For Sale: A two-volume set of an E Clampus Vitus Scrapbook from 1967.

Description

To the Clampers of the future; this record is for you — so that you will better know how we lived our clamper lives. The E. Clampers Vitus must not die. Floyd L. Green “Hardpan Bill”. Feb 1, 1967.

So starts this incredible two-volume personal scrapbook from the above-mentioned Floyd “Hardpan Bill” Green, member of the Meek-Stewart Chapter 10 of E Clampus Vitas. “We joined the E Clampus Vitus at Camp Beal on May 17, 1959. Andy Rogers was the humbug and had his live goat there as usual. Andy would not leave the position of humbug and so caused a split. His chapter was William Bull Meeks. The fellows that split started the William Morris Stewart Chapt. Latter [sic] Andy and his wife were killed in a car wreck and the two chapters were combined thus forming the Wm. Bull Meek – Wm Morris Stewart chapter no. 10.

Hardpan Bill’s scrapbooks are an amazing creative compilation, preserving photographs, memorabilia, and his written narrative (when’s the last time you wrote in cursive?!) to document not only his significant life events, milestones, and memories, but also as they related to his time as a “Clamper”. These two incredible volumes serve not only as his memory preservation…but also Hardpan Bill’s incredible artistic expression. True Outsider Art!

E Clampus Vitus (ECV) — also known as the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus — is a fraternal organization dedicated to the preservation of Western American history, particularly that of the California Gold Rush era. Members, known as “Clampers,” are recognized for their red shirts, black hats, and a very lighthearted approach to historical commemoration. I’d call it comical. Notable members throughout its history include figures such as Ulysses S. Grant, John Studebaker, and Gene Autry, though some of these claims are part of the organization’s tradition of humorous myth-making.

Today, ECV continues to be active, with chapters across California, Nevada, and other Western states — including Hardpan Bill’s Meek-Stewart Chapter 10. ECV engages in various activities, including the placement of historical markers, participation in parades, and the hosting of social gatherings known as “Clampouts.” While maintaining its humorous and irreverent spirit, ECV plays a significant role in preserving and promoting the history of the American West.