This month’s featured item from my Methuen collection is a large cloth patch. The size from end to end is 9½ inches. The Saggahew #60 is actually the Improved Order of Redmen Tribe which was quite active in Methuen years ago. It was a social/fraternal group where membership was open to anyone who was male, and not specifically Native Americans. The members had made-up titles next to their names, probably based on length of time of membership. My 1954 Methuen Directory lists the following: Raymond Gallagher Jr. Sachem, Donald Antonacci Sagamore and Sam Pappalardo Col Wampum. Members would meet Tuesdays, 8pm at Red Men’s Hall, 124 Lawrence St., Methuen. The meeting location was later changed to 9 Center St., and the building is still there. After checking my later Methuen Directories, the Redmen Organization stopped being listed as of 1968.
Joseph G. Bella is vice president/historian of the Methuen Historical Society and has an extensive collection of local memorabilia.
