MASONIC LODGES, PANOLA COUNTY, TEXAS Originally published in the EAST TEXAS FAMILY RECORDS VOL. 8, NO. 3, FALL 1984, by East Texas Genealogical Society. PANOLA COUNTY - MASONIC LODGES by Leila B. LaGrone Carthage, Texas Many men who settled in colonial Texas were Master Masons in their native communities. They seemed eager to establish lodges in the new settlements. In some instances those first settlements were not permanent. The first county seat of Panola County was Pulaski, on the Sabine River. The stream was a riverboat highway at the time because roads were far apart. A village usually grew up where a road had a ferry crossing on the river. This was the case for Pulaski and Grand Bluff in this county; and they were in contest for the county seat in 1846, when the County was founded. Pulaski got more votes than Grand Bluff; so it was chosen as a temporary county seat. The State Legislature ruled that the county seat must be within five miles of the center of the county. Neither Pulaski nor Grand Bluff qualified. Jonathan ANDERSON, who already owned large acreage that would qualify, volunteered to donate one hundred acres for a town and the offer was accepted, and Carthage grew out of the forest. The settlements began shifting and organizations like the Masons moved with them, being closed when new lodges received dispensations. Thus it was that the first Masonic Lodge in Panola County was Eagle Lodge #41, at Pulaski. It was granted a dispensation in 1847, and was chartered May 1, 1848, while Pulaski was still the county seat. In September, 1848, the records of government were transferred to the frontier village of Carthage. Eagle Lodge #41 continued its work with diminishing leadership as people moved to the new county seat. In 1850, this Lodge was moved to Vernon (later called Bethany) and existed there for a few years. Finally the Lodge property was turned over to Grand Lodge and Eagle Lodge #41 was demised. Thus it remained until after the Civil War. In 1879, the property was released to Bethany School Trustees J. M. LOSSEE, G. W. VINSON and A. F. HITE, for school purposes. Grand Bluff Lodge #54, located at Grand Bluff, was set to work September 12, 1848, and received its charter January 17, 1849. This River Crossing village was one of the busiest ferries into East Texas for a good many years; and it began to decline during the Reconstruction. The Lodge demised in 1887. Sharon Lodge #95, located originally at Sharon in Panola County, was chartered January 23, 1852. The Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of 1901, show its removal to Pine Hill in Rusk County, and granted their request to change the name of the Lodge to Pine Hill 1195 "on account of the Lodge being located at Pine Hill". That Lodge is still active after 132 years of continuous operation. Murival Lodge #162, located in the "home of Nathan DAVIS, Jr., near Murival (Murvaul?) in Panola County", was granted dispensation April 2, 1854. Its charter was not granted until January 22, 1856. The Lodge continued to meet in the home of Nathan DAVIS, Jr., until 1873, when it moved to Clayton. The Lodge at Clayton demised in 1875. Carthage Lodge #264, was granted a dispensation March 21, 1860, and it was chartered June 14, 1861. The Lodge had its charter arrested December 13, 1877, for failure to pay dues to the Grand Lodge. Hull's Store Lodge #309 (later called Woods Post Office) was granted a dispensation June 12, 1867, and received its charter June 12, 1868. This Lodge demised in 1883. Brushy Lodge #367, located at Walnut Rill, received a dispensation November 21, 1872, and was chartered June 9, 1873. The Lodge had its charter arrested in 1881. Walnut Hill was located in Eastern part of the county and it once had a large community; it was known for miles around as Walnut Hill Camp Ground. Now the only remaining evidence is Old Thompson Cemetery. Several Masonic grave stones are there. Carthage Lodge #521, after losing its charter in 1877, was granted a dispensation in 1879. The dispensation was continued December 13, 1879; and the Lodge was finally chartered December 13, 1880, and continues to operate. This Lodge went through very difficult times during the Reconstruction when the Civil War Veterans were destitute and could not pay their dues. Mt. Pleasant Lodge #589, in Panola County, received a dispensation February 4, 1884, and was chartered December 14, 1884. It demised in 1899. Beckville Lodge #922, located at Beckvil1e, was chartered December 7, 1903, and is still working. Beckville had an earlier Lodge dispensation for Lodge #389 which was chartered in January, 1874 and demised in 1879. Gary Lodge #lOOl, located at Gary, Texas, was chartered December 7, 1914 and is still working. *** Notice how many lodges demised in the 187O's; those were hard times during Reconstruction. . . .LLG SOURCES FOR PANOLA COUNTY MASONIC RESEARCH by Lelia B. LaGRONE CHAPMAN, Lee - Secretary of Carthage Lodge #521 A. F. and A. M., Carthage, TX HAYS, Joe C., Jr. - Correspondence from Dallas, Texas LaGRONE, Grady - Fifty Year Member, Lodge #521 and Sharon Temple Shriner, Carthage, Texas Old Record Books of Carthage Lodge A. F. and A. M. and Royal Arch Mason. ============================================================================ *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. 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