Vermillion County, Indiana - Chapter 9: Fraternal Societies in Vermillion Coltntv Free and Accepted Masons, 1913

Chapter 9: Fraternal Societies in Vermillion Coltntv Free and Accepted Masons

W'rmillion county has the following- Ma.sonic lodges, all prospering, in the autumn of 1912: At Clinton, Jerusalem Lodge No. 99; at Newport, Newport Lodge No. 209; at Perrysville. L'nity Lodge No. 344: at Cayuga, Cayuga Lodge No. 584: at Dana, Asbury Lodge No. 320.

At Clinton, Freemasonry was first instituted prior to 1843. hut interest in its workings declined and the charter was finally surrendered. Jerusalem Lodge No. 99 was chartered May 29, 1850, and has e\er since been kept ali\-e. The charter members of this, the first lodge in the county, were: Sylvester Redfield, worshipful master, who later removed to Nebraska ; John X. Perkins, Hiram Barnes. John R. Whitcomb, Benjamin R. Whitcomb, William S. Price, James Gazsoway. James ]\[cCulloch, Nathan Sidwell. J. J. ]\loore and William Barrick. The menibership of this lodge in 191 2 was one hundred and twenty-two, and its electi\-e officers were then : J. X. Frist, wor- master: Mahalon Stark, senior warden: Ceorge Boatman, junior warden: I\'an W. Scott, secretary: Arthur B. Roberts, treasiu-er : Ilenr}" .\danison, senior deacon.

At Dana, Asbury Lodge No. 320 was chartered May 24. 1865, by the following charter members : Morris Hager, John Aye, Thomas S. Hood, James Osbofn, Selah Temple, Thomas A. Edmundston, John Bilsland, Henry Jordan, William F. Bales, W^illiam F. Ford. The lodge was first organized at Bono, now called Toronto. Its ])resent membership is se\-ent_\--eight. The lodge was built as the second floor of a building in Dana, the rooms l)eing especially prepared for lodge room uses, and the property is valued at one thousand two hundred dollars. The officers in the fall of 191 2 were as follows : James R. Douglas, \\orshipful master : Da\is S. WillianLs, senior warden: S. E. Scott, junior warden: H. L. Fillinger, treasurer; C. B. Jackson, secretary; F. B. Lowrey, senior deacon; Jacob S. Randall, junior deacon; E. B. Thompson, t}'ler.

'Xevvport Lodge Xo. J09 was instituted May 26, 1857. and its first officers were: Thomas C. W. Sales, worshipful nia.ster ; Abel Sexton, senior warden; ilenrv F. Jackson, junior warden. The lodge now has a membership of forty, and its last officers are: Charles X. Fultz, worshipful master; John A. Hughes, senior warden; M. B. Carter, junior warden; H. V. Nixon, senior deacon; Joseph McCormick, junior deacon; Jesse Fultz, secretary; V. R. Nixon, treasurer. The lodge built its present hall about 1900 at a cost of one thousand t\\ o hundred dollars and later bought the second story of the building adjoining, so that it nowr owns the whole second Boor of the two-story brick building situated just west of the court house on the west side of the square, being about forty-four by fifty feet and divided into a large room, and two rooms on the south which are used for a dining room and kitchen.

There is also Eastern Star Chapter No. 236 in connection. The present worth)- matron is I'^annie Carter; worthy patron, Charles X". Fultz; associate matron, Edna Hollingsworth ; conductress, Goldie Fultz ; associate conductress, Xellie Wait.

-Vt Eugene, this county, a Masonic lodge was instituted in 1847, with about forty-seven members. Among the first officers were : C. M. Comages, worshipful master; Harvey Skelton, senior warden; Dr. R. AI. Waterman. junior warden ; George Sears, secretary ; Anthony Fable, treasurer. After about ten years this lodge went down on account of remo\-als to side towns and newly organized lodges, such as were formetl at Xewport, Lodi and Perrysville. Harv'ey Skelton was the last master of the Eugene lodge as above instituted.

With the springing into existence of Cayuga, the lodge was moved from Eugene there and now is in a prosperous condition, but no facts were furnished the compiler.

At Perrysville, Unity Lodge No. 114 was organized about 1850, at least that early, and increased to thirty-four members. The lodge flourished until May, 1859, when its charter was surrendered. Xothing further was accomplished in Ma.sonic circles until ^Nlay 29, 1867, after the close of the Civil war period, when Unity Lodge X^o. 344 was instituted with the following charter officers: W. B. Moffatt, worshipful master; James Hemphill, senior warden; Jacob S. Stephens, junior warden; William Jarrauld. secretary; Robert E. Townsley, treasurer; H. M. Townsley, senior deacon; John Wolf, junior deacon ; Thomas Scott, tyler. The present officers are Alexander Grubbs, worshipful master ; Roy G. Jester, senior warden ; Arthur Blunt, junior warden; Robert O. Jones, treasurer; J. F. Compton, secretary. Thev own their own lodge room.

Parke And Vermillion Counties, Indiana. 3O9

Of Chapter No. 125, Royal .Vrch Masons, at Clinton, it may be stated that its charter was revoked b\- the grand chapter in November, 1912, and now there are no chapters of Royal Arch Masons within Vermillion county.

Independent Order Of Odd Fellows

The earliest lodge of Odd I'ellows organized in A'ermillion county was Charitv Lodge No. 32, chartered at Perrysville April 20, i84d. The first officers were : Irad .\lxlill, noble grand ; Charles Boyles. \ice grand : T. S. Davidson, secretar}- ; Thomas Cushman, treasurer; John Dunlap, warden; C. N. Gray, conductor; John A. Minchell, recording secretary. In 1887 this lodge had a membership of nineteen; they owned their own building and had property valued at one thousand three hundred and forty-eight dollars. During Civil war days this lodge was kept alive Ijv si.x faithful members. Present membership is forty-seven.

Amant Lodge No. 356 was instituted November 16, 1870, with al)out a dozen members, which had increased to seventy-five by 1887. The present membership is one hundred and seventy-three.

Setting Sun Lodge No. 583 was organized April 2"], 1881, at Cayuga, with seventeen members, and the following officers : William H. Hood, noble grand; E. B. Johnson, vice grand; H. O. Peters, treasurer; V). ^^'. Bell, secretary. The present membership is sixt\--two.

Dana Lodge No. 581 was organized February 10. 1881, with eighteen members, and Hiram Shepard, noble grand: Julius C. Gro\es, vice grand; and Fred Rush, secretary. The memljership of this lodge in 1912 was rejiorted as one hundred and fifty- four.

Vermillion Lodge No. 594, at Newport, was instituted in the room over the furniture store of David Hopkins by Past Grand Hiram Shepard, under a charter granted May 18, 1882, on the ijetition of Robert E. Stephens, Lewis Shepard, Thomas Cushman, F. Y . Wade. Julius Groves and J. M. Tavlor. The first officers were: Lewis Shepard. noble grand: Robert F. Stephens.

Vermillion Lodge No. 594, at Newport, was instituted July 6, 1882. Its first officers were : Robert E. Stephens, noble grand ; Thomas Cushman, secretary ; James Chipps, treasurer.

The 1912 officers are: George Morehead, noble grand; Guy F. Newlin, vice grand ; lies Morehead, recording secretary ; Edmund B. Brown, financial secretary; James Chipps, treasurer: Bird H. Davis, Ithimer M. Casebeer and Fred D. Wimsett, trustees. The present membership of this lodge is sixtyeight. Their hall was built in 1892, at a cost of one thousand six hundred dollars ; para])hernalia and furniture, four hundred dollars.

This lodge is always represented at the grand lodge, and B. H. Davis of the Hoosier State, published at Newport, was appointed proof-reader of the grand lodge in 1912. and had served on the Daughters of Rebekah committee at a former session.

The following show s an account of the Odd Fellows lodges in Vermillion county according to the 191 2 grand lodge reports; also the membership of each .subordinate, as well as Rebekah degree, lodge :

Rebekah Degree Lodges Parke And Vermillion Counties, Indiana. 3Ii

Newport, Hope Lodge No. 268 has thirty-two members. St. Bernice, Cohimbia Lodge No. 425 has ninety- four members. Hillsdale Lodge No. 573 has ninety-nine members. Cayuga, Venus Lodge No. 515 has nine members^ Dana, Ruth Lodge No. 634 has sixty-five members. This gives a grand total of membership in the Rebekah degree of four hundred and eighty-four.

Knights Of Pythias

Vermillion Lodge No. 113, of the order of Knights of Pythias, was organized December 31, 1884, with si.xteen charter members and the first officers were: Dr. James T. Henderson, chancellor commander: F. S. Smith, vice commander; L. .\. Morgan, master of finance; M. J. Rudy, master of exchequer; D. H. Cade, keeper of records and seal; W. A. Collins; prelate; G. R. Hicks, master at ai-ms ; A. R. Marlat, inner guard ; E. A. Lacy, outer guard.

At Clinton no data was furnished, but it is known that this order lias Hazel Lodge No. 217, with C. C. Foley as keeper of records and seal, and Victor Lodge No. 553.

There are now Knights of Pythias lodges at Clinton. Ca\uga, Dana and Newport, all in a flourishing condition. At Clinton there is a Uniform Rank degree of this order; also the Pythian Sisters.

The lodge now has a membership of one hundred and eighteen. Its elective officers are: George W. Short, chancellor commander; H. B. Aikman, vice chancellor; W. M. Place, master of exchet|uer: W. S. Brown, master of finance; J. B. Butler, prelate; Charles V. Hughes, outer guard; A. Julian, inner guard ; lies Morehead, keeper of records and seal.