These two web pages http://www.exonumia.com/art/society.htm and
http://www.exonumia.com/art/society2.htm have an extensive list of
abbreviations for fraternal organizations.

AOUW = Ancient Order of United Workmen
OUAM = Order of United American Mechanics

Patricia Morrow, Windham Town Historian (Greene County, NY)
-----------------------------------------------------------
On Sat, 1 Feb 2003 23:34:24 -0500, Lester Hendrix <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>Dear History List:
>Late 19th-century Cohoes city directories list a Cohoes City Lodge,
A.O.U.W.
>and an Abraham Lincoln Council, No.7, O.U.A.M, under miscellaneous
>non-Masonic lodges, along with a G.A.R. post. Does anyone know what
>organizations the AOUW and OUAM may be, or of a reference list of the
>extinct 19th century lodges and fraternal organizations? If there is no
such
>list, we could start compiling one as a group effort.
>
>Lester Hendrix, Editor,
>Schoharie County Historical Review