Craft Masonry in Albany County, New York - Onondaga and Oswego ...

Walton & Wood was formed with offices at No. 95 State Street, Albany. While it carries on a general law practice, the firm
specializes in corporation law and Mr. Wiswall does considerable trial work.
He is a member of the American Bar Association, the New York Bar Association, the Albany County Bar Association, the Committee
on Judicial Nominations, and also a trustee of the Albany Law School. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the Evening Star Lodge No.
75, F&AM; Hudson River Chapter No. 41, R. A. M.; Bloss Council, of Troy; the Delta bodies of Scottish Rite Masons; and the Albany
Sovereign Consistory, in which he has received the thirty-second degree. He also is a member of the Delta Chi Fraternity, the
American legion, Fort Orange Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Albany Country Club, the Albany Club, the Wolfert's Roost
County Club, the Lake Placid Club, the Albany Chamber of Commerce, and the Emanuel Baptist Church of Albany, of which he is
trustee; the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society, and the Thacher Park Committee; he is a director of the Albrass
Company of Coxsackie, New York.
Frank L. Wiswall was married in Albany, 28 Aug 1924, to Clara Elizabeth Chapman, daughter of Clarence W. and Katherine (Sykes)
Chapman, of Albany. They are the parents of one daughter, Elaine Joyce Wiswall, born 24 Aug 1925. Their home is at No. 365
State Street, Albany.
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Page 303 [1221] Family Sketches
Charles G. Witbeck, is a lineal descendant of Jan Thomase Van Witbeck, a native of Witbeck, Holstein, Holland, who married
Andriese Dochter, who was born in New Amsterdam (now New York). From 1650. when Beverwyck was first laid out, Jan Thomase
Van Witbeck was the most considerable dealer in house lots in the village. In 1664. in company with Volkert Janse Douw, he
purchased from the Indians the whole of Apje Island, or Schotack, and the mainland opposite on the east side of the Hudson River.
Of his six children Thomase Janse Witbeck married, 5 Sep 1702, Jannetje Van Deusen, and was buried at Papsknee. Thomase
Janse Witbeck also had six children, of whom Lucas, the youngest, was born 26 Feb 172'!, and married Geertruy, daughter of
Johannes Lansing and his wife Geertruy, daughter of Pieter S. Schuyler, the first mayor of Albany. They too had six children, of
whom Thomas and Gerrit (twins) were born 18 Mar 1750. Gerrit Witbeck married. 29 May 1774, Immetje Perry, and had four
children, of whom Thomas Gerrit Witbeck, born 25 Jan 1785, married, 11 Dec 1803, Leah, youngest daughter of Francis and
Gertrude (Van Dusen) Marshall, who was born 17 Mar 1782. Of their six children, Gerrit Thomas Witbeck, the eldest, was born 25
Jan 1805, and died in Sep 1882. He was a civil engineer and surveyor for the Van Rensselaer estate, for seven years deputy
collector of canal tolls at West Troy and Albany and for about four years teller of the old Watervliet Bank at West Troy. When young
he taught school, and in 1851-53 served as superintendent of schools of Watervliet. He married Cornelia Ann, daughter of Ephraim
and Fanny (Sage) Baldwin, and they had six children, all of whom are deceased except Charles G. Gerrit Witbeck, son of Lucas and
grandfather of Gerrit T., purchased 500 acres of land just west of the city of Watervliet, and here Talleyrand and Prince La Toure
sought refuge from political troubles during the French Revolution, Soon after the American Revolution he bought a farm on the
banks of the Mohawk River, near Watervliet Center, on which the Indians had their last council fire and which is still owned by the
Witbeck family.
Charles G. Witbeck was born 20 Oct 1851, received a common school education, studied civil engineering and surveying with his
father, and for .several years followed his profession for the town of Watervliet and the Van Rensselaer estate. In 1879 he was
appointed assistant engineer of the New York State Canals under Horatio Seymour, jr.. and continued under State Engineers
Sweet, Bogart and Schenck, until Aug 1894. 1 Jan 1895, he formed his present partnership under the firm name of Thomas &
Witbeck and opened an office in Troy. He was village engineer of West Troy from 1880 to 1886 and 1895 to 1896, and became city
engineer of Watervliet on the organization of that city, 1 Aug 1896. He is a member of Evening Star Lodge No. 75, F&AM, of West
Troy. 16 Jan 1873, he married Ella Louisa Hastings of Cohoes, and their children are Gerrit, Ephraim and Nellie.
Washington Lodge No. 85, Albany, New York
WARRANT: The warrant in possession of the Lodge is dated February 15, 1841. Name or number has never been changed.
MINUTES: Intact.
1849 of Phillips GL; 2 Mar 1852 returned to 'Willard GL'
Consolidated with Onesquethau No. 1096 to become Bethlehem No. 85, 1 Jan 2004.
In the winter of 1840-41 GEORGE S. GIBBONS, an active and zealous Mason residing in Albany, assisted by some fourteen or
more brethren began agitating the subject of organizing a new Lodge. In a letter to the Grand Secretary from Bro. GIBBONS upon
the subject he gives as the two principle reasons for making their request, first, that Mount Vernon Lodge, No. 3, had some seventy
members, which was sufficient; second, that as it was known that an effort was being made to start a new Lodge numerous inquiries
were received from prominent citizens asking for admission as soon as the Lodge could be organized.
In January, 1841, their efforts resulted in sending the following petition to the Grand Lodge praying for a warrant:
"To the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the State of New York.
"The petitioners hereof humbly shew that they are Ancient Free and Accepted Master Masons, having the prosperity of the
Fraternity at heart; they are willing to exert their best endeavors to promote and diffuse the genuine principles of Masonry.
"For the convenience of their respective dwellings and other good reasons they are desirous of forming a new Lodge in the city of
Albany to be named Washington.
"In consequence of this desire and for the good of the Craft they pray for a dispensation to constitute them into a new Lodge (until
the pleasure of the Grand Lodge may be known in the premises) to empower them to assemble as a legal Lodge to discharge the
duties of Masonry in the several degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason in a regular and constitutional
manner according to the ancient form of the Fraternity and the laws and regulations of the Grand Lodge.
"That they have nominated and do recommend GEO. S. GIBBONS to be the first Master, JOHN OWENS to be the first Senior
Warden and _____ _____ to be the first Junior Warden of said Lodge; that if the prayer of the petition should be granted they
promise a strict conformity to all the constitutional laws, rules and regulations of the Grand Lodge.
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