The history of the Knights of Equity in Detroit can best be told by dividing it into four quarters: 1895-1920 Beginning through World War I 1920-1945 Highs and lows of the organization 1945-1970 Rebirth and new home 1970-1995 Next generation takes over

The Detroit court of the Knights of Equity was founded in 1895 and received their charter in 1896. At this time Detroit was a city of 250,000. The city had a very diverse population with German, French, British, Polish and Irish making up equal parts. The Irish for the most part lived in the area known as Cork Town. About one square mile in size and located on the southwest side of the city just off the center of the downtown area. Holy Trinity Church located in Cork Town was the parish church and the center of the Irish social life. In 1895, 90% of the people living in Cork Town were Irish and by 1920 less than 10% remained. Detroit even than was a very changing city. The first record that we have of a social function was a 1903 banquet with the Supreme Sir Knight James P. Madigan of Cleveland, Ohio giving the main address. In 1910, the Knights of Equity purchased the Grace church building on Second Ave and Fort Street for $32,000. This Initial Knights of Equity Hall was located just a few blocks from Cork Town and just off the city center. The membership during this period was about 250 and consisted mostly of businessmen and city workers.

1920-1945 The Knights continued to prosper as they moved into the roaring twenties. Membership increased to over 300 in 1924. It was at this time that the Knights of Equity Court 6 elected to give their building and meeting hall then valued at over $250,000 to the University of Detroit. To understand why this group of mostly middle-class Irishmen would give a gift of this size you need to know that with the Irish people education has been uppermost from their earliest history. Since, the 6th century Ireland's schools, open to men and woman, had been educating hundreds of thousands of students each year. Irelands educational system was the most extensive in Europe until the 16th century. Education and literacy were the national passion in Ireland. After the collapse of the Roman Empire it was Ireland that sent out scholars to educate those on the continent during the "dark ages". When enemy law forbade Irish people to attend schools they were educated by teachers who used the hedges by the side of the road to shield the students and thus earned the title "Hedge Masters". So with this background of love and education in their heritage the members of the Knights of Equity took this positive step.

In 1924, the University of Detroit was under the direction of the Very Reverend John P. McNichols S.J. and was expanding from its downtown location to the Livernois Six Mile (now McNichols) area, to meet the needs of a rapidly growing city.

The Knights of Equity members of the Detroit court after due consideration, but in keeping with their Irish respect for education and their desire to provide that education for future generation of Irish men and women presented their clubhouse and property to the University of Detroit in exchange for 24 on going scholarship at the University.

At the presentation of the property title Banquet held on November 10, 1924 Father McNichols spoke briefly of the traditional Irish love of education. Explaining that when the lamp of learning was blown out in the "dark ages": on the European continent it was kept burning in Ireland. It could not be extinguished even in the 700 hundred years of persecution of Ireland. He further said that the Knights of Equity would be remembered at Mass yearly and that one the new building on the campus would be named the Knights of Equity Memorial Building. The Detroit Free Press added the next day" The Knights of Equity have done a service to the people of the city of Detroit and have honored themselves through their public spirit". The passage of time has altered the scholarship program but through the years over 600 students have benefited as well as the community and the country. It is estimated that tuition benefits of over one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) have gone to the scholarship recipients during the last 71 years, all thanks to the generous foresight of that group of Knights in 1924. The scholarship program continues today.

After donating their hall the Knights started meeting in halls owned by other organizations. At the same time members started moving further and further from the center of the city and membership started to fall. Their was even a belief among some members that the need for the Knights of Equity had past. The rebirth started in 1933 with the Great Depression again showing the Irish the need to band together. During this period hundreds of Irishmen received jobs with the help of the Knights of Equity. One police sergeant alone was responsible for over 25 members being employed at Ford and GM plants in Detroit and Dearborn. During this period the social event of the year was always the St. Patrick's day banquet held at the Book Cadillac Hotel.

The annual Knights of Equity picnic that we take for granted today by going to one of the large metro parks for swimming, baseball, refreshments, etc.. was started in the mid-thirties. This custom began when the average family had removed from the city center to the extremes of the city. Also the family had a car or at least had access to one. The initial picnic's were held at farms 15 to 20 miles from Detroit, a long ride in those days. A platform was always there for step dancing and the cow pasture was turned into the baseball field. Over the years the Knights have held picnics at Ivory Farms, Cranberry Lake, Gaelic League Farms, Twin Lakes Farms, Hemlock Park, Hines Park, Huron Valley Park and Levagood Park in Dearborn.

In the early forties the Court started to set aside 10% of all moneys going to the treasury towards a goal of again having a home of their own.

The war years slowed the recovery of the Knights but by the late 40's the organization was growing again. The building fund large enough for a site selection committee to be formed in 1952. The committee selected property on Fenkell Ave. In the northwest area of Detroit. A hall was erected and opened in September 1953. Bonds were sold to members to reduce the size of the mortgage that was required. These bonds were all paid off with interest by the late 1960's. With the new purpose build hall and club house the membership grew to over 350 in 1958. The club house gave a place for members to feel at home and most meetings lasted well into the night with card games, Ping-Pong, music conversation, etc..

The Knights during this time also created High School scholarships at the local parish that continued until the school closed. The Knights of Equity played a major role in establishing the United Irish Society of Detroit. The intend of this Society was to have a coordinating organization for major Irish events in the Detroit area. The UIS has sponsored the St. Patrick's Day Parade for the last 40 years and have done an excellent job. For seven years in a row the governor of Michigan, G. Mennen Williams stopped at the Knights of Equity Hall and led the group in an Irish Square Dance on St. Patrick's Day. The Governor also reviewed our input for appointments of local Judges. Governor Williams was a good friend to the Irish. With the election on President Kennedy and Jerry Cavanaugh, as mayor of Detroit, this was surely a great time for the Irish. However, the city changed again in the late 60's and early 70's. New freeways removed thousands of homes from the city and sent people further from the city. At this time the members felt that we must move and the hall was sold in 1972. About two years later we purchased a new smaller building on Schoolcraft near the western edge of the city.

The hall on Schoolcraft lasted less than ten years and the membership during this period continued to drop. The next move was to Lincoln Park on the southern edge of the city. Here the need for major upgrade was a necessity differing from the last two homes of the Knights of Equity. The membership joined together to completly renovate the building and turn the former banquet hall into a first class club house. Here the changing of the guard took place again with the younger members taking over the key offices. They sponsored baseball teams and filled the trophy case with awards. They have also been very active in the St. Patrick's Day Parade and have won the prize for the best float many times. Through all these times the significant benefit to being a member of the Knights of Equity has been the friendships, many of which have lasted more than 25 years, the many social and religious experiences and the advancement in the knowledge and appreciation of our Irish and Catholic Heritage. The benefits cannot be measured by others but only by those of us who have the privilege of being members of Court 6 Knights of Equity.

We in Detroit dedicate our portion of this booklet to THOMAS MULCAHY,ESQ. A Court 6 member from 1919 - 1993. Always loyal and always active and a friend to all members of the Knights of Equity and the Daughters of Erin. Tom was the glue that keep us going during the many trying times and no one enjoyed the good times more. May the Knights of Equity be blessed with more of his kind in the future.