USA > Michigan > Monroe County > History of Monroe County, Michigan : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests Volume I > Part 58
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We have no written history of masonry in Michigan prior to 1826- and this record, covering the period from 1826 to 1844, is fragmentary, and much of it, not susceptible of verification. Indeed, it is not expected that any history of the early masonic proceedings and events, however complete and accurate, will change in any important particular the present masonic situation, but it must be peculiarly gratifying to those interested in this ancient order, to know something of the circumstances of their beginnings.
* Much of the following facts are furnished by Sir Knight Diffinbaugh, a prom- inent Mason of Monroe.
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A man ignorant of his parentage, or of the claim of title by which he holds valuable property may not be greatly benefitted, nor need he be much disturbed if he does or does not possess the minutiæ of knowledge concerning it, but it is hardly conceivable that he will fail to be interested in some degree in his genealogy and in the right to hold his possessions undisturbed. Equally so, it must be conceded that resident Masons should feel interested in knowing the time and the circumstances of the first planting of masonry in our Commonwealth, and by what authority. We must go back to the year 1753 for this. In that year Hon. John Proby in the Kingdom of Ireland was the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England. On June 9th of that year, Grand Master Proby appointed and commissioned George Harrison to be provincial Grand Master of the Province of New York. This appointment or "deputation" as it was then termed, was announced to the New York brethren, assem- bled in Grand Lodge on December 26, 1753.
Grand Master Harrison of New York issued a warrant on April 27, 1764, to Zion Lodge No. 1 of Detroit, by which name it was known and registered as No. 448, on the registry of England. This original warrant was afterwards found and is now preserved in the archives of the Grand Lodge of New York. The records of the Grand Lodge of New York of September 5, 1821, show that a warrant was granted to Detroit Lodge No. 337. March 7, 1822, a charter was granted to Oakland Lodge No. 343 of Pontiac, Michigan. September 1, 1824, a warrant was granted to Menominee No. 374 of Green Bay, Wisconsin Territory. On December 1, 1824, the same records furnish the following item: To Seneca Allen, and others to hold a lodge in the town of Monroe, Monroe county, Terri- tory of Michigan, by the name of Monroe Lodge.
MICHIGAN'S FIRST GRAND LODGE
The movement which resulted in the formation of our first Grand Lodge was initiated by Zion Lodge No. 1 of Detroit (then No. 3) at a regular meeting held August 1, 1825, and soon thereafter, a call was made for a convention by a joint committee from Zion No. 1 and Detroit No. 337. This convention met in Detroit on June 24, 1826. The lodges represented were Zion by three delegates; Detroit, two dele- gates; Menominee, two proxies, and Monroe, one delegate, who was Colonel J. Anderson, all chartered by the Grand Lodge of New York as previously stated. June 11, 1827, at a meeting of the Grand Lodge of New York, a resolution was introduced, recognizing it as a Grand Lodge.
FIRST LOCAL LODGE
It is established by the records that the first Masonic lodge organized in Monroe, was Monroe Lodge No. 375, the officers of which were publicly installed on St. John the Baptist's day, June 24, 1825. The only public hall in which these exercises could be held, in the village, at that time, was the court room of the first court house built in the county, after its organization in 1817. This was a building constructed of hewn logs clapboarded and painted yellow, which stood on the southwestern quarter of the public square, near the present site of the First Presbyterian church. On the celebration of this public service the veteran Reverend Noah Wells, a Presbyterian minister of Monroe, officiated as chaplain. He was at the time of his death the oldest living minister of that denom- ination in America, at the age of nearly one hundred years. In this meeting were many of the prominent men of the city and county, which gave the old lodge a high standing for its personnel, such as Colonel John Anderson, Hiram Brown, Dr. Conant, Charles Noble, A. C.
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Chapman, Isaac Lewis and others. A banquet was served after the installation, at the Exchange Hotel, by its proprietor Mr. Chapman. The Exchange at that time was a noted hotel in Michigan-which was destroyed by fire, in 1852. The following officers were duly installed : Seneca Allen, W. M .; Hiram Brown, S. W .; Harry Conant, J. W .; John Anderson, treasurer; Chas. Noble, secretary.
FIRST WORTHY MASTER, SENECA ALLEN
Seneca . Allen left several children. A son, Harmon Allen, was a member of Milan Lodge No. 323, in 1891. He was a surveyor from 1827 until his death. He surveyed and platted the City of Toledo, Ohio, in 1831, also the villages of Trenton and Flat Rock in Wayne county, Michigan. He was for some years clerk of the Territorial Council of Michigan. In 1826, Mr. Allen was elected Senior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge and reelected to the same office in 1827.
On the 17th of September, 1844, pursuant to a resolution of the first Grand Lodge of Michigan, acting under new charters received from the Grand Lodge of New York for the subordinate lodges in Michigan Territory, was organized the present Grand Lodge of Michigan, re-electing General Lewis Cass Grand Master; the Grand Lodge of New York having refused to recognize the organization under and by virtue of what she pleased to denominate "The defunct lodges of Michigan Territory."
MONROE LODGE NO. 27
On the 5th of July, 1848, Monroe Lodge, No. 27, was organized by authority of a dispensation issued by Judge E. Smith Lee, Grand Master to Brother Isaac Lewis, Worshipful Master; Brother John Burch, Senior Warden ; Brother George Kirkland, Junior Warden, and Brothers Walter P. Clark, George W. Crispin, Thomas Leonard, James Q. Adams, Jefferson G. Thurber, Daniel B. Miller and Riley Ingersoll.
After opening they held an election with the following result, viz. : Brother Isaac Lewis, Worshipful Master; Brother John Burch, Senior Warden; Brother George Kirkland, Junior Warden; Brother Daniel B. Miller, Treasurer; Brother Jefferson G. Thurber, Secretary; Brother Geo. W. Crispin, Tyler.
They convened in what was then known as "Odd Fellows Hall," but subsequently, and for many years, Zion church (Lutheran), south- west corner of First and Cass streets, which has since given way to Zion church school building. At this meeting Jefferson G. Thurber was appointed to draft a set of by-laws for the lodge, and Brothers Isaac Lewis, John Burch and George Kirkland to negotiate for a suitable hall in which to meet.
The first applicant for membership in Monroe Lodge No. 27 was Walter W. Prentice on July 12, 1848. At the same time Past Master H. W. Campbell was admitted by demit. The corner stone of the first Union school was laid by this lodge in 1858, which was the first ceremony of this kind in Monroe.
Eureka Lodge No. 107 was organized in 1858, and was granted a charter at a meeting of the Grand Lodge January 14, 1858. Its first lodge room was in the Main Singer building, southwest corner of First and Monroe streets. On January 12, 1892, it surrendered its charter and consolidated with Monroe Lodge No. 27.
The several homes of No. 27 have been as follows: Its first home or lodge room was at the corner of First and Cass streets where it remained until January, 1853, when the lodge moved to a building upon the site now occupied by the Enteman building at the head of Washington street.
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The next move was to a hall in the S. B. Wakefield building now occupied by J. L. Hofman; this was in April, 1859. The lodge remained in this building until January, 1873, when they moved into the Sill building, now occupied by the Monroe laundry. This was occupied by Eureka Lodge No. 107, the Monroe Lodge renting jointly with them; the next and final move was to the present quarters, which occurred in April, 1881.
Monroe Lodge, by reason of the prestige of her early organization, long and honorable career, the high character of her membership and the excellent record which she has maintained for upholding all the virtues for which masonry stands, has been the rallying body for the craft in the county ; so it has been active and judicious in its fraternal capacity in organizing other lodges in the city and county, and establishing a standard that has drawn to the order many of the most substantial and worthy men of the community.
The first death in the ranks of Monroe Lodge, was that of Dan B. Miller on January 11, 1853. None of those who took part in that, the first masonic funeral in Monroe, is now living. Mr. Miller was a promi- nent man in the business circles of the city, and one of the founders of Trinity Episcopal church.
DUNDEE LODGE No. 74
A petition for the organization of a lodge at Dundee was presented November 1, 1854, and two weeks later Dundee Lodge No. 74 was organized in that village, being the second in the county.
Washington's birthday in 1856 was observed by Monroe Lodge by a banquet, and by a masonic address by Rev. R. Blinn. They were joined in this celebration of the day by the Cass Guards and Germania Fire Company, both organizations parading with full ranks and in full uniform. The lodge had removed from the building on the corner of Cass and First streets for a few years, afterwards removing to the second floor of James Armitage's store on Front street.
MONROE COMMANDERIES No. 5, No. 4 AND No. 19
This commandery was organized under a charter from the Grand Commandery of New York, and remained in that number and under that authority until April 5, 1857, when the Grand Commandery of Michigan was formed, at which time its former number was changed to No. 4, and its records surrendered at a special session of the Grand Commandery held January, 1860, a resolution was adopted authorizing No. 4 to hold special meetings at Adrian, Michigan, and from this time forth no meet- ings were held in Monroe as nearly all of its members were serving in the Union army in the Civil war.
During the spring of 1860, the old Masonic Hall on Washington street, was destroyed by fire, and with it was lost all their property and effects, except such as were in Adrian. This was a severe loss to the commandery as well as to many of the Sir Knights, personally. At a session of Grand Commandery, on June 3, 1863, a resolution was passed, providing that the location of the Monroe Commandery No. 4 be removed to Adrian and its name and number changed to Adrian No. 4.
Strenuous efforts were now made to procure a dispensation consti- tuting our present Commandery No. 19, which were successful, and on June 30, 1868, a charter was granted to Monroe Commandery No. 19.
At the regular session of Grand Commandery, held June 5, 1860, the dues of Monroe No. 4 were remitted on account of the above mentioned fire. This was probably somewhere near the date of the death of Monroe No. 4, as I find that they were not represented in Grand Com-
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mandery, although Rev. D. B. Tracy, of New Baltimore, was elected Grand Captain General, and was at the time a member of Monroe No. 4.
At session of Grand Commandery in June, 1862, No. 4 was represented by W. F. King, of Adrian, as proxy for Commandery. At this session, it was "Resolved, That in the event of Monroe Commandery, No. 4, failing to recover their charter, a new one be granted free of charge." The old charter was not burned at Masonic Hall, as it was found several years afterwards at the house of S. G. Clark, while looking over the effects of James Darrah, his brother-in-law, who had died in the army, and was by him given to Thos. Norman, who sent it to Adrian.
On June 3, 1863, at 10:00 A. M., the following resolution was passed in Grand Commandery : "Resolved, That the location of Monroe Com- mandery, No. 4, be removed to the city of Adrian and the name changed to Adrian Commandery, No. 4." This was the burial of knightly hopes in this city for the time being.
After much labor on the part of a few Sir Knights of Monroe, a dispensation was procured December 16, 1867, for our present com- mandery, and D. B. Tracy was named therein as the first eminent com- mander under dispensation, and on the 3d day of June, 1868, a charter was granted Monroe, No. 19.
On the 23d of December, 1867, the first conclave of Monroe Com- mandery, No. 19, was held in old Masonic Hall, over F. S. Sill's store, with D. B. Tracy as eminent commander and Chas. Toll as recorder, The next conclave was held February 6, 1868, and several companions elected to take the orders. On February 20, 1868, the orders were conferred on Companions Frank Raleigh, Geo. R. Hurd, W. J. Manning and A. F. Eiseman in the order named, constituting them the first who received the orders in Monroe, No. 19.
September 3, 1868, the first meeting was held under the present number charter, and officers elected as follows: A. I. Sawyer, eminent commander; H. Shaw Noble, generalissimo; Frank Raleigh, captain general; G. R. Hurd, prelate; Thos. Norman, senior warden; Geo. Spald- ing, junior warden; Chas. Toll, recorder; Constant Luce, treasurer ; R. W. Figg, standard bearer; John Lane, sword bearer; Joseph Waltman, warder; A. F. Eiseman, sentinel. These officers were duly installed on November 5, 1868.
The next election and installation of officers was held March 4, 1869, and regularly on the first Thursday of the month next preceding Good Friday from that date to this.
ROYAL ARCH MASONS
River Raisin Chapter, No. 22, R. A. M., was instituted March 18, 1859, under a dispensation by Salathiel C. Coffinbury, M. E. Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of R. A. M., of the State of Michigan, dated March 7, 1859, to the following named companions as charter members : James Darrah, D. B. Tracy, B. J. Thayer, W. Corbin, Thomas Norman, Constant Luce, John H. Wolcott, B. H. Curtis, and W. P. Christiancy ; with James Darrah, first M. E. H. P .; D. B. Tracy, first M. E. King, and B. J. Thayer, first E. Scribe.
The records show that Lewis Friedenberg was the first to make application for the degrees of the chapter, on March 18, 1859, and Com- panions Dansard, Friedenberg and Meyerfeld the first team exalted, and Butts, Wakefield and Eiseman the second, both being exalted on same date, April 22, 1859. May 13th Companion Dansard was appointed the first regular secretary.
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LODGES OUTSIDE THE CITY
Masonic lodges in the county outside the city: No. 74, Dundee, instituted January 11, 1855; No. 102, Blanchard, Petersburg, January 14, 1858; No. 438, Samaria, May 24, 1905; No. 110, Hiram, Flat Rock, January 14, 1859; No. 144, Russell, Lambertville, organized 1864, re- voked 1904.
Dundee Lodge, No. 74, as before stated, was the second to be or- ganized in Monroe county, and its first officers were Henry Watling, J. W. McBride, J. W. Mason, M. D., John J. Dixon, George C. Kent, H. A. Wilkerson, Enos Kent.
In 1858 another lodge in the county was organized at Petersburg through the efforts of Rev. D. Burnham Tracy and John T. Rose, Isman P. Russell and others, which was named Blanchard Lodge, No. 102, and its institution dated from February 16, 1859, D. B. Tracy being worship- ful master and Horace Hill secretary. This lodge of long and honor- able career has had for its officers the following: Masters-D. Burnham Tracy, 1859-1864, 1865; William Corbin, 1860-1863; James I. Russell, 1861-1862, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1870, 1871, 1873, 1875, 1876; W. IIogle, 1869-1877; E. W. Reynolds, 1872, 1874; A. C. Williams, 1878-1879, 1880; J. T. Rose, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1886, 1887, 1888; Perry McCarty, 1885; N. B. Russell, 1889.
Secretaries-Horace Hill, 1859; Morgan Parker. 1860; William Heath, 1861, 1863, 1864, 1872, 1873, 1884; II. Camburn, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869. 1870; G. A. Canfield, 1871 ; T. P. Barlow, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880; A. E. Stewart, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889.
HONORS TO MONROE MASONS
Distinguished honors have been paid to Monroe Masons by the vari- ous grand bodies in the choice of officers, as will be seen from the fol- lowing note by a member of the order at the present time.
Companion A. I. Sawyer was elected grand high priest of the Grand Chapter in 1874, deputy in 1873, grand king in 1872, grand scribe in 1871, grand captain of the host in 1870, and made grand principal sojourner in 1879; was chairman of the committee which framed the present constitution of the Grand Chapter in 1875, 1876, 1877 and 1878; was chairman of the committee on jurisprudence for many years; repre- sented the Grand Chapter of Michigan in the General Grand Chapter when it met at Denver in 1883, and was first to receive a grand high priest's jewel without salary. In 1871-2 was chairman of the committee to arrange the chronology of the Order of High Priesthood in this state, and upon that report the present chronology was founded; and in 1871 was chosen vice-president of the order. In 1872-3 was elected grand president of the Order of High Priesthood in this state, acting for others as such several other sessions. At one time he was the only person in the state who had the work of the order.
Companion Joseph Clark was appointed chairman of the committee on finance of the Grand Chapter in 1876, and has been reappointed each year ever since, and at the session of the Grand Chapter in 1888 was pre- sented with a past high priest's jewel for his faithful and successful labors as such, a like compliment never having been extended to a member before.
FIRST ODD FELLOWS LODGE
The first establishment of a lodge of this order in Monroe was the organization of Monroe lodge, No. 19, on January 16, 1847, and a lodge
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room opened temporarily in the basement of the old River Raisin Bank, a large building standing on Washington street and the public square. The official installation of the lodge, however, took place in the old Kel- logg's Exchange, the four-story brick structure which stood for many years on the present site of B. Dansard's Son's state bank, and which was destroyed by fire in 1852 or 1853. The charter members of this lodge were Benjamin F. Fifield, Jefferson G. Thurber, Joseph M. Ster- ling, Henry Grinnell, W. A. Noble, W. H. Wells, James Darrah, George S. Howe and Walter W. Prentice. Andrew J. Clarke, M. W. G. M. of the Grand Lodge of Michigan; W. J. Baxter, grand secretary ; Colonel John Winder, A. S. Kellogg, Charles S. Adams and P. Teller of De- troit represented the Michigan Grand Lodge instituting this first lodge of Odd Fellows in the city of Monroe. Upon the selection of a permanent lodge room and the holding of regular meetings, there were many additions to the lodge from the prominent men of the city. In 1848 the church building of the old Presbyterian church which stood at the corner of Cass and Second streets was purchased by Elbridge G. Brigham, a furniture manufacturer, who remodeled the structure to meet the wants of another class of occupancy and fitted up a commodious and acceptable lodge room, which was rented by the Odd Fellows and occupied by them for many years. It was also for some months used by the Masonic bodies of the city. It was afterwards found expedient to remove from the church building and lodge rooms were found in the second story of the River Raisin Bank, the same building, in the basement of which the order first had their lodge. In 1858 fire de- stroyed this building, as well as every other business building on Washington street, from the public square north to Front street, turn- ing that corner and continuing on Front street to the alley, taking everything in its path, including Strong's Hotel, the postoffice and the Episcopal church, the most destructive fire which has ever visited Mon- roe. In this fire the record books and property of the lodge were en- tirely destroyed with the exception of a few emblems and the large bible, which had been presented by Mr. H. D. Walbridge, who after- wards removed to Toledo, where he died many years ago. The Monroe lodge, No. 19, in 1812 occupied a commodious and well appointed lodge room in the La Fountain building, corner of Monroe and Front streets.
LINCOLN LODGE, No. 190, I. O. O. F.
Lincoln lodge, No. 190, of Monroe, was organized July 19, 1872. The charter members of which were Charles Frank, John P. Schluter, Anton Munch, Charles Kirchgessner, Jacob Kull, Edward Vogel, N. Rupp, Jacob Zang.
CHAPTER XXXVI CHIEFLY SOCIAL AND SPORTSMEN'S CLUBS
ESTABLISHMENT OF SOCIAL CLUBS-THE O. L. CLUB-TWO FAMOUS SPORTSMEN'S CLUBS ( FROM "FIELD AND STREAM," BY FRANK HEY- WOOD )-GOLO CLUB ORGANIZED-THE MONROE MARSH CLUB-MON- ROE YACHT CLUB-THE GERMAN WORKINGMEN'S ASSOCIATION- FARMERS' MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY OF MONROE AND WAYNE COUNTIES.
Monroe has always enjoyed the well merited reputation of a com- munity of marked social characteristics. Hospitality to its visitors and close social relations between the people of all ages in the community has existed, very much to their mutual pleasure and enjoyment. It is a pleasant characteristic, and one upon which our neighbors in other cities have had occasion many times to comment enthusiastically from their own experience here.
It is a custom which appears to have been always in vogue. From the early days when the early French families from Sunny France, or gay Montreal, or the aristocratic Quebec came to live here along the banks of the vine-clad Raisin and build their rude but comfortable "habitations," the hospitality of genial, whole-souled, kindly people gave hearty welcome; the doors were always open and the best in the larder was not only at the pleasure of the caller, but they were hospitably importuned to indulge to a point beyond prudence.
ESTABLISHMENT OF SOCIAL CLUBS
This social tendency is seen today in the number of social clubs that flourish in the city; this particular feature is more prominent than was the case in the last generation for cogent reasons; previous to 1890 it was truthfully asserted that the ambitious young men of Monroe, when they reached able manhood invariably left their home town to seek employment in other fields of endeavor; this was in part due to the fact that business opportunities in a residence town of 4,000 popula- tion of slow growth and with little or no manufacturing were not abundant nor attractive. For many years the usual channels of busi- ness were limited and over-supplied with men or boys; hence it was not surprising that the boys who were ambitious to be in communities where there was "something doing" left for other scenes.
It is different now. The industrious young man when he has fin- ished his school days need no longer feel himself lured away by ap- parently greater attractions or more enterprising and cultured com- munities-for there are none. On the other hand, the demand for in- telligent help is not fully supplied from the local ranks, but there are many accessions from other and far less desirable fields. This im- proved condition has naturally had a marked influence in augmenting the membership of local clubs.
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SOCIAL AND OTHER CLUBS
Following are the names of the social and business clubs of Monroe, including those already mentioned elsewhere :
Monroe Yacht Club, Merchants and Manufacturers, The Monroe Club; Krypton Club, Monroe Driving Park, The Wolverine Club, and the O. L. Club.
THE O. L. CLUB
The O. L. Club, perhaps the oldest of the social list, was organized in June, 1873, by the following young men of the city : A. N. Perkins, W. C. Waldorf, W. P. Stirling, A. B. Diffenbaugh, F. S. Sterling, and George C. Loranger. This was the nucleus of what has since become one of the social features of Monroe, embracing the names of many of the business and professional men of the city, of all political affiliations, without regard to denominational preferences or professions, business or matrimonial alliances or "previous condition of servitude." The club rooms are located in the B. Dansard's Son's State Bank building at the corner of Front and Washington streets, which are comfortably furnished and provided with all the accessories of a well-managed social organization.
TWO FAMOUS SPORTSMEN'S CLUBS
"An unique and bountiful provisions by nature for sane and civilized enjoyment of rational sport."
[ From an article published in The Field and Stream in 1901, written by a contributor, Frank Heywood.]
Nestled peacefully in one of the most beautiful valleys of the great commonwealth of Michigan in the midst of fertile, well-tilled acres and the "elegant bounty" of one of nature's great producing districts, lies the second oldest settlement in this venerable state, whose history goes back as far as 1620, in New France, when the Quebec adventurers and Jesuit missionaries and the Coureurs des Bois were the first to discover the attractions of one of nature's beauty spots. The surrounding land- scape, while by no means bold and striking, is, to the not too exacting observer, one of quiet and satisfying characteristics. Forest, stream, lake and marsh like a botanical garden fill the measure of the nature lover's dream of country loveliness and the sportsmen's ideal of a "perfect paradise."
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