Texas – The G. L. of Louisiana granted the first warrant for a Lodge in Texas. This Lodge was held at Brazoria, under date of 17th December, 1835. During the Mexican War the Lodge ceased to work, and in October, 1837 it was reopened at Houston. In 1837, the Grand Lodge was opened at Houston.
Statistics –
Number of Lodges in the various States, from 1816. In 1816, many of the Grand Lodges were not formed, and hence no returns.
Texas – 1816, No. of Lodges – 0; 1822, No. of Lodges – 0; 1859, No. of Lodges – 238; 1866, Members – 10,025 (with returns from 162 out of 250 Lodges) and Initiated – 759.
LIST OF LODGES
(This is a list as of 1859.)
TEXAS. JURISDICTION OF THE GRAND LODGE OF TEXAS
1 Holland Houston 74 Springfield Springfield 135 Camden Camden 198 Tyre Tennessee Colony 2 Milam Nacogdoches 75 Brazos, Hootsville 136 Newton Burkeville 199 De Molay Souders Chapter 3 Red Land San Augustine 76 Cameron Cicero 137 Mt. Horeb Gabriel Mills 200 Alamita Helena 5 St. John's Columbia 77 Concord McClorty's 138 Neill Lexington 201 Denton Louisville 6 Harmony Galveston 78 Carthage Carthage 139 Herschell Coffeeville 202 J. A. Baker Walker Co. 7 Matagorda Matagorda 79 Oasis Dangerville 140 Kerchix Centreville 203 Pine Newburg 11 Milam Independence 80 Menchison Hallettsville 141 Castilian Canton 204 Mt. Colm Mt. Com 12 Austin Austin 81 Rio Grande Brownsville 142 Bethesda Gilmer 205 Walnut Creek Littleton's Spring 13 Constantine Bonham 83 Terrel Alto 143 Ochiltree Melrose 206 Frank Sexton Pittsburg 14 Trinity Livingstone 84 Indianola Indianola 144 Pierce Merling 207 W. P. Brittain Social, Cherokee Co. 16 Friendship Clarksville 85 Pine Bluff Troy 145 Walnut Grove Gordon's Stand 208 McMahon Lockhart 17 Orphan's Friend Anderson 86 Tuscalenn Pine-tree 146 Cypress Wm. Sparks 209 Mantua Mantua 18 Washington Washington 87 New Salem New Salem 147 Plantersville Plantersville 210 Gainesville Gainesville 19 Forest Huntsville 88 Jackson Cass 148 Ft. Worth Ft. Worth 211 Science Hill Science Hill 20 Graham Benham 89 San Gabriel Georgetown 149 Truit Truit's Store 212 Deer Creek Evans' Store 21 Lathrop Crockett 90 Waxahatchie Waxahatchie 150 Jamestown Jamestown 213 Acton Buchanan 22 Marshall Marshall 91 Tarrant Tarrant 151 Cabalo Valley 214 Farmersville Farmersville 23 Clinton Henderson 92 Basque Waco 152 Marlin Marlin 215 Stedman Newton 24 Red Land Henderson 93 Ioni San Pedro 153 Eclectic Warren 216 Twin Sisters Hodges' Mills 25 Montgomery Montgomery 94 Goliad Goliad 154 Cotton Gin Cotton Gin 217 Stanfield Denton 26 Olive Branch Cincinnati 95 Sharon Sharon 155 Spring Hill Spring Hill 218 J. G. Craven Dresden 27 Paris Paris 96 Colorado Webberville 156 Hickory Hill Hickory Hill 219 Millville Millville 29 DeWitt Clinton Jasper 97 Newbern Newbern 157 East Trinity Rockwell 220 Orion Union School-House 30 Gonzales Gonzales 98 Canton Canton 158 Taylor Mt. Carmel 221 Bright Star Sulphur Springs 31 Palestine Palestine 99 Wharton Wharton 159 McClellan Union 222 Parsons Parson's Seminary 32 Sam Houston Shelbyville 100 Freedom Fredericksburg 160 Lancaster Lancaster 223 Belleville Belleville 34 Lafayette LaGrange 101 Danville Danville 161 Eureka Palmer's 224 Miller Hunt Co. 35 Jackson milan 102 Unity Greenville 162 Imvirol Panola Co. 225 San Saba San Saba 36 Lavaca Lavaca 103 Fairfield Fairfield 163 Sumpter Sumpter 226 Brohan Bethesda 37 Mt. Moriah Cold Springs 104 Corcicana Corcicana 164 Honey Grove Honey Grove 227 Round Rock Round Rock 38 Jefferson Jefferson 105 Kickapoo Kickapoo 165 Athens Athens 228 Newport Newport 39 Leona Union Leona 106 San Jacinto Danville 166 Belton Belton 229 Randolph Randolph 40 Victoria Victoria 107 San Andres Cameron 167 Kentucky Kentucky 230 Ocean Weatherford 41 Eagle Bethany 108 Jacksonville Jacksonville 168 Monroe Madisonville 231 Sampson Oak Hill 43 Douglass Douglass 109 Guadalope Seguin 169 Taylor Ash Spring 232 Tampasas Tampasas 44 Alamo San Antonio 110 Greenville Greenville 170 San Andres Cameron 233 Eutaw Eutaw 45 Euclid Rusk 111 Burleson Navarre 171 Basque Basque 234 White Rock Walnut Grove 46 Florida Round Top 112 Bloomfield Kaufman 173 Mound Prairie Mound Prairie 235 Plano Plano 48 Liberty Liberty 113 Magnolia Magnolia 174 Corsicana Corsicana 236 Relief Rusk Creek 51 St. John's McKinsey's 114 Prairie Lea Prairie Lea 175 Valley Hamilton 237 Lively Denton Co. 52 Touchill Dallas 115 Kaufman Andover 176 Anadako Ft. Graham 238 Prarieville Prarieville 53 St. John's Tyler 116 Red River Pine Creek 177 St. Paul Port Sullivan 54 Grand Bluff Grand Bluff 117 Travis Sherman 178 Glover Coffeeville 55 Gillespie Wheelock 118 Starr Starrville 179 Hardeman Plum Creek 56 Warren Caldwell 119 Flora Quitman 180 Hopkins Theodosia 57 Lavissa Lavissa 120 McDonald Trim Flat 182 Concrete Concrete 58 Bastrop Bastrop 121 Mt. Hope Mt. Hope 183 Hopkinsville Hopkinsville 59 Lockhart Lockhart 122 Quitman Chatfield Point 184 Hickory Grove Mt. Vernon 60 Mt. Enterprise Mt. Enterprise 123 Texana Texana 185 White Oak Saratoga 62 Woodville Woodville 124 Colleti Yorktown 186 West Fork Taylorsville 63 Rocky Mount Bunker Hill 125 Baylor Gay Hill 187 Tyrian Augusta 65 Joppa Elysian Fields 126 Madison Madison 189 Corpus Christi Corpus Christi 66 Cherino Cherino 127 Burns Concord 190 Refugio Refugio 67 Hubert Chapel Hill 128 Cushney San Marcos 191 Havana Havana 68 Caledonia Columbus 129 Brazos Union Boonville 192 Cusseta Cusseta 69 Boston Boston 130 El Paso San Elizaria 193 Leon Leon River 70 Temple Mt. Pleasant 131 Belmont Belmont 194 Jack Titus Red Oak Grove 71 Mt. Vernon Mt. Vernon 132 Griffin Griffin 195 Lyons Lyons 72 Moreton Richmond 133 Retreat Retreat 196 Aquilla Hillsboro 73 Washita Sherman 134 Bethel Fannin 197 Gatesville Gatesville
LIST OF GRAND CHAPTERS
Grand High Priests -
1850, Samuel M. Williams
1851, E. B. Nichols
1852, G. M. Patrick
1853, W. M. Taylor
1854, H.R. Cartmel, Washington
1855, Joseph C. Harrison, Linwood
1859, Andrew Neill
1860, W. T. Austin, Galveston
Grand Secretaries -
1850-1, A. S. Ruthven
1852-5, James M. Hall, Crockett
1859-60, A. S. Ruthven, Galveston
SUBORDINATES
| No. 1. Galveston | No. 29. Mt. Enterprise | No. 55. Athens |
| No. 2. Houston | No. 30. Leona | No. 56. Seguin |
| No. 3. Anderson | No. 32. Jefferson | No. 57. Gabriel Mills |
| No. 4. Crockett | No. 33. Montgomery | No. 58. Fort Worth |
| No. 5 Brenham | No. 34. Columbia | No. 59. Jasper |
| No. 6. Austin | No. 36. Matagorda | No. 60. Douglasville |
| No. 7. Huntsville | No. 37. Elysian Fields | No. 61. Wharton |
| No. 8. Washington | No. 38. Cold Springs | No. 62. Sherman |
| No. 9. San Augustine | No. 39. Moscow | No. 63. Tarrant |
| No. 10. Palestine | No. 41. Corsicana | No. 65. Lexington |
| No. 11. Rusk | No. 42. Fairfield | No. 66. Cameron |
| No. 12. Henderson | No. 43. Hallettsville | No. 67. Hempstead |
| No. 14. Wheelock | No. 44. Richmond | No. 68. Decatur |
| No. 15. Clarksville | No. 46. Columbus | No. 69. Kaufman |
| No. 18. La Grange | No. 47. Dallas | No. 70. Sabine Pass |
| No. 19. Marshall | No. 48. Paris | No. 71. Port Sullivan |
| No. 21. Burleson | No. 49. Gilmer | No. 72. Texana |
| No. 22. Larissa | No. 51. Gonzales | No. 78. Waxahachie |
| No. 24. Tyler | No. 52. Bonham | No. 74. Woodville |
| No. 25. Shelbyville | No. 53. McKinney | No. 75. Belton |
| No. 27. Lockhart | No. 54. Goliad | No. 76. Veal's Station |
SUBORDINATE ENCAMPMENTS -
Organized under Authority of the Grand Encampment of the U. S., or recognized by it, since its formation, on first day of June, 1816.
San Felipe de Austin, at Galveston (then a State of the Republic of Mexico), 1835.
Ruthven, at Houston, Feb. 2d, 1848; Sept 17th, 1853
Palestine, at Palestine, May 16th, 1853; Sept 20th, 1853
Grand Encampment, formed Jan. 19th, 1855.
Anti-Masonry - In 1826 a great cry was raised by the political tricksters of the country against Freemasonry.
To insure success, the party had recourse to every stratagem, and amongst the most popular was the story hatched out of the so-called and supposed abduction of an individual named Morgan, at Batavia, New York, in 1826, for exposing the secrets of the order. This fellow, finding no doubt his enterprise a failure, secreted himself, and circulated the story in order to meet a ready sale of his work, which was but a republication of "Jachin and Boaz," published in Albany, in 1790, from an English work. The frenzy with which politicians hashed and rehashed this story, obtained for them about 100,000 supporters in New York. In Pennsylvania, where the Hon. Judge Giullis was arrested for complicity in the affair, the party succeeded in dividing the vote. In Vermont, the party, fired with unceasing efforts, succeeded for a time. But this was not to last. The party had grown so rapidly, swollen so hugely with broken-down politicians, and presented such an empty hollowness of principle, that it exploded with the contempt of all good citizens. In Pennsylvania, the Legislature inaugurated a series of persecutions, and the hero Thaddeus Stevens, Esq., of Lancaster, a rejected applicant of Good Samaritan Lodge, Gettysburg, Pa., was not able to force the secrets from the order. The principles of the order having become known and found their way to the people, the sentiment was soon changed, and the ill-shaped Anti-Masonic party, having no other aim than power and corruption, came to an end. But the power behind the throne has again shown its huge-footed plans and the resurrection of its skeleton is now proposed. Whether the new effort will succeed, remains for the future to disclose, but it matters little, as the truths of a genuine Christian system of charity and benevolence, as produced by Freemasonry, are engrafted in the minds of the people, not to be rooted out by persecution. (See U.S. "Anti-Masonic Convention.")
Grand Lodge – The body that has exclusive jurisdiction in a State or kingdom over the Subordinate Lodges, and all Masons within its bounds. It empowers subordinate bodies to practice all the rights of Masonry. Originally the order was not governed by Grand Lodges, but the right existed inherently to act as individuals. However, the ancient brethren met annually, to consult upon Masonry and select a Grand Master. But as the order increased in power and numbers, it became necessary to establish Grand Lodges, for the interest of the order. The first charter granted was to St. Alban’s, for a General Assembly, and subsequently Prince Edwin obtained a charter to assemble all Masons at York. It was thus the order obtained and has ever since recognized the necessity of a Grand Lodge.
Grand Lodges and their Jurisdiction – A Grand Lodge has jurisdiction over the territory of the State in which it is organized, and no other Grand Body can exercise any authority or charter Lodges therein. It is governed by the ancient usages and landmarks of the order, and acknowledges no superior authority than these.
United States Anti-Masonic Convention. –
This convention assembled at Philadelphia, 11th September, 1830. It was the first formidable attempt of a national
combination in opposition to Freemasonry. There were 96 members, representing Massachusetts,
Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Rhode Island, Ohio, New jersey, Michigan,
Maryland, and Delaware. At that time but few persons of eminence were among the
delegates, but several of them, attaching themselves to other "issues,"
and abandoning political anti-masonry, subsequently became known. Among them were
Francis Granger, Henry Dana Ward, Frederick Whittlesey, Wm. H. Seward, N. Y., and
Pliny Merrick, Mass. The cement that bound such minds to men like David Bernard,
Moses Thatcher, Thaddeus Stevens, and Joseph Ritner, must have possessed powerful
magnetism. Francis Granger was made Prest., seconded by six Vice-Presidents. A remarkable
fact is, that no State west of Ohio or south of Maryland had a delegate. Maine and
New Hampshire refused the part assigned them, and sent no delegate. Fourteen committees
were appointed, and the questions relative to Masonic rituals, history, and jurisprudence
were divided among them. Mr. Seward was to report resolutions expressive of the
sentiments of the Convention. A proposition to inquire into the pecuniary circumstances
of the widow and children of William Morgan was rejected, as "that was not
the purpose for which they had assembled." Three gentlemen of North Carolina
took their seats as honorary members. The committee "on the effects of Masonic
ties and obligations on commerce and revenue of the U.S.," were discharged
without a report. In the report of the influence of Masonry upon the public press,
it was reported that between 1826 and 1830 there had been 124 anti-masonic papers
established, to wit: Pennsylvania, 53; New York, 46; Connecticut, 2; Rhode Island,
1; Massachusetts, 5; Vermont, 4; New Jersey, 2; Ohio, 9; Indiana, 1; Michigan,1.
A number of these journals simply kept quiet to see what the mountain would bring
forth, and when they found it to be a mouse, tacked about and retired from the sinking
anti-masonic vessel. The summing up of these profound deliberations were: 1. That
the expositions of Masonic secrets are true. 2. That Freemasonry originated early
in the 18th century. 3. That its oath are not obligatory. 4. That adhering
Masons are disqualified for public officers. 5. Masonry and its principles are inconsistent
with the genius of American Institutions. 6. That Masonry should be extinguished
at the ballot –box. 7. That the public Press are evil. The Convention adjourned
to meet at Baltimore, Sept. 26th, 1831, to nominate candidates for President
and Vice-President. The Convention nominated Wm. Wirt and Amos Ellmaker for their
standard-bearers. These renowned champions went forth to battle, and brought as
trophies from the field the electoral vote of Vermont. But the dog was now dead;
and the leading fanatical spirits discarded it, as it ever was a worthless hotchpotch
of the villainies of broken-down political tricksters.
American Military Lodges. - The following are the military lodges that were instituted in the American army during the revolutionary war.
1. St. John’s Regimental Lodge, in the U. S. Battalion, warranted by the G. L. of New York, Feb. 24th, 1775.
2. American Union Lodge, in the Connecticut Line, warranted by the G. L. of Massachusetts, Feb. 15th, 1776.
3. No. 19, in the 1st Regiment, Pennsylvania Artillery, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, May 18th, 1779.
4. Washington Lodge, in the Massachusetts Line, warranted by the Massachusetts G. L., Oct. 6th, 1779.
5. No. 20, in North Carolina Regiment, warranted by the G. L. of Pennsylvania, _____1779.
6. No. 27, in Maryland Line, warranted by G.,L. of Pennsylvania, April 4th, 1780.
7. No. 28, in Pennsylvania Line, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, _______1780.
8. No. 29, in Pennsylvania Line, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, July 27th, 1780.
9. No. 31, in New Jersey Line, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, March 26th, 1781.
10. No. 36, in New Jersey Line, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, Sept. 2d, 1782.
Go to Howard County Masonic Lodges Page
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