History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

Another division was instituted several years
after, and continued in existence for a while, and
then shared the fate of its predecessor.
A lodge of Good Templars was instituted January
\t, 1867, which survived several years, and
then followed the example of the divisions.
The Reform Club was organized May 6, 1876,
and is now in the field, having supplemented all
the other temperance organizations in carrying on
the temperance reform. The present membership
is three hundred and twenty, and the club meets
in Livingstone Hall on Sunday afternoons and at
other times.
As auxiliary to the Reform Club, the Women's
Christian Temperance Union was formed May 26,
1876, with a membership of eighty-one. It now
numbers eighty-five.
Societies, etc.— During the existence of the town
there have been several literary associations organized,
which flourished for several years. Among
them were the Young Men's Literary Association
and the Winchester Lyceum, botli of which had
lectures, debates, and entertainments, and were
very successful in this way.
At the present time some of the religious socie-
ties have organizations within their bodies which
give more or less attention to literary matters and
outside of these are the Young Men's Association,
the Adelphian Club, and the Back-Log Club.
The Y'oung Men's Association has been in existence
for several years, and has a room in Lyceum
Building neatly furnished. It is composed of a
number of the prominent young men, who make
this room their headquarters for social intercourse,
literary improvement, and recreation. The clubs
mentioned have members from both sexes, and
have Hterary and dramatic entertainments at stated
intervals. The Back-Log Club meets in tlie Kin-
dergarten School-house, in Rangley Place, and the
Adelphians meet in Lyceum Hall.
Masonic. — In the month of January, 1864, at
the invitation of Abijah Thompson, 3d, several
masons residing in this town, among whom were
Dr. William Ingalls, A. K. P. Joy, D. N. SkiUings,
and J. F. Stone, met at his house on Walnut
Street, to consider what action could betaken to promote
the cause of masonry. After an interchange
of opinions, it was decided to call a meeting of the
brethren living in the town at No. 4 Lyceum Hall,
which was held; and at a subsequent meeting,
held on March 4, 1864, it was voted to apply for a
dispensation.
WINCHESTER. 523
A dispensation was duly granted, May 9, 1864,
by William Parkman, then grand master, and the
lodge duly organized as Wdliam Parkman Lodge,
May 10, 1864, in Masonic Hall, in the upper part of
Lyceum Building, whicli had been fitted up for these
purposes. A. K. P. Joy was the master, Josiah F.
Stone, senior warden, and Abijah Thompson, 3d,
junior warden, of the new lodge under the dispen-
sation. At the expiration of a year a charter was
granted, June 16, 1865, and a lodge under the
same organized in due and ancient form, June 22,
1865. A complete set of oificer's jewels was pre-
sented to the lodge by Mr. Parkman, in recogni-
tion of the honor conferred upon him in taking
his name for that of the lodge. The ladies of the
Masonic brethren united in the presentation, on
June 17, 1867, of an elegant banner. The lodge
numbers eighty-three members.
Winchester Lodge, No. 556, Knights of Honor,
was instituted March 31, 1877, with eleven ciiarter
members, and has fifty-eight members. The
order of the Knights of Honor is organized for
mutual assistance, both moral and pecmiiary. It
also pays an insurance of two thousand dollars to
the widow or orphan of any deceased member. It
has contributed for that purpose since its institu-
tion in 1874 over §725,000 to the families of
members, and Winchester Lodge has contributed
§ 766 as its share of that amount.
The Winchester Union was organized August 1,
1871, and is a union of ladies from the ditferent re-
ligious societies in the town. Its object is concisely
stated in its constitution to be, " to aid poor, sick,
or suffering persons by work, instruction, advice, or
sympathy, as the case may require." It holds its
meetings once a month, in one of the rooms in the
high-school house.
A. D. Weld Post, Grand Army of the Republic,
was organized ilay 22, 1872. Its present mem-
bership is twenty-nine.
Prominent Citizens. — John Symmes, a de-
scendant in the sixth generation from the Rev.
Zechariah Symmes, was born in 1781, in the ohl
house at Baconville built by Captain William
Symmes, and afterwards built and lived in a house
at the locality termed Symmes' Corner, now occu-
pied by his son, Luther R. Symmes. He was a
good man, just and upright, and useful in his day.
In addition to the cultivation of a valuable farm,
part of which he inherited from his early ancestors,
he carried on during many years the business of
a wheelwright, as his father had done before him.