USA > Vermont > Lamoille County > Morristown > History of Morristown, Vermont > Part 19
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A year later a body was found upon the shores of Lake Ontario and positively identified as being that of Morgan and was buried as such. Soon after, a family, a member of which had been drowned, hearing of the incident, had the body disinterred and found that it was not Morgan at all, but an entirely different person. By this time, however, the incident had become a national issue socially and politically, and the anti- Masonic feeling was growing fast as it was said that Masonry was responsible for the death of Morgan.
Forty-three years later, after the excitement was all over, a true account of the incident came to light which was as follows: A man (and a Mason) met Morgan and entered into an agreement with him whereby he would destroy all copy of the exposé, stop drinking, clothe him- self decently with money donated, provide for the imme- diate necessities of his family and go to Canada, where he would be set up in business and given a new start and in due time bring his family to live with him. This he agreed to. They left Batavia on the night of September 12, 1826, and upon arrival at Fort Niagara, were rowed across the river to Canada, where they were met by a
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committee of men who were to see that he was safely taken care of. However, plans had not been completed in Canada, so he was taken back to Fort Niagara and kept there a week and finally turned over to the Canadians who took him to Hamilton, Ontario, gave him $500 and took a receipt for it and left him.
Arrangements were made to transport his family to him, but upon investigation it was found that he had boarded a ship and left the country never to be heard from again.
It is a strange fact that following this disturbance that feeling against the Masonic Fraternity should crystallize in Vermont. The "North Star," a newspaper published in Danville, was the chief aggressor. This paper was the whip-lash which kept Vermont completely stirred up over this event for many years. Many strong Masons were as intent upon continuing the organization as were others to destroy, but many who were easily swerved by public opinion denounced the fraternity as a veritable invention of the devil and freely made statements (mostly false) about the oaths and obligations of Masonry. Lodges all over the state lost in membership and many had to give up their meetings altogether. Others struggled on, meeting occasionally. At the session of the Grand Lodge at Montpelier in 1831 the following resolution was passed :
"Resolved that the secular lodges under the jurisdic- tion of this Grand Lodge be recommended to hold but two communications during the year; one for good order and discipline and instruction in Masonry and the other for the yearly choice of officers."
We have the following quotations from the "North Star":
July 19, 1831 : "The organization and government of the Grand Lodges, Chapters and Grand Encampments must be totally annihilated and forever; subordinate branches must fully participate in the general dissolution of the Sorceress and Cheat; and an evidence must be given to the American freemen that masons, one and all, have simultaneously and with united voice absolved themselves, not only from masonic government but from the aristo- cratic and treasonable obligations of their illegal and mur- derous oaths."
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October 25, 1831: "The result of the Grand Lodge and Chapter at Montpelier, for the ostensible purpose of giving up their charters, is such as we anticipated. Masonry will never give up its usurped power and exclusive privileges. Tyrants never do this but by coercion. It must be destroyed by inches."
The lodges struggled on for about two years longer, many making known their desire of surrendering their charter and disbanding. So many of these requests were made that the Grand Lodge in 1833 enacted the following resolution :
"Resolved that the Grand Lodge is ready to receive and revoke the charters of such secular Lodges under its jurisdiction as are desirous of surrendering them at the present time, and that the representatives of secular lodges who are authorized to make such surrenders are now requested to deposit their said charters with the Grand Secretary and that each and every secular lodge be and is hereby authorized to surrender and deliver its charter and records to the Grand Secretary aforesaid at any time previous to the next annual communication of this Grand Lodge, and that all the funds, jewels, furniture and property of such Lodges be left under their control respectively, to be appropriated to such objects as they may think proper and that the Grand Lodge recommend to said Lodges to appropriate their funds and the avails of their property to the common schools fund of this State."
Now, what effect did this feeling have upon the local lodge ?
We find that from 1828 to 1833 the meetings were more and more poorly attended, at times there being only two or three present. The presence of these few, how- ever, shows the spirit with which many persisted in their views of the righteousness of Masonry.
March 14, 1832, we read: "Mt. Vernon Lodge convened at Hyde Park. Present : Joseph Sears Jonathan Merrill
Sewell Newton David McDaniel Breed Noyes
"Lodge opened on the first degree of Freemasonry without form. Lodge closed in same form.
"JOSEPH SEARS, Sec'y Pro tem."
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And on Dec. 25, 1833, the last meeting we have any record of prior to the discontinuance of operations shows that:
"Mt. Vernon Lodge convened at Hyde Park Dec 25, 1833. Present : Sewel Newton Ralph Hill Ariel Newton
"Lodge opened on the first degree of freemasonry without form. Voted that the old officers serve the year ensuing. Lodge closed without form.
"RALPH HILL, Sec' pro tem."
No record exists as to whether any attempts were made to meet between the years 1833 and 1850. We only have it handed down by tradition that during these years, different members met clandestinely in different places, gathering after dark and traveling singly or by two so as not to arouse suspicion. At this time a Mason was shunned by the majority and very few would admit mem- bership in the fraternity. One favorite rendezvous, we hear, was in one of the large vats in the tub shop on the Lamoille River, in Morristown. As to how much degree work was done or other activities attended to, we know nothing. It shows the spirit which prevailed during the craft at that period. We do know, however, that the charter of this lodge was never surrendered.
In 1846 the Grand Lodge convened in Burlington and opened for business in ample form for the first time in ten years. The attendance was much better since by this time the feeling against the fraternity had grown less intense. Plans were made for the re-establishment of Masonry and for the investigation of the condition of those subordinate lodges still under charter.
At the annual session in 1849 notice was served upon all lodges that they must organize within one year. Accordingly we find Mt. Vernon Lodge convened at Hyde Park December 16, 1850, for reorganization. Officers were elected for the first time in seventeen years and the lodge was represented in Grand Lodge.
At this point owing to the small number of the orig- inal seventy-three lodges then holding charters it was necessary to renumber them. Mount Vernon Lodge being the eighth oldest lodge then in existence, its number was changed from thirty-six to eight, by which number it has been known ever since. .
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At the regular communication, held September 10, 1851, "Chose Bro. J. Tinker and J. Sears a committee to furnish a suitable place for Lodge meetings."
This committee evidently functioned, for we find that the next communication was held at Cadys Falls under date of February 4, 1852.
A few pages later the following appears :
"Mt. Vernon Lodge convened at Morristown November 4th 1852 to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the initiation of Brother George Washington into the secrets of freemasonry.
"A. NEWTON, Sec'y."
Under date of November 1, 1854, we find a record of the lodge in which it states that it was voted to remove the furniture of the lodge to Morrisville at the next regu- lar meeting. As the meetings at that period were all held at Morristown, we may infer that heretofore they had been held at Morristown Corners. The records show that November 29, 1854, the lodge opened at Morrisville, so that this is probably the first time that a Masonic Lodge opened in the present village of Morrisville.
January 5, 1855, it was "voted to meet at Morrisville the succeeding six months and the subsequent six months at Hyde Park and alternately so in the future." In May, 1855, it was also voted that "Brothers Burnet and Noyes are a committee to remove the Lodge Furniture to Cleve- land's Inn, at Hyde Park."
This is the first record that shows definitely just where the lodge meetings were to be held. In June, 1855, we find that Mt. Vernon Lodge convened at Hyde Park, where they met regularly until December, 1855, when they again returned to Morrisville.
An interesting note appears in the records of the meeting December 19, 1855: "The following ladies were initiated into the degrees of Daughters of Zion as Master Masons Wives : Lucy Wheelock, Cornelia Gleed, Anna M. Burnet and Lydia Earl." This degree was conferred while the lodge was open on the first degree. No record seems to exist as to the nature of the order of Daughters of Zion nor what they stood for. Only one more record appears (June, 1856) when this degree was conferred upon Ruth Allen, so it would appear that this organization was short lived and of little consequence.
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By this time it was undoubtedly unsatisfactory to the members to have their meetings held in Morrisville for six months and in Hyde Park for the remainder of the year. Accordingly at the meeting March 4, 1857, we read "That the Worshipful Master be requested to summon a special Lodge and that every Brother have notice thereof and information be given that the matter of Permanent loca- tion will be presented for the consideration of said meeting at 3 o'clock P. M."
July 1, 1857, the Grand Lodge issued a dispensation enabling the lodge to meet at Morrisville. From this we would judge that even though they had been meeting in Morrisville they had no legal right to do so under their charter, as the place of meeting had not been approved by the Grand Lodge.
The following year the members decided that they wanted a hall of their own, so in August, 1858, a committee was appointed to investigate the possibilities of either renting a hall or building one. Several different ones proposed to build a hall suitable for the use of the lodge and then rent it to the lodge, but this plan did not appeal to the members, so in September, 1860, it was voted "to appropriate $150.00 to the building committee in building a hall for the Lodge on the Ground occupied by Mr. Gleed's office and the motion passed unanimously." Mr. Gleed's office was located on the lot where the building occupied by the Peck Pharmacy now stands. A com- mittee was appointed to see to the building of the hall and funds were raised by subscription and the sale of stock to finance the project.
There were several innovations in force at about this time which are interesting. Of course the country was in the midst of the Civil War at this point and many wanted to become Masons before entering the service. Working under special dispensation August 31, 1861, several candi- dates came forward and were invested with the three degrees all at one session.
At that time it was customary to call the lodge from Labor to Refreshment from one meeting to another, or, in other words, the lodge was never closed from month to month. This is strictly illegal now, but at that time Masonic law was not so strict.
December 3, 1862, "The petition of members of the 11th Regiment Vermont Volunteer Militia, to the Most
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Worshipful Grand Lodge of Vermont for a charter for a regimental Lodge was presented to Mt. Vernon Lodge re- questing their influence at the next Grand Lodge meeting in their behalf." Other records show that there were many such lodges in the army working under the authority of different Grand Lodges of the United States.
On March 26, 1863, the new lodge room was first opened for business and we read "the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Vermont came in and dedicated the Hall with proper ceremonies. Then formed in procession with the Grand Lodge and proceeded to the town hall and listened to an address by L. B. Englesby, Esq. Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Vermont. Then formed in procession and returned to the hall and the lodge was closed in due form." Thus it seems that the lodge room must have been rather small and not ample to care for the large crowd which attended the dedication.
From this time onward for a year or more there were many Masonic funerals of members who had lost their lives in the war, whose bodies were sent home for inter- ment, and many pages of book two of the records of the lodge are inscribed to the memory of these members.
In 1865 interest was aroused in the organization of a chapter of Royal Arch Masons and it was voted to make such alterations to the hall as was necessary to accommo- date the chapter. The chapter was not officially chartered until October 2, 1867, and was chartered under the name of Tucker Chapter, as it now stands.
An interesting bit of reading is found under date of December 27, 1865, as follows:
"Voted to pay the Tyler $1.50 for his attendance on every regular and special communication and it shall be his duty at the hour of the meeting of the Lodge to have the hall warm and swept and to have the care of the Jewels and in short to give a general evidence of good house- wifery."
In 1868 the Grand Army of the Republic was organized in Morrisville and the lodge voted to rent to the Grand Army the ante room for use in holding their meetings.
Following the war, new lodges began to spring up in the smaller villages and where before, Mt. Vernon Lodge covered the whole county, now there were new lodges being formed in Cambridge, Johnson, Eden, Stowe, and Wolcott. The charter members of all these lodges were largely
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formerly from Mt. Vernon Lodge. Mt. Vernon Lodge having become settled in Morrisville with a new building, the members of the lodge from Hyde Park felt that they should have a lodge of their own so they petitioned Mt. Vernon Lodge for permission to form such a lodge, and the permission was readily granted. However, we find no record that the matter went any further, so it evidently was given up for lack of membership.
No sooner had the lodge begun to be prosperous than once more it was destined to endure another hardship, for on the first day of March, 1869, their new hall was totally destroyed by fire. Thus we see that they only occupied this lodge room for seven years. At this point the Ver- mont spirit stood uppermost, for on the sixth of March the lodge convened at the Morrisville House and made plans for a new hall to be erected as soon as possible. Several plans were presented and the matter was left for further consideration at the next meeting.
March 24 the lodge opened for work in Cadys Falls and George's new factory (this is the building that was later used as a pulp mill and stood on the spot where the little power house now stands). At this meeting D. J. Safford, P. P. Roberts and J. A. George were appointed a com- mittee to provide jewels, furniture, and aprons.
In the fire which destroyed the lodge room, the orig- inal charter was also destroyed, together with the furni- · ture, jewels, and other paraphernalia. It is indeed for- tunate that the records of the lodge up to that time were not also lost, but for some reason they were saved, prob- ably being in the hands of the secretary and not kept in the lodge room.
Being without a charter, they were not legally entitled to meet as Masons in lodge so application was made to the Grand Lodge and the following dispensation was granted pending the awarding of a new charter:
"To whom it May Concern: "Greeting : The permission of the Grand Master is hereby granted to the Officers and Brethren of Mount Vernon Lodge No. 8 at Morrisville, Vt. to meet in accord- ance with their usual custom as Masons, and to perform their regular duties as such and in capacity of a Regularly Chartered Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons. Said Lodge having lost its Charter by fire and everything per- taining to the Lodge, except its Charter. This Permis-
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sion or dispensation to be, or remain in force until such time as said Lodge shall receive from the usual proper source a duplicate of the Charter lost by fire the 1st Day of March 1869 unless for cause sooner revoked.
"GEORGE M. HALL, Grand Master."
In April, 1869, U. A. Woodbury presented the follow- ing plan to the lodge:
"that this Lodge build another story on the Town Hall, provided that we can get the consent of the Town and that they will pay in what it will benefit said Town."
Arrangements were therefore made for a special town meeting, which was held April 24, and the town agreed to the plan and appropriated $250 to assist in the work.
That the lodge lost no time is evidenced by the fact that on December 4, 1869 (only nine months after the fire), they moved into the new hall over the town hall, which was to be their permanent quarters for the coming sixty- one years. At this first meeting it was voted to give the Morrisville Silver Cornet Band the use of the dining room for rehearsals as long as the band would agree to play for Masonic funerals.
The new hall was formally dedicated June 24, 1870 (on the anniversary observance of St. John the Baptist), beginning in the morning with a parade consisting of the Morrisville Silver Cornet Band; Mineral Lodge, Wolcott; Waterman Lodge, Johnson; Mt. Norris Lodge, Eden; Warner Lodge, Cambridge: Meridian Sun Lodge, Crafts- bury; North Star Lodge, Richmond; Lamoille Lodge, Fair- fax; Mt. Vernon Lodge; Stowe Silver Cornet Band, and the Grand Lodge. A series of exercises were held in the town hall, and after dinner and another parade, the lodge room was dedicated by the Grand Lodge.
For the next few decades, there appears little in the records that would be of general interest. Most of the time there was little beside degree work and routine busi- ness to occupy the attention of the lodge. Therefore we will touch upon a few high-lights briefly.
May, 1883, it was voted to allow the Eastern Star Chapter. about to be organized in Morrisville, the use of the Masonic rooms for their meetings.
November. 1883. we read that the entire indebtedness incurred from the building of the rooms over the town hall was cancelled.
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In November, 1891, agreeable to recommendation of the Grand Lodge, the date of the annual meeting was changed from December to April. There are a few lodges, however, who still hold their meetings in December.
By 1892 it was felt by the lodge that the quarters were not large enough to accommodate the several bodies so a committee was appointed to investigate the possibility of enlarging the hall. This is but the beginning of a series of attempts at expansion which cover a period of nearly forty years.
In 1907 Lamoille Commandery was organized and was given the use of the Masonic hall for their meetings.
December, 1915, a committee was appointed to inves- tigate the possibilities of the erection of a new Masonic Temple and the following month a committee composed of C. H. Slocum, C. H. A. Stafford, A. H. Slayton, W. I. LeBaron, and C. A. Spiller was appointed.
In May, 1916, this committee began to function and in July, agreeable to recommendations of this committee, the lodge voted to purchase the Matthews lot on Portland Street as a site for a new hall This is the lot where the Sweet & Burt filling station now stands. The plan at that time was to proceed with the building immediately, but by April, 1917, the United States became engaged in the World War and the matter of a new temple was dropped.
July 11, 1917, the lodge voted to present the sum of $10 to each new initiate who should receive the three de- grees and who was enrolled in the Army of the United States. There were many young men already enlisted who took this opportunity to become Masons, and many were the occasions when the lodge was in session until the early hours of the morning working the three degrees upon those who were soon to leave for France. July 18, 1917, nine members received the Master Mason degree, having received the first and second degrees at a special meeting held under dispensation of the Grand Lodge the previous week. The lodge procured a service flag upon which were many stars showing that the lodge was well represented in the great national catastrophe.
After the war the matter of building was again brought up, but owing to the unsettled condition it was dropped.
With the boom times of 1929 the matter was once more brought up, the old committee discharged, and a new
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one appointed, consisting of C. A. Spiller, E. W. Gates, A. M. Adams, P. J. Liberty, and J. H. Eaton, to report at the next communication as to the possibilities of building. They reported favorably so a building committee was appointed, consisting of W. M. Johnstone, M. B. White, W. K. Sanders, R. B. Woods, and the Rev. D. K. Evans.
February 12, 1930, the committee reported and the lodge voted (1) to empower the master and wardens to sell the lot then owned by the lodge on Portland Street; (2) to empower the master and wardens to sell the prop- erty then used by the lodge as soon as a new temple should be built; (3) to purchase the W. T. Slayton property which was then available and well suited to the use of the lodge. The master and wardens purchased the Slayton property and sold the old lot to Sweet & Burt, Inc., of Stowe, immediately after this meeting.
March 12. 1930, the lodge, after examining plans unanimously, voted that the committee proceed with the building immediately. The Rev. D. K. Evans having moved away, O. E. Blodgett was appointed to serve on the committee in his place.
Thus we find that after a period of nearly forty years a long cherished desire for more comfortable quarters for the lodge and other orders was about to materialize, for on the morning of May 27, 1930, the work of excavating the new cellar was started. Work progressed rapidly and on Thanksgiving Day, 1930, the furniture was moved from the old hall to the new.
On the morning of December 3 the temple was thrown open to the public until noon. At three o'clock that after- noon, with a large number of members and friends present, the Grand Lodge of Vermont, Grand Master Aaron Grout, presiding, dedicated the new temple to the use of Masonry. A very inspiring address was given at this time by the Rev. G. E. Goodliffe, a member of Mt. Vernon Lodge. In the evening, Past Masters' night was observed with the working of the Master Mason degree, George G. Morse, presiding, and Philip A. King was the first candidate to receive a degree in this new hall.
Very soon after, the old hall was sold to James M. Warner Woman's Relief Corps, and the proceeds of the sale used to help defray the expenses of the new building.
Also the Pastime Club, most of the members of which were also members of Mt. Vernon Lodge, disbanded and
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donated all of their furniture to the lodge to furnish its club and recreation rooms with.
Thus we find that Mt. Vernon Lodge has quite an unique history since it has existed through the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and the great World War, or over a period of 120 years. What the future years will bring to Mt. Vernon Lodge we can only guess, but we hope that it will continue to spread the gospel of Truth, Charity, and Brotherly Love as it has in the past.
ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR
The dispensation for the inauguration of the Order of the Eastern Star was granted in May, 1883, upon petition of Mesdames Cleora V. Carner, Calista M. Burke, Addie A. Wood, Esther A. Fitch, and Deette F. Woodward, and the body was designated Coral Chapter, No. 16, O. E. S. Its first worthy matron was Mrs. Cleora Carner, its asso- ciate matron Mrs. Calista Burke and Carlos C. Burke was its first worthy patron. At the annual session of the Grand Chapter, held the month following, the charter was granted and the order started with eighteen members. Since that time it has been one of the leading organiza- tions of the town.
During these years it has played its part in the work of the order in the state and its members have filled many of the lower offices in the Grand Chapter. In 1886 Wil- liam G. McClintock was elected worthy grand patron of the Grand Chapter and was re-elected the year following, while Mrs. Edna Billings worked up through the various chairs and became grand matron of the Grand Chapter in 1934.
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