Masonic Lodges

Big Spring Lodge No. 1340
Coahoma Lodge No. 992
Staked Plains Lodge No. 598

Masonic Biography and Dictionary

comprising The History of Ancient Masonry, Antiquity of Masonry, Written and Unwritten Law, Derivation and Definition of Masonic Terms, Biographies of Eminent Masons, Statistics, List of All Lodges in the United States, Etc.
Compiled by Augustus Row, K. T.
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co. 1868
(Abstracts concerning Texas)

Texas - The G. L. of Louisiana granted the first warrant for a Lodge in Texas. This Lodge was held at Brazoria, under date of 17th December, 1835. During the Mexican War the Lodge ceased to work, and in October, 1837 it was reopened at Houston. In 1837, the Grand Lodge was opened at Houston.

Statistics -
Number of Lodges in the various States, from 1816. In 1816, many of the Grand Lodges were not formed, and hence no returns.

Texas - 1816, No. of Lodges - 0; 1822, No. of Lodges - 0; 1859, No. of Lodges - 238; 1866, Members - 10,025 (with returns from 162 out of 250 Lodges) and Initiated - 759.

LIST OF LODGES

(This is a list as of 1859.)

TEXAS. JURISDICTION OF THE GRAND LODGE OF TEXAS

1 - Holland - Houston
2 - Milam - Nacogdoches
3 - Red Land - San Augustine
5 - St. John's - Columbia
6 - Harmony - Galveston
7 - Matagorda - Matagorda
11 - Milam - Independence
12 - Austin - Austin
13 - Constantine - Bonham
14 - Trinity - Livingstone
16 - Friendship - Clarksville
17 - Orphan's Friend - Anderson
18 - Washington - Washington
19 - Forest - Huntsville
20 - Graham - Benham
21 - Lathrop - Crockett
22 - Marshall - Marshall
23 - Clinton - Henderson
24 - Red Land - Henderson
25 - Montgomery - Montgomery
26 - Olive Branch - Cincinnati
27 - Paris - Paris
29 - DeWitt Clinton - Jasper
30 - Gonzales - Gonzales
31 - Palestine - Palestine
32 - Sam Houston - Shelbyville
34 - Lafayette - LaGrange
35 - Jackson - milan
36 - Lavaca - Lavaca
37 - Mt. Moriah - Cold Springs
38 - Jefferson - Jefferson
39 - Leona Union - Leona
40 - Victoria - Victoria
41 - Eagle - Bethany
43 - Douglass - Douglass
44 - Alamo - San Antonio
45 - Euclid - Rusk
46 - Florida - Round Top
48 - Liberty - Liberty
51 - St. John's - McKinsey's
52 - Touchill - Dallas
53 - St. John's - Tyler
54 - Grand Bluff - Grand Bluff
55 - Gillespie - Wheelock
56 - Warren - Caldwell
57 - Lavissa - Lavissa
58 - Bastrop - Bastrop
59 - Lockhart - Lockhart
60 - Mt. Enterprise - Mt. Enterprise
62 - Woodville - Woodville
63 - Rocky Mount - Bunker Hill
65 - Joppa - Elysian Fields
66 - Cherino - Cherino
67 - Hubert - Chapel Hill
68 - Caledonia - Columbus
69 - Boston - Boston
70 - Temple - Mt. Pleasant
71 - Mt. Vernon - Mt. Vernon
72 - Moreton - Richmond
73 - Washita - Sherman
74 - Springfield - Springfield
75 - Brazos, - Hootsville
76 - Cameron - Cicero
77 - Concord - McClorty's
78 - Carthage - Carthage
79 - Oasis - Dangerville
80 - Menchison - Hallettsville
81 - Rio Grande - Brownsville
83 - Terrel - Alto
84 - Indianola - Indianola
85 - Pine Bluff - Troy
86 - Tuscalenn - Pine-tree
87 - New Salem - New Salem
88 - Jackson - Cass
89 - San Gabriel - Georgetown
90 - Waxahatchie - Waxahatchie
91 - Tarrant - Tarrant
92 - Basque - Waco
93 - Ioni - San Pedro
94 - Goliad - Goliad
95 - Sharon - Sharon
96 - Colorado - Webberville
97 - Newbern - Newbern
98 - Canton - Canton
99 - Wharton - Wharton
100 - Freedom - Fredericksburg
101 - Danville - Danville
102 - Unity - Greenville
103 - Fairfield - Fairfield
104 - Corcicana - Corcicana
105 - Kickapoo - Kickapoo
106 - San Jacinto - Danville
107 - San Andres - Cameron
108 - Jacksonville - Jacksonville
109 - Guadalope - Seguin
110 - Greenville - Greenville
111 - Burleson - Navarre
112 - Bloomfield - Kaufman
113 - Magnolia - Magnolia
114 - Prairie Lea - Prairie Lea
115 - Kaufman - Andover
116 - Red River - Pine Creek
117 - Travis - Sherman
118 - Starr - Starrville
119 - Flora - Quitman
120 - McDonald - Trim Flat
121 - Mt. Hope - Mt. Hope
122 - Quitman - Chatfield Point
123 - Texana - Texana
124 - Colleti - Yorktown
125 - Baylor - Gay Hill
126 - Madison - Madison
127 - Burns - Concord
128 - Cushney - San Marcos
129 - Brazos Union - Boonville
130 - El Paso - San Elizaria
131 - Belmont - Belmont
132 - Griffin - Griffin
133 - Retreat - Retreat
134 - Bethel - Fannin
135 - Camden - Camden
136 - Newton - Burkeville
137 - Mt. Horeb - Gabriel Mills
138 - Neill - Lexington
139 - Herschell - Coffeeville
140 - Kerchix - Centreville
141 - Castilian - Canton
142 - Bethesda - Gilmer
143 - Ochiltree - Melrose
144 - Pierce - Merling
145 - Walnut Grove - Gordon's Stand
146 - Cypress - Wm. Sparks
147 - Plantersville - Plantersville
148 - Ft. Worth - Ft. Worth
149 - Truit - Truit's Store
150 - Jamestown - Jamestown
151 - Cabalo - Valley
152 - Marlin - Marlin
153 - Eclectic - Warren
154 - Cotton Gin - Cotton Gin
155 - Spring Hill - Spring Hill
156 - Hickory Hill - Hickory Hill
157 - East Trinity - Rockwell
158 - Taylor - Mt. Carmel
159 - McClellan - Union
160 - Lancaster - Lancaster
161 - Eureka - Palmer's
162 - Imvirol - Panola Co.
163 - Sumpter - Sumpter
164 - Honey Grove - Honey Grove
165 - Athens - Athens
166 - Belton - Belton
167 - Kentucky - Kentucky
168 - Monroe - Madisonville
169 - Taylor - Ash Spring
170 - San Andres - Cameron
171 - Basque - Basque
173 - Mound Prairie - Mound Prairie
174 - Corsicana - Corsicana
175 - Valley - Hamilton
176 - Anadako - Ft. Graham
177 - St. Paul - Port Sullivan
178 - Glover - Coffeeville
179 - Hardeman - Plum Creek
180 - Hopkins - Theodosia
182 - Concrete - Concrete
183 - Hopkinsville - Hopkinsville
184 - Hickory Grove - Mt. Vernon
185 - White Oak - Saratoga
186 - West Fork - Taylorsville
187 - Tyrian - Augusta
189 - Corpus Christi - Corpus Christi
190 - Refugio - Refugio
191 - Havana - Havana
192 - Cusseta - Cusseta
193 - Leon - Leon River
194 - Jack Titus - Red Oak Grove
195 - Lyons - Lyons
196 - Aquilla - Hillsboro
197 - Gatesville - Gatesville
198 - Tyre - Tennessee Colony
199 - De Molay - Souders Chapter
200 - Alamita - Helena
201 - Denton - Louisville
202 - J. A. Baker - Walker Co.
203 - Pine - Newburg
204 - Mt. Colm - Mt. Com
205 - Walnut Creek - Littleton's Spring
206 - Frank Sexton - Pittsburg
207 - W. P. Brittain - Social, Cherokee Co.
208 - McMahon - Lockhart
209 - Mantua - Mantua
210 - Gainesville - Gainesville
211 - Science Hill - Science Hill
212 - Deer Creek - Evans' Store
213 - Acton - Buchanan
214 - Farmersville - Farmersville
215 - Stedman - Newton
216 - Twin Sisters - Hodges' Mills
217 - Stanfield - Denton
218 - J. G. Craven - Dresden
219 - Millville - Millville
220 - Orion - Union School-House
221 - Bright Star - Sulphur Springs
222 - Parsons - Parson's Seminary
223 - Belleville - Belleville
224 - Miller - Hunt Co.
225 - San Saba - San Saba
226 - Brohan - Bethesda
227 - Round Rock - Round Rock
228 - Newport - Newport
229 - Randolph - Randolph
230 - Ocean - Weatherford
231 - Sampson - Oak Hill
232 - Tampasas - Tampasas
233 - Eutaw - Eutaw
234 - White Rock - Walnut Grove
235 - Plano - Plano
236 - Relief - Rusk Creek
237 - Lively - Denton Co.
238 - Prarieville - Prarieville

LIST OF GRAND CHAPTERS

Grand High Priests -

1850, Samuel M. Williams
1851, E. B. Nichols
1852, G. M. Patrick
1853, W. M. Taylor
1854, H.R. Cartmel, Washington
1855, Joseph C. Harrison, Linwood
1859, Andrew Neill
1860, W. T. Austin, Galveston

Grand Secretaries -

1850-1, A. S. Ruthven
1852-5, James M. Hall, Crockett
1859-60, A. S. Ruthven, Galveston

SUBORDINATES

No. 1. Galveston
No. 2. Houston
No. 3. Anderson
No. 4. Crockett
No. 5 Brenham
No. 6. Austin
No. 7. Huntsville
No. 8. Washington
No. 9. San Augustine
No. 10. Palestine
No. 11. Rusk
No. 12. Henderson
No. 14. Wheelock
No. 15. Clarksville
No. 18. La Grange
No. 19. Marshall
No. 21. Burleson
No. 22. Larissa
No. 24. Tyler
No. 25. Shelbyville
No. 27. Lockhart
No. 29. Mt. Enterprise
No. 30. Leona
No. 32. Jefferson
No. 33. Montgomery
No. 34. Columbia
No. 36. Matagorda
No. 37. Elysian Fields
No. 38. Cold Springs
No. 39. Moscow
No. 41. Corsicana
No. 42. Fairfield
No. 43. Hallettsville
No. 44. Richmond
No. 46. Columbus
No. 47. Dallas
No. 48. Paris
No. 49. Gilmer
No. 51. Gonzales
No. 52. Bonham
No. 53. McKinney
No. 54. Goliad
No. 55. Athens
No. 56. Seguin
No. 57. Gabriel Mills
No. 58. Fort Worth
No. 59. Jasper
No. 60. Douglasville
No. 61. Wharton
No. 62. Sherman
No. 63. Tarrant
No. 65. Lexington
No. 66. Cameron
No. 67. Hempstead
No. 68. Decatur
No. 69. Kaufman
No. 70. Sabine Pass
No. 71. Port Sullivan
No. 72. Texana
No. 78. Waxahachie
No. 74. Woodville
No. 75. Belton
No. 76. Veal's Station

SUBORDINATE ENCAMPMENTS -

Organized under Authority of the Grand Encampment of the U. S., or recognized by it, since its formation, on first day of June, 1816.
San Felipe de Austin, at Galveston (then a State of the Republic of Mexico), 1835.
Ruthven, at Houston, Feb. 2d, 1848; Sept 17th, 1853
Palestine, at Palestine, May 16th, 1853; Sept 20th, 1853
Grand Encampment, formed Jan. 19th, 1855.

Anti-Masonry

- In 1826 a great cry was raised by the political tricksters of the country against Freemasonry.

To insure success, the party had recourse to every stratagem, and amongst the most popular was the story hatched out of the so-called and supposed abduction of an individual named Morgan, at Batavia, New York, in 1826, for exposing the secrets of the order. This fellow, finding no doubt his enterprise a failure, secreted himself, and circulated the story in order to meet a ready sale of his work, which was but a republication of "Jachin and Boaz," published in Albany, in 1790, from an English work. The frenzy with which politicians hashed and rehashed this story, obtained for them about 100,000 supporters in New York. In Pennsylvania, where the Hon. Judge Giullis was arrested for complicity in the affair, the party succeeded in dividing the vote. In Vermont, the party, fired with unceasing efforts, succeeded for a time. But this was not to last. The party had grown so rapidly, swollen so hugely with broken-down politicians, and presented such an empty hollowness of principle, that it exploded with the contempt of all good citizens. In Pennsylvania, the Legislature inaugurated a series of persecutions, and the hero Thaddeus Stevens, Esq., of Lancaster, a rejected applicant of Good Samaritan Lodge, Gettysburg, Pa., was not able to force the secrets from the order. The principles of the order having become known and found their way to the people, the sentiment was soon changed, and the ill-shaped Anti-Masonic party, having no other aim than power and corruption, came to an end. But the power behind the throne has again shown its huge-footed plans and the resurrection of its skeleton is now proposed. Whether the new effort will succeed, remains for the future to disclose, but it matters little, as the truths of a genuine Christian system of charity and benevolence, as produced by Freemasonry, are engrafted in the minds of the people, not to be rooted out by persecution. (See U.S. "Anti-Masonic Convention.")

Grand Lodge -

The body that has exclusive jurisdiction in a State or kingdom over the Subordinate Lodges, and all Masons within its bounds. It empowers subordinate bodies to practice all the rights of Masonry. Originally the order was not governed by Grand Lodges, but the right existed inherently to act as individuals. However, the ancient brethren met annually, to consult upon Masonry and select a Grand Master. But as the order increased in power and numbers, it became necessary to establish Grand Lodges, for the interest of the order. The first charter granted was to St. Alban's, for a General Assembly, and subsequently Prince Edwin obtained a charter to assemble all Masons at York. It was thus the order obtained and has ever since recognized the necessity of a Grand Lodge.

Grand Lodges and their Jurisdiction

- A Grand Lodge has jurisdiction over the territory of the State in which it is organized, and no other Grand Body can exercise any authority or charter Lodges therein. It is governed by the ancient usages and landmarks of the order, and acknowledges no superior authority than these.

United States Anti-Masonic Convention

. This convention assembled at Philadelphia, 11th September, 1830. It was the first formidable attempt of a national combination in opposition to Freemasonry. There were 96 members, representing Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Rhode Island, Ohio, New jersey, Michigan, Maryland, and Delaware. At that time but few persons of eminence were among the delegates, but several of them, attaching themselves to other "issues," and abandoning political anti-masonry, subsequently became known. Among them were Francis Granger, Henry Dana Ward, Frederick Whittlesey, Wm. H. Seward, N. Y., and Pliny Merrick, Mass. The cement that bound such minds to men like David Bernard, Moses Thatcher, Thaddeus Stevens, and Joseph Ritner, must have possessed powerful magnetism. Francis Granger was made Prest., seconded by six Vice-Presidents. A remarkable fact is, that no State west of Ohio or south of Maryland had a delegate. Maine and New Hampshire refused the part assigned them, and sent no delegate. Fourteen committees were appointed, and the questions relative to Masonic rituals, history, and jurisprudence were divided among them. Mr. Seward was to report resolutions expressive of the sentiments of the Convention. A proposition to inquire into the pecuniary circumstances of the widow and children of William Morgan was rejected, as "that was not the purpose for which they had assembled." Three gentlemen of North Carolina took their seats as honorary members. The committee "on the effects of Masonic ties and obligations on commerce and revenue of the U.S.," were discharged without a report. In the report of the influence of Masonry upon the public press, it was reported that between 1826 and 1830 there had been 124 anti- masonic papers established, to wit: Pennsylvania, 53; New York, 46; Connecticut, 2; Rhode Island, 1; Massachusetts, 5; Vermont, 4; New Jersey, 2; Ohio, 9; Indiana, 1; Michigan,1. A number of these journals simply kept quiet to see what the mountain would bring forth, and when they found it to be a mouse, tacked about and retired from the sinking anti-masonic vessel. The summing up of these profound deliberations were: 1. That the expositions of Masonic secrets are true. 2. That Freemasonry originated early in the 18th century. 3. That its oath are not obligatory. 4. That adhering Masons are disqualified for public officers. 5. Masonry and its principles are inconsistent with the genius of American Institutions. 6. That Masonry should be extinguished at the ballot-box. 7. That the public Press are evil. The Convention adjourned to meet at Baltimore, Sept. 26th, 1831, to nominate candidates for President and Vice-President. The Convention nominated Wm. Wirt and Amos Ellmaker for their standard-bearers. These renowned champions went forth to battle, and brought as trophies from the field the electoral vote of Vermont. But the dog was now dead; and the leading fanatical spirits discarded it, as it ever was a worthless hotchpotch of the villainies of broken-down political tricksters.

American Military Lodges

- The following are the military lodges that were instituted in the American army during the revolutionary war.

1. St. John's Regimental Lodge, in the U. S. Battalion, warranted by the G. L. of New York, Feb. 24^th, 1775.
2. American Union Lodge, in the Connecticut Line, warranted by the G. L. of Massachusetts, Feb. 15^th, 1776.
3. No. 19, in the 1^st Regiment, Pennsylvania Artillery, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, May 18^th, 1779.
4. Washington Lodge, in the Massachusetts Line, warranted by the Massachusetts G. L., Oct. 6^th, 1779.
5. No. 20, in North Carolina Regiment, warranted by the G. L. of Pennsylvania, _____1779.
6. No. 27, in Maryland Line, warranted by G.,L. of Pennsylvania, April 4^th, 1780 .
7. No. 28, in Pennsylvania Line, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, _______1780.
8. No. 29, in Pennsylvania Line, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, July 27^th, 1780 .
9. No. 31, in New Jersey Line, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, March 26^th, 1781.
10. No. 36, in New Jersey Line, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, Sept. 2d, 1782 .