# Ancient Order Knights of the Mystic Chain

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-order-knights-of-the-mystic-chain/524207>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 8, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-order-knights-of-the-mystic-chain/524207 "2010-01-08T21:44:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Joe_Meager)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-order-knights-of-the-mystic-chain/524207/1 "2010-01-08T21:44:43Z")

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[http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/masonicmuseum/fraternalism/aokmc.htm](http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/masonicmuseum/fraternalism/aokmc.htm)

A fraternal organization active primarily in Pennsylvania between 1850-ish and about 1930.

Ever heard of it? Do you know of any family members who were in it?

Going through my (now deceased) grandmother’s attic we found a box with ribbons, medals, etc. from the AOKMC beloning to my (long, long since deceased) grandfather.

Thanks,  
Jim

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**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-order-knights-of-the-mystic-chain/524207/2 "2010-01-10T23:12:06Z")

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I think the organization went underground October 31, 1938 and is based out of Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems.

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**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-order-knights-of-the-mystic-chain/524207/3 "2010-01-11T03:49:41Z")

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The people I work for sold a few of pins and related things on eBay lately. I don’t know a lot about them but IIRC there were a couple court cases involving them expelling some of their members around the time of the Civil War; don’t know what the cases were about though - just that judgments had been awarded.

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**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-order-knights-of-the-mystic-chain/524207/4 "2010-01-11T13:34:23Z")

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I fancy I know something of Masonic appendant bodies, but I never heard of them. Perhaps the Grand Secretary or Grand Historian of the Tall Cedars of North America could help. That order is also based in PA.

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**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-order-knights-of-the-mystic-chain/524207/5 "2010-01-12T03:07:11Z")

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I _think_ they were more a cross-over between the Knights of Pythias and maybe one of the “Woodsmen” groups. PA has always leaned as much towards the “animal and forest” fraternals as they have the more Masonic/Mystic.

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**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-order-knights-of-the-mystic-chain/524207/6 "2010-01-12T05:33:36Z")

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If I told you I would have to spank you with a chicken.

Sorry, never heard of these guys.

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**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Joe_Meager)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-order-knights-of-the-mystic-chain/524207/7 "2010-01-12T21:15:55Z")

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> [@sisu](#):
>
> If I told you I would have to spank you with a chicken.

Considering what I did find out about them on the interweb, this appears believeable.

Thanks everyone. From what I can gather there was a “fad” of fraternal organizations during that time period, most of which faded away. As, apparently, did this one.