Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 160

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452

USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations > Part 160

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The Jackson Corps owns property valued at $10,000, embracing uniforms, equipments, arms, furniture, pictures, etc.

The company was organized August 13, 1868. It is named after General Andrew Jackson, the hero of New Orleans, and President of the United States from 1829 to 1837, whose birthday, March 15th,

718

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

the Corps annually honors by a parade and banquet, the latter being always attended by many leading citizens as guests.

James Macfarlane was the first Commandant of the Albany Jackson Corps, and has been unani- mously re-elected to the same position each year since. He is still at the head of this organiza- tion, with a record of over thirty-five years of consecutive military service. He commenced his military career in 1850, being one of the organi- zers of the old Worth Guards on May 27th of that year. He also served as Captain of Com-

pany E, 177th N. Y. V., during the campaign of that regiment in Louisiania, under General Banks, in 1862-63.

The Jackson Corps Association is incorporated under the laws of the State, and is composed of members of the Corps. This association owns the building No. 38 Beaver street, occupied by the Jackson Corps as an armory.

CORNING CORPS .- This company, composed of thirty-three young men in the lower part of the city, has been but recently organized. It is named in honor of Erastus Corning.

SECRET ORDERS.

FREEMASONS.

`HE first organization of Freemasons existing

in Albany after its settlement, was Lodge No. 74 (Registry of Ireland), composed of officers in the Second Battalion Royal, holding a warrant from the Grand Lodge of Ireland, dated October 16, 1737. There is every evidence that they were scholars and gentlemen, as they brought with them and kept up a large and valuable library of rare books, which they left here when the battalion was ordered away. Many, if not all the volumes are now in the library of the Albany Female Academy.

In April, 1759, the battalion having been ordered to some other post, left the city. Several citizens had been admitted to the lodge during the stay of the battalion, and the officers left authority for the resident members to continue their meetings.

Masters' Lodge purchased from the city a plot of ground on the northwest corner of Lodge street and Maiden lane, and the city having donated an adjoining piece of ground, a lodge-house was erected by Masters' Lodge and the Ineffable, the corner-stone of which was laid with ceremony, May 12, 1768. This was the first lodge-house in America. The building after completion was occu- pied by the two bodies for some years, but the records fail to show at what time it was vacated. The ground is still the property of Masters Lodge, and has been leased to St. Peter's Church for a term of years. The rectory of the church stands upon the ground.

Henry Andrew Francken came from Jamaica, and on the 20th of December, 1767, instituted the Ineffable and Sublime Grand Lodge of Perfection. The original charter of the body is still in its pos- session, and has been its authority from that time to this. The Grand Council of Princes of Jeru- salem was organized at the same time.

Meetings of all Masonic bodies are now held in the Albany Savings Bank Building, where are two lodge rooms, a library, an armory, waiting and reception rooms, all handsomely furnished and nicely adapted to their use.

The Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of the State have met annually since 1798, on the first Tuesday in February, in Albany. All meetings, from an uncertain date, were held in the building southwest corner Broadway and Steuben, until 1861, when they were removed to a hall in the building occupied by W. M. Whitney & Co., until 1875, when the present hall was formally dedicated and occupied. The Order has had public parades, and laid the corner-stones of the Old and New City Halls, the New Capitol, the U. S. Government Building, and many other public buildings.

Before the American Revolution most of the Grand Lodges of the United States were held under the authority of the Grand Lodge of Ancient York Masons in England, and were denominated Pro- vincial Grand Lodges, and subject to the super- vision of the Grand Lodge of England.

The first Masonic Lodge constituted in Albany was called the Union Lodge. It was organized February 21, 1765, under the authority of George Harrison, Provincial Grand Master, who installed Peter W. Yates as Worshipful Master. The fol- lowing year the city gave a plot of ground on the hill near the fort adjoining the English burying- ground, on which to erect a lodge building. The name of this lodge was afterward changed to its present title, Mount Vernon Lodge.

Masters' Lodge, No. 5, was organized March 5, 1768. Its first Master was William Gamble, and its first Wardens Samuel Stringer and Jeremiah Van Rensselaer.

After the Revolution, and about the year 1785, the Provincial Grand Lodge of the State of New York was closed, and an Independent Grand Lodge opened in its stead. Yet the Masons of the State of New York looked to the Grand Lodge of Eng- land for instruction in the operations of the craft.

About the year 1793, John Hanmer came from England to the City of Albany, and remained here until 1800. He was well skilled in the ancient lectures and mode of work as practiced in Eng- land. T. S. Webb, Ezra Ames, Gideon Fairman, Philip S. Van Rensselaer, and many others residing

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in Albany, put themselves under his instruction who conformed his practice to the lodges then ex- isting. He awakened much interest in masonry, and during his stay, on November 14, 1796, Tem- ple Lodge, No. 14, was established, of which he was first Master; Temple Chapter, of which he was the first High Priest; and the Grand Chapter, of

which he was Secretary. The early Masonic insti- tutions in and around Albany were reorganized under his supervision, and owe much to his thor- ongh knowledge and instruction.

Below will be found a table giving the most im- portant facts relating to the several lodges in this city.

LODGES.

INSTITUTED.

INCORPORATED.

MEMBERSHIP. 1882-83.

MONTHLY MEETINGS.

Mount Vernon Lodge, No. 3.

Feb. 21, 1765

Mar. 17, 1874

198

Ist and 3d Mondays.

Masters' Lodge, No. 5.

Mar. 5, 1768

185

2d and 4th Mondays.

Temple Lodge, No. 14. .

Nov. 11, 1796

May 26, 1881

357

Ist and 3d Tuesdays.

Washington Lodge, No. 85

1841

130

2d and 4th Thursdays.

Ancient City Lodge, No. 452.

July 21, 1852

June 15, 1868

224

Ist and 3d Wednesdays.

Wadsworth Lodge, No. 417.

Jan. 23, 1856

June 12, 1857

185

2d and 4th Wednesdays.

Guttenberg Lodge, No. 737.

June 20, 1873

Ist and 3d Thursdays.

CHAPTERS.

Temple Chapter, No. 5.

Capital City Chapter, No. 42.

De Witt Clinton Council, No. 22.

1797 Feb., 1870 June 4, 1861

1878 March, 1870

2d and 4th Tuesdays. 2d and 4th Fridays. 3d Thursday.

Temple Commandery, No. 2

1797

1877

Ist and 3d Fridays.

The returns made in 1849 showed a total mem- bership of 117 in the lodges then existing. There have been many additions made to all the organ- izations since 1882-83.

Other Masonic bodies in Albany are: Temple Tabernacle, No. 5, U. S. A .; Albany Conclave, No. 8; Red Cross of Constantine; Ineffable and Sublime Grand Lodge of Perfection; Grand Coun- cil of Princes of Jerusalem; Albany Sovereign Chapter of Rose Croix, Albany Sovereign Consis- tory; Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret; Cypress Temple, N. M. S.

ODD FELLOWSHIP.

Odd Fellowship makes no claims to antiquity, but history gives no record of the date of its origin. The first public notices, at the beginning of the eighteenth century, show it to have at the time been an Order of considerable membership, with a sufficient number of subordinate organizations to be worthy of notice by poet and historian. Its existence was mainly confined to Great Britain, where there now exists twenty-seven branches of Odd Fellows, and the entire membership of the world is estimated to number nearly two millions. The es- tablishment of the Order in America was a trans- planting from England. The first lodge in this country is supposed to have been organized at Baltimore in 1802, and one is known to have sprung up in New York in 1806, but the first suc- cessful planting of the Order on this continent was by Thomas Wildey, an Englishman, and four asso- ciates, members of the Order in the mother country, at Baltimore, April 26, 1819. From that founda- tion has been built up the great Independent Order

of Odd Fellows of America, which has admitted 1,365,000 members, given relief in 1, 152, 000 cases of sickness and distress, aided 152,000 widowed families, buried nearly 113,000 members, and ex- pended for the same the sum of $39,000,000, out of an income of $104,000,000. On January 1, 1885, the Order contained 8,057 lodges, with an active membership of 532,467. The sum of $2, - 111,927 was expended in relief during 1884, or $5,800 each day; while the income from dues and fees amounted to $5,275,000, or $14,450 each day.

The Order's first principle, Fraternity, is founded on the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man, requiring the practice of true friendship and brotherly love. To visit the sick, relieve the dis- tressed, bury the dead, protect and aid the widow, and educate the orphan, is the obligated duty of the membership. Its teachings lead to the im- provement and elevation of character and enlight- enment of the mind.

The history of the Order in Albany County has never been written, and the limited time at our command does not permit of searching the records of the numerous subordinates to obtain a continu- ity of facts and figures. The first lodge to be in- stituted was Hope Lodge, No. 3, now existing as No. 2, which was granted a dispensation April 24, 1826.

The second lodge was Philanthropic Lodge, No. 5, for which a charter was granted in September, 1827, to Russell Watts, John Snyder, John Osborn, Isaac L. Welsh and Peter H. Snyder.

In August, 1828, Russell Watts, of Albany, was elected Grand Master, and shortly afterward Clinton Lodge was organized by John O. Cole, Daniel P.

1,359

COMMANDERY.

SECRET ORDERS.

720

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

Marshal, Martin Gaylord, John F. Porter, and Eli Perry.

The Grand Lodge of the State was then moved to Albany and held its sessions in the city till 1836, all the grand officers being from the local lodges.

The Order experienced years of great prosperity as well as years of adversity, but from decade to decade has shown a steady growth, and contains in this county to-day 19 lodges with a membership of 1,600. The receipts of the past year amounted to $12,455. 52, and expenses $5,839. 36. There was paid for relief during the past year $5, 213. 30, and it is estimated that during its existence it has paid $150,000 in relief in this county alone.

There are three encampments of the patriarchal branch of the Order in the county. New York, No I, was one of the first few encampments insti- tuted, its charter dating back to 1829. It, for eleven years, held grand encampment powers in the State of New York. Albany encampment, No. 58, and Cohoes encampment, No. 71, are births of the last decade. The encampment member- ship numbers 450 in this county.

The military branch of the Order is represented by Canton Nemo, No. 1, Patriarchs Militant, con- taining 75 members and fully equipped with the beautiful uniform of the Order. Its reputation as an organization is widespread.

The Ladies' Branch of the Order, the Daughters of Rebekah, composed of the wives, sisters and daughters of members, is represented by Albany Lodge, No. 9, of Albany, German Oak Lodge, No. 3I, of Albany (working in the German language), and Prospect Lodge, No. 57, of Cohoes. They are each prosperous and doing a great benevolent work. The first named has a world-wide reputa- tion for its proficiency in the ritualistic work, and for its enterprise and prosperity.

Auxilliary to the Order is the Odd Fellows, Relief Association, on the assessment plan of co- operative insurance, containing about 500 mem- bers.

The Order owns no hall, but has leased for a term of years the upper part of the building No. 20 North Pearl street, and fitted up the same in a splendid manner. There are three lodge meet- ing rooms, beside the usual auxiliary rooms, and every organization of the Order in this city holds meetings there, except two subordinate and one Rebekah degree lodges.

The Order in the county must be considered prosperous, strong and influential; doing a good work in relieving distress and ameliorating the con- dition of the unfortunate.

The leading organ of the Order in the Eastern States, The Guide, was established in this city in July, 1881, and is still published, having a wide circulation and making the city renowned in the Order as its place of publication.

KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS.

The Order of Knights of Pythias was founded in the City of Washington, D. C., on the 19th day of February, 1864, by Justus Henry Rathbone, a na-

tive of Utica, in the State of New York, assisted by several gentlemen, all of whom were members of a club of musicians. Its growth was rapid, and it soon extended over the States adjacent to the Dis- trict of Columbia, and was introduced in New York early in the year 1868. On the 20th day of Sep- tember, 1869, some forty citizens of the village of West Troy joined in an application for a dispensa- tion to form Watervliet Lodge, No. 23, which was instituted on the 24th day of that month. Soon after, several citizens of the City of Albany, desirous of organizing a lodge, became members of Water- vliet Lodge, afterward withdrawing. therefrom and starting Peabody Lodge, No. 32, in their own city. The application was made January 3, 1870, and its initiation followed on the 20th of the same month. Both of these lodges had representatives present at the second annual session of the Grand Lodge, which convened in Masonic Hall, in the City of New York, on the 27th of January, 1870. On May 21st of the same year, dispensation was granted to organize Mount Gilboa Lodge, No. 42, to be located in the City of Albany, and its organi- zation followed soon after.

Previous to August 1, 1870, several members of Peabody Lodge withdrew, and organized Riverside Lodge, No. 47, at Bath on the Hudson, which Lodge has been one of the most flourishing in the State ever since that time, and at the present writing is one of the institutions of that suburb of the City of Albany, there being no other lodge of any kind in the place.

On the 20th day of May, 1871, Egbert Lodge, No. 56, was organized at Cohoes, followed by the organization of Chancellor's Lodge, No. 58, at Al- bany, on July 25th, and on the 11th of September by Steuben Lodge, No. 62, at Albany. This last Lodge was and still is composed of Germans, many of whom were among the leading citizens of the city.

On the 8th of January, 1872, Grove Lodge, No. 71, was organized, and on March 13th, Columbia; No. 77; followed by Fort Orange, No. 79, on March 20th; Barbarossa, No. 84, a German lodge, on May 2Ist; and Carnaut, No. 88, in October of the same year, all in the City of Albany. Since that date no new lodges were organized in Albany County until March 17, 1882, when Washington Lodge, No. 181, was instituted at Knowersville.

Of the twelve lodges organized in this county, ten of them are still in existence and in a flourish- ing condition. Of the two others, Mount Gilboa, No. 42, surrendered its charter in 1879, owing to internal dissensions among its members; and Cov- enant, No. 88, consolidated in 1878 with Columbia, No. 77. Grove Lodge, No. 71, surrendered its charter in 1880, but reclaimed it, and was reorgan- ized December 8, 1881. Watervliet, No. 23, re- moved from West Troy to Green Island some time previous to 1873, and has ever since that time been located at the latter place. Of these lodges, Steu- ben, No. 62, and Barbarossa, No. 84, work in the German language.

In January, Sections No. 56 and No. 76 of the Endowment Rank of the Order were instituted at

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MUTUAL AID SOCIETIES .- POLITICAL CLUBS.

Albany, the latter of which is composed almost wholly of members of Chancellor's Lodge. The object of this rank is the insurance of its members upon the co-operative or assessment plan of insur- ance, and this branch of the Order is entirely under the control of the Supreme Lodge. At the incep- tion of the Order of Knights of Pythias, its purpose was that all its members should procure uniforms, · the style of which was in some respects similar to that of ancient chivalry; but the rapid increase in membership soon outgrew that idea, or, at best, made it difficult to enforce, and at a later period in the history of the Order, gave rise to a separate rank, called the Uniform Rank, the members of which were compelled to procure the required ont- fit. Some time in 1875 an association was formed composed of members of the different lodges, and called the Uniformed Knights Association of the City of Albany, all of whom procured the required uniform and perfected themselves in the drill and discipline of the Order. In 1878, when the Su- preme Lodge created the Uniform Rank, this as- sociation reorganized under the name of Albany Division No. 2, U. R., subject to the laws govern- ing the same, and has ever since formed a part of that Rank.

In July, 1876, the Grand Lodge held its eighth annual session in the City of Albany. Through the courtesy of Governor Tilden, the Assembly Cham- ber of the then Old Capitol was occupied by it, and owing to the excellent light and ventilation, ample committee-rooms, comfortable chairs, and freedom from noise, that session has become mem- orable as one of the most pleasant held by the Grand Lodge. Among those who have become prominently and permanently connected with the Order in this State, who are members of lodges in this city, are Henry C. A. Sauer, who acted as D. D. G. C. from 1870 to 1872; was elected Grand Vice-Chancellor in 1872, Grand Chancellor in 1873, and Supreme Representative in 1877. Hon. John C. Nott, Albany County Judge, acted as D. D. G.C. in 1877; was elected Grand Vice-Chancellor in 1878, Grand Chancellor in 1879, and Supreme Repre- sentative in 1881, to which position he was re- elected in 1885. John J. Acker became D. D.G.C. in 1874, and served as such until 1876, when he was elected Grand Vice-Chancellor, becoming Grand Chancellor in 1877. Upon the death of Grand Keeper of Records and Seal, Frank W. George, of Poughkeepsie, in 1878, he was ap- pointed to fill the vacancy, and in July of that year was elected to that office, and has been re-elected each year since that time, and is so serving at the present. The office of the Grand Lodge is now located at No. 496 Broadway, in the City of Al- bany, where it has been ever since the selection of P. C. Acker as G. K. of R. S.

The returns of these lodges show a total mem- bership in good standing, January 1, 1885, of 749; cash balance on hand of $8,354.05; total assets of $15,204.98; and amount expended for relief of members during the year, $1,213.17. Peabody, Fort Orange, and Columbia Lodges own the fur-

niture, etc., occupy and sublet Pythian Hall, in Cooper Building, at the corner of State and Green streets; and Chancellor's have fitted up and occupy a very handsome hall at No. 50 Swan street. Eg- bert's Lodge, of Cohoes, have fitted up a beautiful hall in Silliman's Block in that city; and Water- vliet Lodge occupy the new Odd Fellows' Hall on Green Island. Steuben Lodge, Section No. 56, and Albany Division, No. 2, U. R., rent Pythian Hall, in Albany.

MUTUAL AID SOCIETIES.

IN Albany there are a number of local, or branch, societies for the object of assisting sick and dis- abled members, and to render pecuniary aid to their heirs after death. They are managed simi- larly to mutual insurance companies, on the assess- ment plan. They embrace the following associations: Ancient Order of Hibernians, organized in 1858; Ancient Order of United Workmen, organized in Albany, 1878; Albany Mutual Benefit Association, organized 1873, incorporated 1874; United Irish- men of America, organized 1873, incorporated 1874; New York State Relief Association, incor- porated 1880; Albany Boatman's Relief Asso- ciation, organized 1874; Capital City Benefit As- sociation, incorporated 1882; Mercantile Mutual Accident Society of Albany, organized and incor- porated 1881; Empire Order of Mutual Aid, or- ganized 1878; Order of United Friends, organized 1881; and the Equal Rights Benefit Association, organized in 1883. At one time there were three Courts of the United Order of Foresters in Albany, but their charters have been surrendered.

POLITICAL CLUBS.

IT has been said "there are more politics to the acre in the City of Albany than almost any other locality than can be named." The famous re- gency which, from 1824 to 1837, controlled the politics of the nation, made Albany a political center. Since its potent sway in State and national politics, Albany has continued to be an important field of political strife. It is the State Capital.

Political clubs of both parties maintain permanent organizations. The representatives of the Repub- lican party are the Unconditionals and Grant Club. The former was organized in 1872, and has participated in every presidential campaign since. The Grant Club was organized in 1879, named in honor of General U. S. Grant, and has upon its roll no less than 3, 000 members.

The permanent Democratic organizations are the Jacksonians, organized in 1868; the Albany Phalanx, organized in 1880; the German Young Men's Democratic Club, organized in 1882; and the Young Men's Club, organized in 1883.

During the presidential campaigns, these clubs do active work, keeping the streets attractive and lively with music, splendid uniforms, banners, torchlights and fine marching.

722

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

LABOR AND LABORERS.

IN no country in the world have the rights of free labor been more fully recognized than in the United States. But even here the liberty of labor has not always been so firmly established. In- 1680, the first court of assistants, held at Charles- town, Massachusetts, settled the price of mechan- ics' wages, and passed a law ordaining that car- penters, joiners, bricklayers and thatchers should take no more than 2s. per day under a penalty of Ios. to give and take. This arbitrary and unjust law reads like the middle ages, when we con- sider the untrameled condition of the toiling masses at the present day in this country. The rights of free labor in America have secured just recognition from a power which far transcends that of legislation or rulers, the power of public opinion. John Bright, the great English orator, and one of the best friends of America in the mother country, speaking of the condition of labor in this country in 1861, said: "Among all the great nations of the globe is that one where labor has met with the highest honor, and where it has reaped its greatest reward."

Since the settlement of America there has been a steady and substantial progress in society at large, but the laboring people have had the more especial benefit of that progress. The workingman of to-day is far better clothed, fed and housed than were men of his station one hundred years ago; while in respect to means of education, improve- ment and enjoyment, he is in advance of the wealthy of former generations. Every reader of history is familiar with Macaulay's description of England two hundred years ago : "Times when noblemen were destitute of comforts, the want of which would be intolerable to a modern footman; when farmers and shopkeepers breakfasted on loaves, the very sight of which would raise a riot in a modern workhouse; when men died faster in the purest country air than they now die in the most pestilential lanes of our towns; and when men died faster in the lanes of our towns than they now die on the coast of Guinea." Such details as Macaulay gives us, show how much better is the condition of the laboring class to-day than in any other age of the world, and that society exists no longer for the few, but the many.

In the City of Albany, as truly as can be said of any city in the United States, the best interests of the industrial classes have been defended and guarded with zealous care; while the exertions of the laboring element in behalf of educational pro- jects, and whatever has tended to benefit and ad- vance the city, have been repeatedly demonstrated in its history. No one factor was more prominent in promoting the early educational interests of this city than the Mechanics' Society. The work ac- complished in this direction is more especially

mentioned in the article on Schools in another part of this work. This society was formed in 1793. January 10th of that year, about one hundred and fifty mechanics met for the pur- pose of forming a society. A committee of one from each trade was appointed to prepare a constitution, which was adopted on the 11th of February following, under the title of the Albany Mechanics' Society. It was composed of the prin- cipal mechanics of Albany and its vicinity, for the laudable purpose of "protecting and supporting such of their brethren as, by sickness or accident, may stand in need of assistance, and of relieving the widows and orphans of those who may die in indigent circumstances, and also of providing the means of instruction for their children." The first officers elected were John W. Wendell, Presi- dent; Charles R. Webster, First Vice-President; Bernardus Evertsen, Second Vice-President ; Isaac Hutton, Treasurer; John Barber, Secretary.

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Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 160

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1452

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452