Tallapoosa County AlArchives News.....Cornerstone Laid for New Lodge in New Site October 3, 1960
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April W. Holdridge https://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00034.html#0008440 May 6, 2024, 1:22 pm

The Alexander City Outlook October 3, 1960
Cornerstone Laid for New Lodge in New Site A cornerstone-laying ceremony was 
held Saturday afternoon at the new Mt. Eagle Lodge 185 masonic hall in New Site. 
Construction of the new hall was forced when new highway construction leading to 
the Horseshoe Bend National Military Park began.
 Laying the cornerstone will be Jim Lawson, grand master for the State of 
Alabama. Former Probate Judge C. J. Coley will speak during the program. 
Officers of the lodge also are expecting Governor John Patterson to attend the 
ceremony. At 6:30 o'clock a supper will be held at the lodge and the public is 
invited.

Following the supper the third degree will be conveyed upon U. G. Baker. This 
ceremony will be closed to the public. The old building had served as a landmark 
in the New Site community since 1910 or 1911.

Mt. Eagle Lodge has an interesting history dating originally to 1853. A 
dispensation to work was granted on April 16, 1853, to a group of masons at 
Goldville, then a thriving gold mining town in the northern' part of Tallapoosa 
County. The town reportedly had a population of more than 2,000 inhabitants and 
boasted of a post office, three hotels, three barrooms and an unknown number of 
business establishments. There also were a large number of dwelling houses.
A church or two and a school building. At the time dispensation was granted, the 
Most Worshipful Grand Lodge officers for the State were D. V. Clopton, most 
worshipful! Grand Master and Amand P. Fister, grand secretary.
The first Worshipful Master of the Mt. Eagle Lodge was Albert G. Blackburn. 
Serving as first Senior Warden was John Thompson and the first Junior Warden was 
Charles Stone. The name of the lodge was the Goldville Lodge No.185. 
Practically overnight, the booming town of Goldville was reduced almost to host 
town characteristics when most of the populace headed or the gold field of 
California. On April 16, 1858, the lodge was moved to New Site; a charter was 
granted, and the name of the lodge was changed to the Mt. Eagle Lodge No. 185.
Since that time a number of prominent men have attained the degrees of masonry 
and held offices of trust. The minutes show that a W. A. Strickland was 
worshipful master during the Civil War. He was followed by a B.Y. Coker who 
served for a number of years. Then followed the Davises,' Gambles, Foshee's, 
Lamberth's and Galloway's. Three doctors have been masters of the lodge. They 
were Dr. A.J. Nolen, Dr. I. D. Nolen and Dr. R. A. Foshee. The lodge has had two 
men made masons who became District Lecturers. They were C.W. Lovelace 'and C. 
C. Claybrook. Another well-known per - (Continued on Page 6) 
Cornerstone Laid ! (Continued From Page I) son who was a member of the lodge was 
A. L. Patterson, a state senator and who, at the time of his death, was attorney 
general-elect. He was the father of Alabama's Governor John Patterson. H.
L. Simpson, another member of the lodge, served as State Representative from 
Tallapoosa County.

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