Mutual benefit societies, organizations common in early Italian American communities, provided a monetary sum for accidents, illnesses, and burials for dues paying members. Attendance at funerals was required by the membership and members who did not attend funeral services were issued a fine. As mutual benefit societies evolved they provided more social events for their members. The social events were, in part, to generate interest among other Italians in the community to join their dwindling membership. Established in 1875 with eighty-five members in Red Jacket [Calumet], the Italian Mutual Beneficial Society (Società Italiana di Mutua Beneficenza) was the first such Italian organization in the Copper Country. It built a series of Italian Halls, which were rented as a meeting place for various ethnic and social organizations in Calumet. The first Italian Hall was blown down by wind during construction and the second was destroyed on January 1, 1908 by an accidental fire after a party. The third Italian Hall was home to what is now known as the Italian Hall Disaster, which took place on Christmas Eve, 1913. The Italian Hall fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1985. The Italian Hall Memorial Park with the stairway arch stands in place of the building. The Italian Mutual Beneficial Society fell into difficult times when several of its members died and its funds were quickly depleting. In 1922 it and several other Italian groups in the Upper Peninsula merged into one organization, the Christopher Columbus Society.