CHAPTER LV

HISTORY OF THE INTRODUCTION OF FREEMASONRY INTO EACH STATE

AND TERRITORY OF THE UNITED STATES

The First Lodges and the Grand Lodges (Continued).

Ohio.

HE introduction of Masonry into Ohio is due to the fact that soon after the close of the War of the Revolution, the Master, Jonathan Heart, and some of the members of American Union Lodge settled near Marietta. The Charter of that lodge, which had been granted by the St. John's Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, February 15, 1776, by John Rowe, Grand Master (in the Connecticut Line of the Army),1 was held by the Master, and he claimed that it was a lodge at large and not under the jurisdiction of any Grand Lodge, and in fact "it was invested with every power necessary to constitute, rule, and govern" Masonry in the Territories. It had been recognized "by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New York, as a constituent of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts." This lodge worked for several years until its Charter was burned; a revival of it was asked for from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, which was declined, "except as one of its constituent." Application to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts was made, which authorized the lodge to resume work under a copy of the original Charter, "with the express provision that the charter should be of force only until a Grand Lodge should be formed in the territory in which it was located."

The Grand Lodge of Ohio was organized January 7, 1808.

1 Shortly after, the lodge having removed to New York, asked for a Confirmation of their Charter, from the D. G. M., Dr. Middleton; but a new Warrant was granted under the name of Military Union, No. 1.-Gould's "History," vol. vi., p. 415.

The lodges represented were American Union, No. 1, at Marietta ; Cincinnati, No. 13, warranted by the Grand Lodge of New Jersey as Nova Cesaræa, No. 10, now known as N. C. Harmony, No. 21; Sciota, No. 2, and Chillicothe, warranted by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts in 1805, now known as No. 6; Erie, No. 47, at Warren, warranted by the Grand Lodge of Connecticut, March 16, 1804, now known as Old Erie, No. 3; and Amity, No. 105, at Zanesville, warranted by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in 1804, now No. 5.

January 4, 1808, a preliminary convention of the delegates from all the lodges then in Ohio-six in number—was held in Chillicothe to deliberate upon the propriety of forming a Grand Lodge, and to inaugurate measures for the organization of such a body. The convention continued its deliberations four consecutive days, which resulted in the unanimous adoption of a resolution proposed by Brother Lewis Cass, viz. : “that it is expedient to form a Grand Lodge of the State of Ohio." 1

A few rules, couched as resolutions, were adopted for the formation of a Grand Lodge, and appointed the first Monday in January, 1809, as the time, and Chillicothe as the place for holding the first Grand Communication of said Grand Lodge. The Grand Lodge met at Chillicothe, January 2, 1809, and duly organized with representatives from four lodges.

In consequence of the absence of the representatives of American Union Lodge, No. 1, there being but four lodges represented, it was thought that a Grand Lodge could not be legally organized. The Grand Lodge adjourned from day to day, and, finally, on January 5th, it adopted pro tempore the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky, having decided that under their peculiar circumstances it would be right and proper to organize a Grand Lodge with only four lodges represented.

Brother Rufus Putnam, who had been chosen Grand Master at the convention held in 1808, wrote a letter to the Grand Lodge declining the office, on account of his great age, which was accepted, and Bro. Samuel Huntington was duly elected Grand Master.

Previous to the reception of this letter all the other Grand Officers elected the last year had been installed, and upon the election of the Grand Master he also was immediately installed, and all the

1 Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Ohio.

other Grand Officers who had just been elected at the same time with the Grand Master.

The Grand Lodge closed its sessions on January 7, 1709, having completed all things necessary to its proper work in Masonry.

Louisiana.

The introduction of Freemasonry in the Territory of Louisiana is principally due to the political condition of that Territory and the circumstances connected with the affairs in San Domingo, both countries at that period being somewhat, if not exclusively, settled by the Latin race and their negro slaves. Masonry had been introduced upon the Island of San Domingo from the Grand Orient of France, also by charters from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. When the insurrection occurred in San Domingo, in 1791, the white refugees spread themselves in many of the cities in the United States; a very large number settled in New Orleans, and among them were many Masons, and in 1793 several of these residing in New Orleans organized into a lodge and received a Charter from the Grand Lodge of South Carolina by the name of "Parfaite Union, No. 29," the officers being installed in the York Rite on March 30, 1794. In the same year several Brethren of the French, or Modern Rite, formed themselves into a lodge called "Etoile Polaire" (Polar Star), and applied for a Charter from the Grand Orient of France. The Grand Orient having suspended its labors, in consequence of the political condition of France, could not issue a Charter. The Brethren, however, obtained a provisional Charter or dispensation from the Provincial Lodge La Parfaite Sincerite at Marseilles in 1796, and intrusted the same to Dominique Mayronne, with authority to constitute the new lodge and install the officers, which was done under the French Rite, December 27, 1798.

When the Grand Orient resumed labor in 1803, a Charter was issued to Polar Star Lodge, No. 4263, in 1804, and Ch. Tessier was deputed to deliver the Charter and heal their work, which was done, and officers were installed, November 11, 1804, by A. Pinard and A. Marmillion.

The early records of "Perfect Union" and " Polar Star" can not be found, but the above information has been obtained by Brother James H. Scot, the historian of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana, from the "Manuel Maçonnique," a very rare work, published in

New Orleans in 1828. It is very probable that these lodges were formed about the same time, "but in the absence of the original records it is impossible to decide the question." 1

It is thought that the Brethren who formed these two lodges were from the Island of Guadaloupe, which was involved in the horrors of the negro insurrection of 1791. In consequence of political differences among the French inhabitants in Louisiana, growing out of the French Revolution, difficulties arose which resulted in the refusal of the members of these two lodges to hold any Masonic intercourse with each other.

Some of the former members of "Candor Lodge, No. 12," in Charleston, S. C., which was extinct, having settled in New Orleans, applied to the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and obtained a Charter, dated May 18, 1801, as Candor Lodge, No. 90. It is possible that this lodge did not survive very long, if it ever was duly constituted, as on March 1, 1802, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania granted a Charter to Charity Lodge, No. 93, having the name of N. Definieto, W. M., who was the W. M. of Candor, No. 90. This Charter was not received until 1804, and on May 13th of that year the lodge was duly constituted and the officers were installed in the York Rite. On October 1, 1800, by treaty, Spain retroceded the whole of the territory of Louisiana to France, which held an actual possession of only twenty days, as on December 20, 1803, the United States flag was raised in New Orleans, France having sold the whole territory to the United States. This change in the political condition made equally a change in Masonic affairs, and from that date on, viz., 1804, Masonry assumed quite a different attitude in Louisiana.

A change also in the Island of San Domingo caused a very large number of the refugees of 1791 to return to their old homes, and the French contingent among the Masons in New Orleans was greatly reduced. The American element, which had in Masonic matters been much in the minority, began to increase and soon prevailed.

A duplicate Charter from the Grand Orient of France was received, July 20, 1807, bearing date of February 17, 1806, by the Lodge "La Union Desirée," No. 3013, which had been under the auspices of the Grand Orient of France, at Port au Prince, April 16, 1783. During the revolution of 1791 the Charter, 1 James H. Scot, "History of Masonry in Louisiana."