USA > Indiana > Allen County > Roster of the Masonic bodies in Allen County, Indiana : tableau of officers and members, April 1, 1898 > Part 1
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GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02302 9082
Gc 977.201 ALSROS
ROSTER OF THE MASONIC BODIES IN ALLEN COUNTY , INDIANA
10-9-6.
INDIANA COLLECTION ROSTER
OF THE
MASONIC BODIES
IN
ALLEN COUNTY,
INDIANA.
TABLEAU OF OFFICERS AND
MEMBERS,
APRIL 1st, 1898.
FORT WAYNE. JOURNAL CO., PRINTERS. 1898.
BLACK GOLD
1126005
THE VALLEY OF FORT WAYNE.
AN HISTORICAL ADDRESS, ON MASONRY IN FORT WAYNE AND ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA.
DELIVERED AT THE SCOTTISH RITE BANQUET, FORT WAYNE, NOVEMBER 25TH, 1897,
BY
ROBERT S. ROBERTSON, 32ยบ.
I N the times of old, when might made right, and when every man looked upon the other as an enemy until friendship were proven, Masons met in the secluded valley, or upon the heights, in the one case to escape obser- vation, in the other to observe, and thus be free from the spyings of eavesdroppers, and alert to ward off the approach of enemies.
Paradox as it may seem, the Masons, dwellers in the Valley of Fort Wayne, occupy the summit of the heights, for we are at the summit of the water flow to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and to the Gulf of Mexico, and at the same time are in a basin as we go towards the poles. In other words, do we travel east or west, we descend from the summit. Do we travel north or south we must ascend out of the valley and climb the heights, so that we fulfill the ancient pre- cepts, by locating our lodge at once in the valley, and upon the mountain top.
The history of Masonry in Fort Wayne is almost, if not quite, coevel with the history of the place itself. To be sure, long years passed after adventurous footsteps of the whites had trodden a path to and from the Indian Village of Ke-ki- on-ga, before any thing like a permanent settlement had been made at the meeting of our waters. Years which were full of adventure, of scalpings and burnings, of torture by fire, and torture by captivity and degradation, while the masters of the region were the savage redmen; but no sooner did the first lappings of the wave of civilization ripple and break over its sands, than with it came the precepts. the teachings, and the practice, of Ancient and Accepted Free Masonry.
The warwhoop had scarcely ceased resounding, the red man was still here, the wolf was still howling about the settler's cabin, when a little band of brethren, faithful to the
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teachings of mother lodge, but far away from its shelter, met and organized a lodge in the wilderness, at the summit of the parting waters of the Maumee and the Wabash, in the Valley of Fort Wayne.
In 1823, when but a little cluster of cabins nestled near the fort so lately abandoned by its military occupants; when northward there was not a white man's house to the Michi- gan line, and none between Fort Wayne and Chicago, which itself was but a fort and Indian trading post, of no more note than was Fort Wayne; when perhaps not one hundred voters lived in all that is now the County of Allen; when there was no newspaper within one hundred miles; when the state was only seven years old; when Indiana Territory had been orga- nized but twenty-three years; and a year before the County was organized; this little group of the faithful peti- tioned the Grand Lodge, itself scarcely out of infancy, and located at Madison, on the Ohio, for a charter and dis- pensation for Masonic work.
On the 22nd of March, 1823, John Sheets, Grand Master of Indiana, granted a dispensation to Alexander Ewing, Worshipful Master: John P. Hedges, Senior Warden, and Benjamin Cushman, Junior Warden, together with all such brethren as might thereafter become members, to form a lodge to be known as "Wayne Lodge of Fort Wayne, County of Randolph, Indiana." Alexander Ewing was a revolutionary officer, the keeper of a tavern on the southwest corner of what are now Barr and Columbia streets, pro- genitor of a family of much note in all this region. A great grandson, Geo. W. Ewing, III, is a member of Wayne Lodge, and has just become a member of the Lodge of Perfection and Darius Council. John P. Hedges had been an em- ploye of the commissary department, while the fort was garrisoned. Benjamin Cushman was soon after elected one of the first Associate Judges of the Circuit Court.
General John Tipton, a hero of the Indian wars and of Tippecanoe, a United States senator from Indiana, and
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Grand Master of Masons before the close of his remarkable career, was occupying rooms, or a building within the pickets of the abandoned fort, and there was held the first Masonic Lodge in all this region.
At the first lodge meeting, held some time in May, besides those named in the dispensation, there were present as participators, Captain James Hackley and Benjamin B. Kercheval, and as visitors, General John Tipton, of Pisgah Lodge No. 5. of Corydon; Anthony L. Davis, of Franklin Lodge No. 28, of Kentucky; Richard L. Britton, of St. Johns Lodge No. 13, of Ohio; John McCorkle, one of the proprietors of the town plat of Fort Wayne, of Lodge No. 1.4, of Ohio; and Robert A. Forsyth, a paymaster in the United States army.
The lodge was opened in Ancient form on the first degree, with Alexander Ewing, W. M., John P. Hedges, S. W. and secretary pro tem, B. Cushman, J. W., James Hack- ley, treasurer, and B. B. Kercheval, Steward and Tyler pro tem.
Their next meeting was on the 6th of June, when Ker- cheval was appointed treasurer, Charles W. Ewing, secretary ; Jas. Hackley, S. D .; Robert Hars, J. D., and W. Hedges, steward and tyler.
Those named above were the charter members.
On the Ioth of October of that year a charter was granted, and John Tipton authorized to constitute and form Wayne Lodge No. 25, which duty he performed November 17th, he joining by demit. The officers installed were:
Alexander Ewing, W. M .; John Tipton, S. W .; B. B. Kercheval, J. W .: Chas. W. Ewing, secretary; A. L. Davis, treasurer; James Hackley, and H. B. McKean, senior and junior deacons, and James Wyman, steward and tyler.
The first election of officers was held December 25th of that year and General Tipton was elected W. M.
The first applicant for degrees was unanimously re- jected.
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Tipton was re-elected until 1828, and was an efficient officer and worthy member.
Lambert Cushovis was the first to be initiated, August 16, 1824.
The first celebration of St. Johns day was June 24, 1825, when General Tipton delivered the oration. I would give something to see the manuscript, for the brave old fellow scorned the trammels of a spelling book.
The first public installation of officers took place at the house of Hugh Hanna, December 27th, 1825.
The first Masonic burial was that of Capt. Hackley, May 26, 1827. He was a suicide, but the lodge is recorded to have "turned out to gratify Mrs. Hackley."
June 24th, 1827, Alexander Ewing prepared the first Masonic banquet in Fort Wayne, and a few days later the lodge made a loan of fifty dollars to Captain James Riley, the Arabian traveller, author of "Riley's Narrative," proprie- tor of Willshire, O., and the surveyer of most of the lands about Fort Wayne, to enable him to go east for medical treatment.
The second Masonic funeral was that of the first W. M., Alexander Ewing, January 5, 1828. He died two days before
Masters were elected as follows:
"Joseph Holman, June 2, 1828,
Lewis G. Thompson, December 1, 1828,
Anthony L. Davis, June 1, 1829,
Hugh Hanna, January 23, 1830,
Absalom Holcomb, June 7, 1830,
Samuel Hanna, June 6, 1831,
Henry Rudisil, February 20, 1833,
Samuel Edsall, June 10, 1833,"
The first by-laws adopted in 1823 provided a fine of 25 cents for the absence of either the W. M., senior and junior wardens, secretary, treasurer, stewards and tyler, and a fine of 12 1-2 cents for deacons and members, unless they pre- sented satisfactory excuse. Any one appearing in the lodge
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room intoxicated, was to be reprimanded for the first offense, suspended for the second, and expelled for the third. The by-laws numbered sixteen, provided minutely for almost every thing that could proper'y come before the lodge, and are an evidence of the care and painstaking of the committee which prepared them. After being adopted they were signed by the members present.
After leaving the temporary quarters in the fort, the lodge was held in "Washington hall," on the south west corner of Barr and Columbia. Then a lot was purchased at the northeast corner of Columbia and Harrison, where the Bash block now stands, and a brick lodge room erected, with ante room and preparation, or "goat" room up stairs. This must have been completed about 1831, as on February 7, 1831, a committee reported on the brick work and plaster- ing, but could not tell the "precise" number of brick on ac- count of the snow.
At the June meeting, 1833, a committee reported that they had sold the lot for $1,328.00 to Jos Holman, Richard L. Britton, Francis Comparet, Alex Coquillard and Hugh Hanna. It had been appraised at $1,200.00.
This was because the lodge had suffered, like all others, and ceased to work regularly, on account of the Anti-Ma- sonic excitement growing out of the disappearance of Wil- liam Morgan in 1826.
On the 20th of February, 1833, the first meeting held since May 7, 1832, the lodge adopted the following resolu- tion.
"Resolved, that whereas, owing to the great excitement prevailing in this section of the country and elsewhere, against the Masonic institutions and Masonry in general, this lodge has not held her regular meetings for seven vor eight months past, therefore
Resolved by unanimous consent, that the proceedings shall be as valid and have the same effect as if the same had been done and transacted at the regular meetings of the
9
lodge, and that all by-laws, rules and regulations in any way contravening any of the proceedings of this meeting is here- by suspended."
The lodge was reported on to Grand Lodge in 1833, and 1835 as meeting irregularly, but as the Grand Lodge itself was almost dormant, it took no steps to revoke the charter. or arrest it. The lodge held meetings irregularly, and must have initiated members, the records of which were either never made, or were lost.
It is worthy of note that in those troubled times, when Masons were boycotted in business and ostracised socially, until many were bankrupted and had to seek their fortunes in new fields, one Jared Darrow came to Fort Wayne from western New York, but located on a farm near Roanoke. His coming here was solely on account of the Morgan up- rising. He often visited the lodge in Fort Wayne, but it is not known that he became a member. Some time later Stephen Brown Bond came from Lockport, N. Y. for the same reason. He too was a Mason. He married the daugh- ter of Darrow, and two sons, Charles D. and Jared D. Bond were worthy lodge members, and a grandson, and the hus- bands of two grand daughters are members of our Lodge of Perfection and Council of Princes of Jerusalem. The family has been and is, among our best.
On the 2nd of March, 1840, an earnest attempt was made to reorganize, and the fraternity met at Kiser's hall, on Cal- houn street, just south of the alley between Main and Colum- bia streets, accepted a dispensation and resolved to reorga- nize as a regular lodge, with Henry Rudisil as W. M .; Simon Edsall, S. W .; Horace B. Taylor, J. W .; Charles E. Sturgis, secretary; T. Daniels and Wm. Rockhill, senior and junior deacons, and A. Holcomb, tyler. They seemed to have labored under the impression that their charter had been revoked, and applied for another, which was granted, but the error was discovered and it continued to work under the old, and the lodge is now the oldest chartered lodge in
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the state. There seems to be a hiatus in the lodge records from 1833 to 1856, except the record of this one meeting in IS40.
It seemed to work under difficulties until 1847, and the records are wanting, but in that year the charter was de- clared forfeited for non-payment of dues, and work sus- pended until July 4th. 1849, when the day was celebrated by a restoration of the charter under date of May 30th, and re- sumption of Masonic work under Henry Rudisil as Worship- ful Master, Samuel Edsall, S. W., and Samuel Shoaff, J. W. The Grand Lodge records of that year show that "The M. W. Grand Master presented a communication from Wayne Lodge No. 25, under suspension for non-payment of dues and failing to be represented, praying the restoration of its charter.
"Which was read, and "on motion by Bro. Kromer,
Referred to the committee on charters and dispensa- Stions." Later appears the following: "26th. Fort Wayne No. 25 .-- They have examined some letters addressed to the Grand Lodge and individual brethren from Fort Wayne, asking the Grand Lodge to restore the charter of Fort Wayne Lodge No. 25.
The brethren at Fort Wayne have twice forfeited their charter, having had it restored at their request without charge. The present application is too informal in the opinion of your committee, to be granted, especially upon which to restore a forfeited charter. The brethren should apply first for a dispensation, and having thus restored themselves to the confidence of the Grand Lodge, will be entitled to a charter at the next regular communication. They therefore recommend the adoption of the following resolution :
"Resolved, That a dispensation be granted to the brethren at Fort Wayne, when they make application there- for, in proper form."
The petition would seem to have been presented, for later the following appears:
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"Resolved, That a charter be granted to the petitioners at Fort Wayne, as Fort Wayne Lodge No. 25, and that Henry Rudisill be the W. M., Samuel Edsall, S. W. and S. Shoaff the J. W. of said Lodge, and that the same be with- out charge to said Lodge."
It will thus be seen that the existence of Wayne Lodge has not leen continuous, so far as shown by the records. There is another paragraph in the proceedings of the Grand Lodge, which shows that the charter of Wayne Loige was at one time stolen and a duplicate was asked and offered issued.
The old charter is signed by John Sheets, Grand Master; E -- Governor John Jennings, D. G. M .; Ex-Governor Thomas Posey, S. G. W .; John H. Farnham, Junior G. W., and Win. C. Keene, secretary.
Before the closing in 1833 the Lodge had 54 members. Of the members prior to 1860, only David F. Comparet, Martin E. Argo, Leopold Falk, Philip Grund and George H. Wilson are believed to be living, and the latter has been treasurer of the Lodge since 1865 continuously.
From Kiser's the Lodge moved to the MacDougal block, thence to the Seidel block, and in 1886 to the Temple. May our Mother Lodge always flourish.
SUMMIT CITY LODGE, No 170.
May 11, 1854, a meeting of Masons was held in Wayne Lodge hall in Kiser's building of which Wm. S. Smith was chairman and Francis S. Aveline was secretary, which re- solved to petition the Grand Lodge for a dispensation to form a lodge to be known as Summit City Lodge. The dispensation was granted May 31st, and on the 9th of June a lodge was opened U. D. of which Charles Case was W. M., Francis S. Aveline, S. W. and Yearless Dav. J. W.
Sol. D. Bayless W. M., of Wayne Lodge declared Sum- mit City Lodge duly organized U. D. and the first stated meeting was held held June 16, 1854. when the petitions of
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Warren H. Withers and A. L. Hanna were received. They were the first initiates of the lodge.
June 8, 1855, the first meeting was held under the char- ter, the charter members being Francis S. Aveline, Charles D. Bond. Charles Case, Yearless Day, David F. Comparet,. Charles Hanna, D. W. Maples, Richard W. McMullen, Richard C. Newman and Wm. S. Smith. The lodge was called off till June 18th, when the following officers were elected. Charles Case, W. M .; Francis S. Aveline, S. W .; Wm. S. Smith, J. W., and D. W. Maples, treasurer. Sion S. Bass, a few years later killed in battle as Colonel of the 30th Indiana Vols., Secretary; Henry J. Rudisil, S. D .; Reuben C. F. Rayhouse:, J. D .: A. L. Hanna and Charles Hanna, stewards; A. Fisher, tyler, and C. A. Bruce, chaplain. The lodge moved from Kiser's hall to Stewarts, on Calhoun, near Berry, thence to the hall in MacDougal's block in April, 1868, and remained there until removal to the Temple in 1886, their first meeting there being February 26th.
SOL D. BAYLESS LODGE, No. 359,
was instituted June 4th, 1355.
On the evening of May 4th, 1866, Anson Waring, Martin L. Bulger, John M. Coombs, Byron D. Angell, Alfred Hat- tersley, Win. Johnston, Jr., W. Akhurst and Sanford C. Lumbard met in the hall of Wayne Lodge and resolved to petition for a dispensation to form the lodge. The petition was signed by those present and presented to the Grand Lodge at its regular May meeting. By unanimous request of the brethren, Byron D. Angell was appointed W. M., John M. Coombs and Anson Waring were appointed S. W., and J. W. respectively, the dispensation was received and on the 4th of June, those who had petitioned and were named as charter members, met and opened the new lodge in due form.
The first officers elected under the charter were John M. Coombs, W. M .; Anson Waring, S. W .; Wm. Johnston, Jr., J. W Alfred Hattersley, treasurer; G. W. Durgin, Jr., secre-
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tary; Chauncey B. Oakley became S. D .; Harry C. Cotter, J. D .; George Esmond, S. S .; John E. Hill, Jr. J. S .; P. O. Blaisdell, tyler.
Its last meeting in the old hall was February 8th, and its first meeting in the Temple February 15th, 1886.
HOME LODGE, No. 342.
A meeting was held at Wayne Lodge hall in the spring of 1868, for the purpose of petitioning for a charter, which was issued July 17th, and the lodge was instituted with the following officers U. D.
Orin D. Hurd, W. M.
Jonathan Knappenberger, S. W.
Martin Cullaton, J. W.
Ferd F. Boltz, S. D.
Milo H. Brooks, J. D.
James E. Graham, Secretary.
Samuel Thanhouser, Treasurer.
John Lillie, Jr., S. S.
Peter Gable, J. S.
S. C. Flutter, Tyler.
The charter was granted May 24th, 1870, and the follow- ing were the first officers elected thereafter:
Orin D. Hurd, W. M. Daniel Gibson, S. W.
Hiram Poyser, J. W.
John Lillie, Secretary.
Samuel Thanhouser, Treasurer
Peter Gable, S. D. Joseph Whan, J. D.
Christian Boseker, S. S.
Martin V. B. Gotshall, J. S.
James M. Gibson, Tyler.
Robert S. Robertson, Wti H. Brooks and John B. Mor- gan, trustees.
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The charter members were as follows:
Orin D. Hurd, Jonathan Knappenberger, Martin Culla- ton, Jacob S. Goshorn, James E. Graham, Samuel Than- houser, Solomon S. Smick, Charles A. Zollinger, Wm. T. Pratt, Gilbert E. Bursley, Ferd F. Boltz, Daniel Gibson, John H. Turner, John W. Hayden, Abram G. Barnett, Milo H. Brooks, Samuel S. Gathley, Wmn. Wilmington, Ephraim Stevens, W. A. Roberts, Theodore K. Brackenridge, D. P. Whedon, Robert S. Robertson, John Lillie, Jr., Peter Gable, James W. Ryan, James M. Gibbin, David S. Redelsheimer, John W. Vodermark.
Dispensation was granted July 17, 1868.
The lodge was organized in MacDougal's hall, but moved at once to the hall over the then Post office on Court street, the building now occupied by the Gas Co., and in 1885 moved back to MacDougal's hall, where it remained until it moved into the Temple in 1886.
There have been organized in Allen County, outside of Fort Wayne, the following:
LEO LODGE, No. 224, AT LEO, ALLEN COUNTY.
Dispensation dated January 10, 1859.
OFFICERS UNDER DISPENSATION.
Edwin L. Knight, W. M. Jacob Bickhart, S. W. Kuhnrod Viberg, J. W.
CHARTER MEMBERS.
Edwin L. Knight.
W. M. Dailey.
Harman Viberg.
J. W. Hollopeter.
Jacob Bickhart.
Kuhnrod Viberg.
John Derer.
Charter was issued May 24, 1859.
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CHARTER OFFICERS.
Edwin L. Knight, W. M. Jacob Bickhart, S. W.
C. H. Viberg, J. W. This is the same who is named above as Kuhnrod.
OLIVE BRANCH LODGE, No. 248, AT POE.
Dispensation dated January 25, 1859.
OFFICERS UNDER DISPENSATION.
Noah M. Grandstaff, W. M. Judge Vaughn, S. W.
William Long, J. W.
CHARTER MEMBERS.
Joel Vaughn.
James Clark.
Judge Vaughn
Henry Ely.
Elias G. Coverdale.
Noah M. Grandstaff.
Lemuel N. Coverdale.
James Clark.
Ezra Maloney.
Warren L. Mills.
William F. Wood.
Jesse Heaton.
William Long.
Charter was issued May 25, 1859.
CHARTER OFFICERS.
Noah M. Grandstaff, W. M. Judge Vaughn, S. W. William Long, J. W.
MONROEVILLE LODGE, No. 293, AT MONROEVILLE.
Dispensation dated January 31, 1863.
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OFFICERS UNDER DISPENSATION.
Jabez Shaffer, W. M. John Shaffer, S. W. James Weiler, J. W.
CHARTER MEMBERS.
Jabez Shaffer. James Weiler.
W. B. Rabbit.
A. Engle.
J. L. Younker.
J. R. Robinson. John Shaffer. John Wilson.
Charter issued May 27, 1863.
CHARTER OFFICERS.
Jabez Shaffer, W. M. John Shaffer, S. W. Junes Weiler, J. W.
HARLAN LODGE, No. 296, AT HARLAN OR MAYSVILLE.
Dispensation issued May 27, 1863.
OFFICERS UNDER DISPENSATION.
Peter S. Crisenberg, W. M. Ira S. Skinner, S. W. Marion C. Monger, J. W.
CHARTER MEMBERS.
Peter S. Crisenberg.
David Pattee.
Ira S. Skinner.
Jopata S. Sellers.
Marion C. Monger.
George Platter.
William Herrick John Townsend.
Charter was issued May 25, 1864.
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CHARTER OFFICERS Peter S. Crisenberg, W. M. Ira S. Skinner, S. W. John Townsend, J. W.
NEWMAN LODGE, No. 376, AT NEW HAVEN.
Dispensation dated January 27, 1868.
OFFICERS UNDER DISPENSATION
James Savage, W. M. Allan H. Dougall, S. W. Lycurgus S. Null, J. W.
CHARTER MEMBERS.
James Savage Allan H. Dougall.
Lycurgus S. Null.
J. E. Taylor.
J. E. McKendry.
Edwin Shirley.
A. I. Williamson. . S. Houk.
George W. Linden.
Charter issued May 27, 1868.
CHARTER OFFICERS.
James Savage, W. M. Allan H. Dougall, S. W. Lycurgus S. Null, J. W.
Charter revoked by the Grand Lodge May 25, 1897.
HENRY KING LODGE, No. 382, AT HUNTERTOWN.
Dispensation dated March 24, 1868.
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OFFICERS UNDER DISPENSATION.
Theron M. Andrews, W. M.
Stephen A. Thornton, S. W. James O. Beardsley, J. W.
CHARTER MEMBERS.
Peter Shoaff.
Theron M. Andrews.
F. C. Bacon.
James O. Beardsley.
Corwin Phelps.
George W. Hand.
Ira. A. West.
John Anderson.
Stephen A. Thornto.
James Fleming.
James P. Bass.
David McQuiston, Jr.
Henry King.
Charter issued May 25, 1869.
CHARTER OFFICERS.
Theron M. Andrews, W. M.
Stephen A. Thornton, S. W.
James O. Beardsley, J. W.
Charter surrendered December 3, 1881, on account of lack of interest and financial embarrassment.
FORT WAYNE CHAPTER, No. 19, ROYAL ARCH MASONS.
A dispensation for organization was granted May 15, 1857, by the Grand Chapter of Indiana.
The officers U. D. were:
Henry Rudisil, Most Ex. High Priest.
James W. Borden, Excellent King.
Robert Brackenridge, Excellent Scribe.
Sol. D. Bayless, Secretary.
The charter was dated May 24th of the same year with the following as charter members. Sol. D. Bayless, Henry
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Rudisil, Joseph Johnson, C. W. Aylesworth, Jas. Armiston, Jas. B. Shoaff, William Stevens, Henry Work, A. H. Wells, Fred Hamilton, Henry Wehmer, Charles Case, Sam'l H. Shoaff, I. Ayers and E. C. Nelson.
The elected officers were the same as those U. D., with the exception of Secretary. C. W. Aylesworth being chosen to that office.
Its first meetings were in Kiser's hall, moved to MacDou- gal block in 1868, and held its first meeting in the Temple February 24, 1886.
FORT WAYNE COMMANDERY, No. 4, KNIGHTS TEMPLAR.
Dispensation was granted May 13, 1853, and charter September Igth, same year. The officers U. D. and elected under charter were the same.
Sol. D. Bayless, Eminent Commander.
James Collins, Generalissimo.
James High, Captain General.
S. I. Baldwin, Recorder.
The charter members were Sol. D. Bayless, John W. Smith. Francis S. Aveline. Benj. Saunders, Wm. Stewart, Christian Orff, J. N. Dubarry, John Hamilton, M. H. Tay- lor, Oscar N. Hinkle, James Collins, Saml. McElfatrick, S. John W. Underhill, John Spencer, Jas. MI. Bratton, W. H. Loomis, H. S. Goodwin, D. J. Silver, Wm. Wert, Jos. A. Stelwagon, J. M. Boon, W. H. Newman.
Met first at Kiser's hall, then in Stewart's, and moved to MacDougal block in 1868, and its first meeting in the Temple was March 4, 1886.
Its dispensation antedated the Grand Council of Indiana, being from the Grand Master of the Templars of the United States, and its charter from the Grand Encampment U. S. at the Lexington Conclave, and it was one of the four com- manderies that organized the Indiana Grand Commandery.
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FORT WAYNE COUNCIL, No 4,
ROYAL AND SELECT MASTERS.
Dispensation was granted in Dec. 1855. The officers U. D. were Wm. Hacker, Illustrious Master; G. M. Porter, Deputy III. Master; Jas. Collins, Principal Conductor; Sol. D. Bayless, Recorder.
The charter was dated May 20, 1856, with Jas. Collins, Sol. D. Bayless, Henry Rudisil, J. B. Shoaff, James W. Bor- den, G. M. Porter, J. W. Sullivan, Wm. Hacker, Ira C. Bond, C. P. Anderson, J. E. Houser, C. F. Fish, H. C. Lawrence and G. M. Freyberger as charter members.
The first elected officers were:
Sol. D. Bayless, Ill. Master.
Henry Rudisil, Dep. Ill. Master.
D. W. Maples, Prin. Conductor.
Samuel McElfatrick, Recorder.
First meetings were held at Kiser's hall, moved to Mac- Dougall's in 1868, and to the Temple in 1886.
It was the first Council instituted after the organization of the Grand Council of Indiana.
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