Brief+Summary+and+History+of+Freemasonry

Original Author: Cait Bodenbender, ENG206 SP10 Revised By: Bianca Carrillo, ENG206 SP11
 * Freemasonry in the QC **


 * Brief Summary and History of Freemasonry **

Freemasonry is a fraternal organization, the origins of which are unknown. Masonic tradition holds that it dates back to the construction of King Solomon’s temple, but it is most likely that it developed out of the stonemason guilds of the Middle Ages (Fraternal and Benevolent Organizations 804). Freemasonry uses the tools and implements of stonemasonry as symbols in their ritual, which draws from myth regarding the building of King Solomon’s Temple. Most lodges require that their members believe in a Supreme Being, and the organization as a whole is dedicated to community philanthropy and the development of the principals of moral uprightness of and brotherly amity within their fellowship (Freemasonry).


 * Masonic Grand Lodges **

The basic unit of organization of the fraternity is the lodge, which operates under the authority of the Grand Lodge that granted its charter or warrant (Freemasonry). The oldest documented Masonic Grand Lodge was founded in London on June 24th, 1717. The first documented American lodge is St. John’s Grand Lodge, which opened in Boston in 1733. Masonry in America expanded as the country grew, and eventually each state had its own Grand Lodge with jurisdiction over all the lodges in its state. The first recorded lodge in Illinois is the Western Star Lodge which opened, under the auspices of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, in 1805 at the town of Kaskaskia. The Western Star Lodge became Illinois’ Grand Lodge in 1822, but closed in 1827 due to anti-Masonic persecution in the state. There was no Grand Lodge in Illinois until 1840, when it reorganized at Jacksonville. During the intervening years, new lodges had opened under the auspices of the Grand Lodge of Missouri (Fraternal and Benevolent Organizations 805, 806).


 * Masonry in Davenport Before 1853 **

The Davenport Lodge was not the first organized Lodge in Davenport. “The first Davenport Lodge began 18 years after the first white settlement in Scott county; 15 years after the founding of the city; only five years after Iowa was admitted to the Union; four years before the first railroad spike, the first in Iowa, was driven in our community 9 years before Abraham Lincoln became president; 10 years before the Civil War; and 16 years after the purchase of Alaska from Russia” (Schwengel). The history of the Grand Lodge of Iowa points to the fact that there were already several Lodges in the state of Iowa before the Grand Lodge of Iowa was planned. On January 8, 1844, the Grand Lodge was organized by representatives of Des Moines Lodge No. 1; Burlington Lodge No. 2 of Muscatine; Dubuque Lodge No. 3 of Dubuque, and Iowa City Lodge No. 4 of Iowa City, all have previously been chartered by the Grand Lodge of Missouri who is the mother lodge of Iowa Masonry (Schwengel).

“The History of Masons in Iowa further reveals that the first communication of Grand Lodge in 1844 by dispensation was allowed in Clinton Lodge at Davenport, upon their returning their temporary charter to the Grand Lodge at Missouri” (Schwengel). Between 1925-1945, an article by C.C. Hunt [Grand Secretary in Iowa], gives more detail about the Clinton Lodge being under dispensation. The article acknowledged that there was a great effort made to keep the Clinton Lodge open. Members of the Iowa Lodge No. 42 of Bloomington, later Muscatine, were allowed to join up with the Clinton Lodge in Davenport to keep it open. With the congregating lodges in hopes to keep the Clinton Lodge in Davenport open, a request for an extension of dispensation was granted on June 2, 1847 (Schwengel). But on June 6, 1848, the Grand Master, Ansel Humphreys, explains that the Worshipful Master and a few others have moved out of the state because they had trouble keeping a significant amount of members at the Clinton Lodge in Davenport. Because of that, the Clinton Lodge of Davenport was not granted an extension to stay open so the extension of dispensation was no more. Nevertheless, Master Masons of Davenport were not ancient history, the request for Cambridge Lodge No. 49 at Rock Island was granted. “Therefore, it seemed that Masonry in that time had a difficult struggle to get started in this, what was later to be called, the Queen City of the Mississippi” (Schwengel). There were 36 fully qualified lodges in southeastern Iowa. This was considered a great achievement on the part of the Grand Lodge.


 * Rock Island County **

`Men of Rock Island County were first able to join the Masonic brotherhood on October 4, 1847, when Cambridge Lodge (no. 49) was granted a charter. The lodge held meetings alternatively in Cambridge and Rock Island initially, but by January 1848 meetings were held exclusively in Rock Island. On October 3, 1848, Rock Island County's first lodge was founded. It was named Trio Lodge, in order to honor the three towns that it drew its members from - Rock Island, Moline, and Camden Mills (Masonic History). “Hall over the Rock Island National Bank on Second avenue. Trio Lodge No. 57, instituted Oct. 4, 1848” (H.F. Kett). There would be regular communications at the beginning of each month on Thursday. There, they are all equals, they felt, “respect no man for his worldly wealth and honor alone” (Freemasons).


 * The First Masonic Temple **

Freemasonry was very prominent during the 1800. At this time they built the first Masonic Temple then shortly after that one was closed resulting in the New Masonic Temple to emerge. On June 6, 1887, the first Masonic Temple building was built at the N. E. corner of 3rd and Main (Schwengel). The Davenport Lodge held its first meeting at this temple on April 30, 1888. This Temple was owned and operated by the Masonic Temple Association fabricated by a representative form each of the Masonic Bodies. The stock invested in the First Masonic Temple was owned by various associates from Masonic groups as well as well-to-do [private] Masonic individuals. The Lodges paid regular retail fees for use of the buildings. During this time, all of the lodges were costing $300 at the beginning, but later the fee was reduced to $65 due to the abandonment of the Temple. Over time, the Temple Association were having problems. “The lodges failed to live up to their financial responsibilities and the Temple Association met and officially contacted all the lodges to seek their opinion on the advisability of selling the building in order to meet the financial obligations” (Schwengel). After meeting up a few times, the Lodges reviewed their financial responsibilities made plans to buy up the exceptional stock in the hands of private individuals.

As Masonry continued to grow in Davenport, Iowa, on April 1, 1912, a decision was made on behalf of the Temple becoming insufficient. The selling price of the Temple was between $200,000 to $245,000 which the Lodges approved of and this seemed to be the right thing to do. The discussion of keeping the variety of bodies together was the main focus for keeping the communities together. In doing so, they were going to need to find a new location and a new building for a New Temple. Three appointed Freemasons formed a committee to search for a new location for the New Temple, a place where the location worked out for all various bodies and the price was right.


 * The New Temple **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Over some time, the search for a New Temple location was not going anywhere. They looked into a location on the S.W. corner of 7th and Brady on November 3, 1917 but after some decision making, the motion was lost and they continued to look for another site. But on February 3, 1919, a committee form a Davenport Lodge was selected to meet with like committees including the Masonic Temple Associations approving plans for building the New Temple, staying within the budget of $500,000. “A resolution was adopted…authorizing the architects to proceed with such working plans and specifications and necessary to estimate the cost of such building, and submit such completed plans and specifications for approval” (Schwengel).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">“The brethren went to work and followed through with the recommendations of the committee on the new Masonic Temple Association and on April 5, 1920, Davenport Lodge authorized the Worshipful Master and the Secretary to sign the amended Articles of Incorporation increasing the authorized capital stock from $500,000 to $1,000,000” (Schwengel). The was a great financial responsibility for the Masons in Davenport. To pay for the New Temple, all the subscribing organizations gave there resources as well as their future income and bonds to financial compensation. This was only possible because all the debt that the Old Temple accumulated was paid off before building the New Temple.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Every Mason was interested in this New Temple. “The record shows that the cornerstone of the New Temple was laid May 3, 1922 by the Grand Lodge in an appropriate public ceremony” (Schwengel). Work proceeded swiftly and on November 19, 1923 the building was ready for use. “The dedication ceremony was conducted by the Grand Lodge of Iowa on November 19, 1923 and that evening in honor of the oldest Lodge, Davenport Lodge No. 37 opened a lodge of Master Masons with the attendance reaching about 400 brethren” (Schwengel). This Temple became the home of Masonry in the community for all bodies. It also became the site for public affairs. “It is a fine asset and a great institution for all of the people of Davenport regardless of race, color, and sect” (Schwengel).


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Works Cited **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">“Chapter XXIX: Fraternal and Benevolent Organizations, Societies and Orders.” Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Rock Island County. Ed. Newton Bateman, LL.D. and Paul Selby, A.M.. Vol. 2. Chicago: Munsell, 1914. Print.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">“Freemasonry.” Wikipedia.org. Wikimedia Foundation. 12 May 2010. Web. 22 May 2101

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Freemasons. //Grand Lodge bulletin: Freemasons. Grand Lodge of Iowa//. Vol. 1. Ceder Rapids, 1898. 1. //books.google.com/books//. Web. 7 Apr. 2011. <http://books.google.com/books?id=LITOAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA84&dq=Davenport+Freemasonry+Trio+Lodge&hl=en&ei=13eeTbCXM6GX0QG6-tmgBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CEQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false>.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">“Masonic History of Rock Island County.” Illinoisgeneology.org. Illinois Geneology, n.d.. Web. 10 May 2010. < http://www.illinoisgenealogy.org/rock-island/societies/masonic_history_of_rock_island_county.htm>

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">“Red Letter Day for Masons is Brought to End.” The Rock Island Argus [Rock Island, IL]. 18 Oct. 1912. Microfilm.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">“Skellington Manor Photo Gallery, Grand Opening, 2009-05-02-003.” Skellingtonmanor.com. n.p.. 2 May 2009. Web. 25 May 2010.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Schwengel, Fred. //100 Years Of Masons In Davenport: History of the Blue Lodge in Davenport//. N.p.: n.p., 1953. Print.

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The past and the present of Rock Island County, Ill., contaning a... //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> Chicago: H. F. Kett & Co., 1877. //books.google.com/books//. Web. 7 Apr. 2011. <http://books.google.com/books?id=g9sNAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA174&dq=trio+lodge&hl=en&ei=M3ueTeXzCcLJ0QH1iN2iBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFoQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=trio%20lodge&f=false>.

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