok Indians. Not just anybody can join E Clampus Vitus, you have to be invited to be a member. (Sure sounds like a Clamper to me). My husband frank reddick belonged to modesto chapter i believe it was 59 well he passed in aug and im having a hard time this xmas and cant catch up on bills i had covid in july julyright before i lost him 35 yrars of marrage i dont know who to turn to for help, Credo quia absurxium mean I believe because it is absurd, Your email address will not be published. But there is no evidence that the rough and tough miners of 19th-century California touted any such colorful beliefs about the origins of their little club. Across the bar, someone heard them talking about the group and hollered. 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]. Clampers raised money to help widows and orphans, and were quick to respond when fire or flood destroyed towns and left people homeless. To illustrate better the playfulness of their plaques, consider the strange upside-down house built by silent film star Nellie Bly in the town of Lee Vining, which they commemorate with an upside-down plaque. Dave sustained some serious injuries at a Clamper doins at Hollister Hills in September and as well as not being able to work for three months, he has amassed $40,000.00 in medical bills. I'm starting to build a library of Clamper items, and this one book combines six stories written about / by Clampers. Among the most colorful of nineteenth-century American secret societies, E Clampus Vitus was founded by goldminers in the frontier town of Mokelumne Hill, California in 1851, in the midst of the Gold Rush. From his perch at the Plumas Club, a dive bar that serves as his chapters de facto headquarters, Ron Right-On Oxley swirled a vodka and cranberry juice and tried to sum up his often misunderstood group. The point of this story is that Clampers are an integral part of the Johnnys family. However, one can express his desire to join. A "second era" version of the organization was formed in 1930 by San Franciscan attorney and cartographic historian Carl Irving Wheat. My clamper husband abused me so I divorced him am I still allowed to call myself a widder or no? Christmas Party and White Elephant Gift Exchange, Five Things You May Not Know About Clampers. These fanciful claims show ECV's propensity for not taking much of anything particularly seriously, least of all itself. Box 12842 Fresno, Ca. 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. Historian Lois Rather suggests that the order originally came from the Southern states before being carried to California during the Gold Rush. 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. Despite St. Vitus's death, the order survived as a monastic tradition carried on by the Vituscan brothers. $19.99. Id like to share en except frommy book Miracles and Grace in an Unlikely Place Memoir of a Christian Biker Bar Owner with you that tells the story of Johnnys and our connection to the Clampers. The "Pair-o-Dice" chapter in Paradise, for example, is Lodge No. Designed by Stranger Danger of South Pass #1867, Al Packer #100 and Snake River #1811. The group is not well-known outside California. 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. There is one tale that tells of these two branches of Clamperism meeting. For a group of professional drinkers to call our bar home was a blessing in itself; the fun and camaraderie that came with it was an extra bonus. Now, he cant stop reading about it. WEBMASTER, VIGILANTE #183 . 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. As I pass through this life, may I always be humble, may I never take myself serious-"a stuffed shirt", 3 of the San Francisco Call of January 23, 1896: "The lodge proposed that he stay over with his company until to-night (Weds. The motto of the Order, Credo quia absurdum, generally interpreted as meaning "I believe it because it is absurd;"[1] is a Latin phrase popularly misattributed to Tertullian. Ephraim Bees E Clampus Vitus grew a bit in West Virginia and elsewhere, but it faded away during his lifetime. Perhaps this was obvious from the ridiculous and frankly racist names of its central characters as well as its bawdy subject matter. When a member of his crew pointed out the sight of the rising sun to prove they were headed the wrong direction, Hee Li threw the mutineer overboard. registered trademarks of E Clampus Vitus, Inc. and are used by expressed By tradition, a person could join E Clampus Vitus by invitation only and then was expected to endure an elaborate, humorous and sometimes grueling initiation ceremony. The organization is said to have been brought to California by a pioneer named Joel Henry Zumwalt, who encountered it in Missouri. Clampers and Widders are encouraged to dress in period clothing for this extravaganza, and we turned finding our costumes into another party. The Clamper's are a fraternal organization dedicated to the preservation of Western history. Everyone had forgotten about the Butt Lake Dinky by the time workers in 1996 dredged up the rusty H.K. [3], Bee felt that an organization was needed that was less exclusive than the other organizations of the day, such as the Masons, Elks and Odd Fellows. As far as the ECV is concerned, all members are officers and as such are all of equal indignity. New members, referred to as Poor Blind Candidates, could present a poke of dust, valued at the discretion of the brotherhood to join, and it wasnt uncommon for the fee to be waived if the man could not afford it. They were some crazy times and i wouldnt trade them for anything. The organization today claims 45 chapters in eight Western states and thousands of members. Ephraim Bee II played his greatest joke on his local West Virginian neighbors. DISCLAIMERThis site is solely The sergeant-at-arms is the Damfool Doorkeeper. They are weekend-long endeavors. Fill out the form below. E CLAMPUS VITUS. A monument to Bee in West Union now stands on the site of the old "Beehive" Inn along the North Bend Rail-Trail; the original "Bee Hive" was destroyed in a flood in the late 1800s. I thought the ride might kill me, and on the drive my son said, Mama, you girls told Allen things Allen didnt need to know. I forbade him to tell me what they were, and promised never to ask him to be designated driver for the Widders again. In return, since St. VItus refused to attribute the miracle to pagan gods, Diocletian tortured him to death. The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Societies : the ultimate a-z of ancient mysteries, lost civilizations and forgotten wisdom. The new E Clampus Vitus order continues on to this day. I just want to speak out and let everyone out there know, I have long awaited to find my place in this world and to be considered as a possibility, is by far the best feeling Ive had in a really long time. So, they both describe uncontrolled shaking, as in the DTs, as in the morning after tying one on with cheap booze. 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? What, exactly, does E Clampus Vitus mean? This historical drinking society--though some argue it is more a drinking historical society--proves its historical bonafides by placing historical plaques across the American West. The fart machine with a remote my husband sneaked into Seth and Jeannies adjoining room made for another hour of entertainment. If a man has those qualities, and strikes up a friendship with a Clamper or two, he may find himself taken in to (and by) the Ancient and Honorable Order. Members call themselves Clampers. The organizations name is inDog Latin, and has no known meaning; even the spelling is disputed, sometimes appearing as Clampus, Clampsus, or Clampsis. The motto of the Order,Credo Quia Absurdum, is generally interpreted as meaning I believe it because it is absurd; the proper Latin quotationCredo quia absurdum est, is from the Christian apologistTertullian(c.160 c.220 AD), who rejected rationalism and accepted a Gospel which addressed itself to the non-rational levels of perception.. The men of E Clampus Vitus a.k.a. In the years that followed the revived E Clampus Vitus spread throughout northern California and into Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona. Once he has been asked to answer several questions, the Scales of Darkness (the blindfold) are removed, the new member "sees the light", is handed the Staff of Relief, is presented the Stone of Enigma, and appointed Chairman of the Most Important Committee. 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