Roane County TN Archives History - Books .....Union Lodge No. 38 F. & A. M. 1927 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tn/tnfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com November 6, 2005, 9:02 pm Book Title: The History Of Roane County Tennessee 1801-1870 HISTORY OF UNION LODGE NO. 38 F AND A. M. Kingston, Tenn. By James F. Littleton The proceedings of the Grand Lodge, of Tennessee, or rather the Appendix thereto has the following entry on page 404 in the compilation of Past Grand Master, Wilkins Tannehill in 1824. "Oct. A. L. 5821 at a grand annual communication, the M. W. Wilkins Tannehill, Esq. was re-elected, and charters issued to the following Lodges, Viz. Kingston Union, at Kingston: Nashville, at Nashville: Mount Moriah, at Dover and Washington Luminary, at Washington, in the State of Tennessee: to Franklin Lodge at Russellville, and Tuscumbia, at Courtland, in the State of Alabama. As I have before me a copy of the charter of the Lodge issued by the grand Lodge I am taking the liberty of copying it herein." CHARTER Sit. Lux. Et. Lux Fruit. The M. W. Wilkins Tannehill, Esq. Grand Master. To all and every our right worshipful and loving brethern. We, the M. W. W. Tanehill, Esq. Grand Master of the most Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons in the State of Tennessee send greetings. Know ye, that we, at the petition of our Right Worshipful and Well Beloved Brethern, John Brown, Gideon Morgan, Sr., Samuel Brown and several other Brethern, residing at or near Kingston in the State of Tennessee, do hereby constitute the said Brethern into a regular Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, to be opened at Kingston, by the name of Union Lodge No. 38. And do further, at the said Petition, and of the Great Trust, and Confidence reposed in the above named three Bretheren, hereby appoint John Brown, Master, Gideon Morgan, Senior Warden and Samuel Brown, Junior Warden, for the opening of said Lodge, and for such further time only, as may be thought proper by the Brethern thereof. It being our will, that this our appointment, shall in no wise affect any further election of officers of that Lodge, but that the same shall be according to the regulations of that Lodge, and consistant with the general laws of the Society, contained in the Book of Constitutions. And we do hereby charge you, the said Worshipful John Brown, to take special care, that all and every, the said Brethern, are and have been, regularly made Masons, and that they do perform, observe and keep all the Rules and Orders contained in the Book of Constitutions, and also such as may, from time to time be transmitted to you, by us. And further, that you do from time to time, cause to be entered in a Book, to be kept for that purpose, an account of your proceedings in the Lodge, together with such regulations, as shall be made for the good government thereof. A copy of which you are in no wise to omit laying before the Grand Lodge, once in every year, together with a list of the members of the Lodge: That you annually pay into the Grand Treasury, the sum of $10.00 toward the Grand Charity, as well as all further sum or sums, that may be required by our By Laws and Constitution. And moreover we hereby will and require of you the said Worshipful John Brown, as soon as conveniently may be, to send an account in writing of what shall be done by virtue of these presents. Given at Nashville, Under our hand and Seal of Masonry, this 6th day of October, A. L. 5821. A. D. 1821. W. Tannehill Grand Master John Rhea Deputy Grand Master J. W. Wilson. Sr. Grand Warden Stephen Cantrell, Jr. Grand Warden Attested. M. Norvel Grand Sec'y GRAND LODGE SEAL The John Brown, who was the first Master of the Lodge was Sheriff of Roane County for 23 years and Gideon Morgan, the Senior Warden was one of the first merchants in the town of Kingston. In a short history of the Lodge it would be impossible to mention the names of all the notable men who have been members of the Lodge and held positions of honor in it and have gone into the world and made their mark in other fields. The time of stated meetings of the Lodge when it was organized was on Friday preceeding the full Moon. In 1839 it was changed to the first Monday, and is so fixed at this time. The early meetings were held in the old brick Court house, until Oct. 1854, when they occupied what was known as the Long room in the present Court house, though the building was not accepted by the County until 1856. This room was the one formerly used as the Circuit Court Clerks office on the second floor, on the North side of the present Court room, the partiton not being removed to form the present Court room until 1896. In 1871 Bro. R. K. Byrd, and wife Mary L. Byrd gave the Lodge 3-4 of an acre, part of lots 1-2-15 and 16 as shown by the map of Kingston on the hill near where the M. E. Church now stands. A building was erected at a cost of $1,700.00 which the Lodge occupied until 1910 when it was destroyed by fire. Following the fire, the Lodge met for several months in the K. of P. hall, then removed to the third floor of the Court house, until 1908, when our present quarters were secured. The Lodge had a membership of 30 in the year 1823 and up to 1839 had raised 43 members, yet in that year, its membership numbered 26. The largest membership in its first period of 18 years, was 39 in 1833, and the lowest was 18 members in 1835. From 1838 to 1847 its meetings were irregular, but from Sept. 7th, 1847 it continued to meet regularly until the War Between the States. Then from March 1861 until June 1866 no meetings were regularly held, and during this time part of its books and records were lost. The earliest record of Minutes we now have is dated July 2nd., 1853, on that date following officers were officiating in the Lodge: W. M. Henry Liggett S. W. Henry Liggett, Jr. J. W. E. A. Yost Treas. James T. Asbury Sec'y John C. Gillespie S. D. Geo. W. Yost J. D. Thos. C. Center Tyler R. L. Cardwell Then came for the periods set out the following who have been Master of the Lodge: 1867 J. W. McNutt 1871 James Sevier 1880 E. E. Young 1890 Geo. W. Henderson 1900 J. G. Crumbliss 1910 J. S. Parker 1921 W. T. Ferguson 1920 was the most active year, and there were conferred 80 degrees and had 7 admissions, with a gain in membership of 30. Since 1853 the roster shows 453 members, of whom 75 died while members of this Lodge. This has been the parent Lodge, of Stocton Valley Lodge, Rockwood Lodge, East Fork Lodge, Omega Lodge, South Gate Lodge, and Emerald Lodge, a part of the members of this Lodge becoming Charter members of each of them. Union Lodge assisted in the erection of the Widows and Orphans home at Nashville, and contributed its part toward the building of the Washington Monument. One of its members was honored in the Grand Lodge in the person of Henry Liggett, who served them as Jr. Grand Warden, as Sr. Grand Warden, and as deputy Grand Master. In the years gone by a large number of strong men of the county have been the outstanding citizens of the county and at the same time devoted members of his Lodge and I cannot refrain from mentioning a few of the ones that have been in the writer's day: James Sevier, H. Crumbliss, Geo. L. Burke, who is still living, Col. J. M. Melton, Capt. W. H. Dietz, Will Shelley, W. L. Welcker, E. E. Young, and R. W. Gambill. This Lodge has lived over a Century and its members have diffused Light. They have furnished the material that has established 6 other Lodges. They have extended their hands in public and private charity, upheld the everlasting truth of the Fatherhood of God, and the Brotherhood of Man, and have done other good acts which will never be known. The writer is indebted to J. S. Parker, of Kingston, for a large part of the data upon which this short history of the Lodge is based. Bro. Parker has been a faithful member of Union Lodge for a long number of years from one station to another in Masonry he has advanced step by step until he has reached the highest degree in the institution and last year was called to the Ciy of Washingon where he had confered upon him the 33rd degree. He is the only Mason in this county, or in all this section of East Tennessee who has thus been honored. Additional Comments: From: Part Three The History of Roane County Tennessee 1801-1870 by Emma Middleton Wells Printed by The Lookout Publishing Company Chattanooga, Tennessee (1927) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/tn/roane/history/1927/roanecou/unionlod37nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/tnfiles/ File size: 9.1 Kb