Massac County, Illinois - Chapter 12: Secret Orders, 1900

Chapter 12: Secret Orders

CHOSEN FRIENDS LODGE. This is the parent lodge of Odd Fellowship in Massac county. It has furnished charter members for all the other lodges, Rebeccas, and Encampments. A charter was granted by the Grand Lodge of Illinois, Oct. 17th, 1851, to the following members for the purpose of instituting a subordinate lodge of the InjM dependent Order of Odd Fellows, to be hailed and known as Chosen Friends Lodge No. 86, 1. O. O. F. namely: Messrs. Wm. Brown, Wm. Sheets, Wm. J. Allen, Wm. V. McGee, Wm. Potts, Louis Jones and James Steel. William J. Allen was the first Noble Grand. All are now dead.

In the forty-nine years of its existence the Lodge has interred thirty-eight of its members at a cost of |2,979.00, and has paid 4,051 weekly sick benefits at an average of |4.50 weekly, amounting to the munificent sum of |18,270.00. In addition widowed families have received over |1,000. The lodge is prosperous.

Massac Lodge. Twenty years after the institution of Chosen Friends Lodge on the 10th day of October, 1871, the Grand Lodge of Illinois granted a charter for the institution of subordinate lodge I. O. O. F., of Metropolis, to be known and bailed as Massac Lodge No. 442. Tlie following were charter members: J. L. Elliott, John A. Williams, Henry O. Derr, Thomas Brannon, Eichard A. Austin, John H. McCartney, David Snodgrass, Frank Fuller, John Austin and J. H. Obermarck. E. H. Austin was the first Noble Grand. The lodge is in a flourishing condition.

During the twenty-eight years of this lodge twenty-six members have been buried by it at a cost of $2,080, and 2,604 weekly sick benefits have been paid, averaging |4.50 weekly, and reaching the grand total of |11,71S.00. Over |800.00 additional has been paid in special relief.

Egypt Encampment. On Feb. 12th, 1867, the Egypt Encampment No. 45, I. 0. O. F. was instituted by the following charter members: Messrs. Tilman Eoby, W. E. Brown, J. T. Eennie, Townsley Eoby, Daniel Bowker, W. H. Green, John A. Brown, and Martin Craig. J. T. Eennie was the first Chief Patriarch. During the thirty -two years of its existence the Encampment has paid 2,340 weekly benefits at |2.00 a week, amounting to |4,080 with an additional |500 special relief spent during that time.

Welcome Eebecca Degree Lodge. This lodge was granted a charter, organized and instituted on the 13th of October, 1870, with twenty-four charter members, as follows: Messrs. T. S. Stone, J. M. Stone, John Lewis, T. J. Fuqua, T. L. Wallace, J. D. Hedges, Edwin Corlis, Nathan Shick, E. Carmichael, I. V. Casey, George Musgroves and Eobert Cole; Mesdames O. V. Stone, M. A. Lewis, N. J. Wallace, C. M. Craig, Sarah A. Corlis, J. E. Carmichael, Sarah V. Stone, Margaret Fuqua, L. Shick, Sarah Casey, E. Cole and also Alice Hodge. James M. Stone was the first Noble Grand.

Welcome Eebecca Degree Lodge No. 28 is an adjunct of Chosen Friends Lodge I. 0. O. F. and aids materially in promoting Avorks of charity and social enjoyment. Within the past thirty years the ladies have contributed over f 300.00 in special ( hariiablo purposes, while they control the pe';nli,ir features of their order.

tain members ot that Lodge to institute the Metropolis Rebecca Degree Lodge No. 116 I. O. O. F. They are as follows: M. Diiikelspeel, J. W. Sands, Andrew Shoulders, 0. E. Bess, J. L. Miller, H. E. Smith, W. D. James, John W. Rupecke, Leming Corlis, James H. Hood, 0. L. Spencer, Dayid Smith, J. M. Boicourt, Henry Shelton, J. M. Elliott; the ladies are Mary Sands, E. M. Shouldier, Georgia Bess, Elvira Miller, Josephine Smith, Sallie B. James, Amanda Smith, Mary E. Daniel, Lizzie Shelton, Annie E. Elliott and Dora Obermark.

The first Noble Grand was H. E. Smith and Mrs. H. E. Smith is the only remaining charter member of the ladies' original list yet a member, while H. E. Smith, David Smith and J. M. Boicourt are the only remaining male charter members now connected with the lodge. Like their sister lodge the Metropolis Eebeccas have unostentatiously labored in connection with the Massac Lodge No. 442 in doing acts of charity, which can be attested by many families, particularly, widows and orphans who have received fSOO.OO within eighteen years.

In addition to the enormous amount of charity carried forward by the various lodges it might be well to state that over $5,000.00 have been contributed by all the lodges to needy members and their families, who were not entitled to sick benefits owing to arrearages in dues.

The lodges of Massac county have twice entertained the celebration of the Inter-State Odd Fellows' Association, held annually on April 26th, and each time have won words of ])raise from their visiting brethren.

Joppa Lodge

Joppa Lodge No. 125. This lodge was organized Dec. 20, 1884, by the following charter members: W. E. Brown, G. W. Anderson, E. W. Hutchinson, J. H. Jones, of Massac Lodge No. 442; Thomas E. Anderson of Chosen Friends' Lodge No. 86; and E. A. Austin, J. H. Strawbridge, J. H. Johnson and W. E. Morgan of Hurricane Lodge No. 617.

store room in Joppa, 111., and met there for fifteen months, when everything burned with but small insurance. Not discouraged, they completed a commodious two-story hall in 1886 and sold the lower story to Fletcher & Sexton for a store room. In about two years this building burned, and a policy of |700.00 was paid in full within nine days. In connection with Messrs. Fletcher & Sexton another building was erected, which was also destroyed by fire April, 1894, with |500.00 insurance.

Permission was now granted by the Grand Lodge to build an upper story on the Hilierman Baptist church, making one of the finest country lodge rooms in Southern Illinois. Here the lodge grew and prospered, initiating fully 125 members only three of whora have died, namely: Dr. Joseph Brown, A. J. Smith and W. S. Thompson. The membership is very small at present, numbering about one dozen. The lodge is worth fully $1,200. William N. Kelley is the present Noble Grand.

Grand Army Of The Republic

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas H. Smith was one of the early volunteers in defense of the Constitution during the Civil War. He was a practicing lawyer, noted for his bravery and patriotism. At the capture of Fort Donaldson he fell in the honored uniform of Lieutenant Colonel of the Forty-eighth Illinois Regiment of Volunteer Infantry.

To perpetuate his memory and keep alive the sparks of patriotism the Tom Smith Post No. 345 Grand Army of the Republic was organized, Oct. 1, 1883, by G. S. Parks, a veteran, with sixty-three charter members.

The first oflScers were Robert W. McCartney, now dead. Commander; E. P. Curtis, Senior Vice-Commander; Robert N. Leek, deceased. Junior Vice-Commander; Samuel Atwell, Adjutant; John H. MorriSj deceased, Surgeon; Charles P. Wilson, a Methodist minister. Chaplain; James A. Peter, O. D.; Charles Barfield, O. G. ; E. B. Cropper, S. M., and J. A. Farrell, Q. M.

"There have been 241 names enrolled on the Descriptive Book. Of that number fifty-two are known to have died; a number moved away and some others may have died; a number have been dropped for non-payment of dues. I have not been able to find out from the Descriptive Book the exact number in good standing. Some have reached their fourscore years and must of necessity soon drop out of the ranks - in fact in a few years the post must cease to exist for want of members, for there is no recruiting station from which we can fill up the vacancies as they occur."

At the Grand Encampment last week in August, 1900, the report shows over 7,000 who died in the last year. Thirty thousand joined in the parade, four and one-half miles in length, and the record also shows a membership of about 305,000 veterans at the present time, the noblest army on earth. No wonder General Joseph Wheeler told Hon. J. P. Dolliver that the ambition of his life was to die in the uniform of a soldier for the Union.

Masonic History

Metropolis boasts of one of the early lodges of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons in Illinois. The organization came together April 1, 1850, and Messrs. George Hawpe, Gabriel Kay, H. L. Cook, and several others became charter members. The charter was obtained Oct. 8, 1850. George Hawpe was the first W. M.; Gabriel Kay, S. W., and H. L. Cook, J. W.

The lodge has also had the eminent distinction to have two of its members elected E. W. Grand Master of Illinois; Rev. W. H. Scott, 1880-1, and 1881-2; Hon. John E. Thomas, 1884-5 and 1885-6.

Metropolitan Chapter No. 101, Royal Arch Masons was chartered Oct. 5th, 1866. The charter members were Thomas Moore, W. S. Lane, C. H. Greenwood, T. E. Ward, J .L. Gebhart, W. H. Scott, J. P. Choat, L. H. Simpson, Joseph Brown, J. C. Sheets, L. A. Lafont, J. W. Thrift, and Geo. W. Corlis.

The first oflBicers were Thomas Moore, H. P. ; W. S. Lane, K., and C. H. Greenwood, S. The chapter is flourishing. Thomas Moore attained distinction in Masonry in Arliansas, where he died this year at a ripe old age. Many of the others are also dead, or live in other places.

Gethsemane Commandery No. 41 Knights Templar was organized under dispensation January 1, 1872, and is one of the few commanderies in Southern Illinois. Its charter was obtained Oct. 22, 1872.

The charter members were Sir Knights Thomas Moore, William H. Scott, Jonathan C. Willis, Manning Mayfleld, Noah M. Parrin, Geo. W. Corlis, George F. Musgrove, Benjamin Rankin, and Benjamin Howard.

Thomas Moore was the first E. C; J. C. Willis, Gen.; G. W. R. Corlis, Captain General. Of the charter members Captain Willis is the only living resident. Captain Benjamin Howard having died at his home in Metropolis this August, 1900. The commander-y is in good condition.

Eastern Star

The new lodge was hailed as Lilly of the Valley Chapter No. 85 Order of the Eastern Star and Maria J. Davis was appointed first Worthy Matron. Thomas Moore was the first Worthy Patron. Mrs. Elizabeth Cutting is the present Worthy Matron.

Knights Of Pythias

No lodge excels the Orestes Lodge No. 268 Knights of Pythias for the character of the members. The charter was secured Oct. 20, 1892, by Messrs. Benjamin O. Jones, R. Lvnn

April 23, 1896 warrant of authority to organize an Endowment Eank was secured hj Louis H. Quante, George A, Stewart, Benhart P. D. Schroeder, Henry S. Meyer, Tilman E. Lovelace and William Wyant. This relates to the insurance in the order.