Peter Lebeck Chapter #1866

"Peter Lebeck" is the Kern County Chapter of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus, an organization that has been jokingly described as an historic drinking society and a drinking historical society. Our claim to both comes from our American roots as a 19th Century roving fraternity that thrived in the gold fields of California in the "Days of '49" and survives in its present form to celebrate western history. For that purpose, Peter Lebeck has been assigned Kern County as its protectorate by the Graybeards of our illustrious order.

Also know as "PXL," which is an acronym taken from the epitaph of our namesake, Peter Lebeck, who was killed by an "X" bear approaching 200 years ago, PXL has over 100 active members. That doesn't make us huge by the standards of ECV, which has over 50 chapters and outposts throughout the west, but we are one of the friendliest bunch of Clampers you'd ever want to meet.

Apart from meetings, erections and informal get-togethers, PXL sponsors two weekend Clampouts each year in the spring and fall, and a Widders' Ball in February. Any Clamper in good standing is welcome to attend. In fact, about half of our membership dropped in for a visit and enjoyed the camaraderie so much they never left.

So you ask, "How do I join such a pleasant group of fellows?" Well, the truth is you can't. No one can. Because no one ever joins the Brotherhood of E Clampus Vitus. They have to be "taken in."

That isn't to say that if you don't have a Clamper to sponsor you, you can't do some begging. If you have an interest in history, have a good disposition and are inclined to service, we're willing to hear what you have to say. Just drop us a line at Humbug@ECV1866.org

In 1931, Carl Wheat, G. Ezra Dane and Leon Whitsell, sought to revive The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus, romanticizing its glory days, when it flourished in the mining camps of the 49er's, and lived on to buck-up the men who modernized California. To wrest the Ancient Brotherhood out from its twilight slumber, they were helped by Adam Lee Moore, a Humbug of the first dispensation and considered Clampatriarch of the modern order.

The revivalists established two ECV chapters: Yerba Buena #1, in San Francisco for Northern California; and Platrix #2 for Southern California, but these areas were too big for members to meet easily, so it made sense to carve up existing territory to create new chapters.

About 1957, a group of scholarly, yet jovial, Clampers saw the historical and logistical sense in creating a separate chapter for Kern County. The Brothers of the Fresno chapter, James D. Savage #1852, were willing to sponsor the group, and in1961, a successful petition was made to the governing board of E Clampus Vitus, which agreed to charter a new chapter for Kern County, one seated in Bakersfield, from what had been part of the Platrix protectorate.

But what to name the new chapter? "Ft. Tejon Chapter," was an early favorite due to the site's great historical value in Kern County. Other names considered were the "Colonel Thomas Baker Chapter," for the founder of Bakersfield; the "Edward F. Beale Chapter," for the man who took the news of the California gold strikes to the east; and the "Peter Lebeck Chapter," for the hapless bear fighter buried at Ft. Tejon. Since no one knew much about Peter, he became the chapter's namesake as he was the least prone to controversy. Besides, he had been dead the longest and was the least likely to object.

As for "1866," our chapter's number, it is both historical and symbolic. It represents the year that Kern County was incorporated in California, with its county seat at Havilah, but later moved to Bakersfield by a disputed popular vote in 1874. Our chapter was "established" in 1962, because that was the year of our "Charter Doin's," where we were publicly recognized as a chapter by ECV. Our first Noble Grand Humbug was Ralph Kreiser with many more Humbugs to follow.

Our style is "PXL," symbolic of the fact that Peter Lebeck was killed by an "X bear" on October 17, 1837. He is believed to be buried beside the" Lebeck Oak" at Ft. Tejon State Historic Park, where, in 1955, an exhumation uncovered the mangled remains of someone buried along with an 1836 French five-franc gold piece.

Peter Lebeck chapter #1866 is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation. Like other modern ECV chapters we are called to remember "those of the elder days," to educate the public about its own history, and to care for the "widders and orphans" by championing diverse charitable causes. Over our 60-plus year history, our chapter has placed many historical monuments and plaques throughout Kern County, and elsewhere in cooperation with other ECV chapters. We have memorialized places, people and events in keeping with our mandate. We host spring and fall overnight Clampouts every year to help raise money, and a "Widders' Ball," in February where we honor our wives for putting up with our foolishness. Our Clampouts are in the desert and the mountains, and everywhere in between, and if you successfully pass the tests, as a Clamper, you'll be welcome to join us any time.

Make sure to stop into our website where you can read the PXL CLOG and find out more about us: http://www.ecv1866.org