Grand Lodge of New York - Onondaga and Oswego Masonic District ...

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MASTERS. 1847. William Holmes. 1848. William Holmes. 1849. William Holmes. 1850. William Holmes. 1851. Harvey Wilson. 1852. Harvey Wilson. 1853. Harvey Wilson. 1854. Harvey Wilson. 1855. William Shapcott. 1856. Daniel W. Thorpe. 1857. Daniel W. Thorpe. 1858. Daniel W. Thorpe. 1859. Thomas Y. How. 1860. Thomas Y. How. 1861. George W. Brown. 1862. George W. Brown. 1863. James H. Hoskins. 1884. James H. Hoskins. 1865. James H. Hoskins. 1866. James H. Hoskins. 1867. William R. Jones. 1868. William R. Jones. 1869. William R. Jones. 1870. Henry W. Leonard. 1871. Frank H. Griswold. 1872. Frank J. Stupp. 1873. Frank J. Stupp. 1874. Frank J. Stupp. 1875. James H. Hoskins. 1876. James H. Hoskins. 1877. Thaddeus Townsend. 1878. Thaddeus Townsend. 1879. H. Laurence Storke. 1880. J. Burt Graves. 1881. J. Burt Graves. 1882.Doney M. McKay. 1883. S. Curtis Cooley. 1884. S. Curtis Cooley. 1885. Armstides Dayton. 1886. Armstides Dayton. 1887. J. Lee Bundy. 1888. J. Lee Bundy. 1889. John J. McCord. 1890. John J. McCord. 1891. Amasa J. Parker. 1892. Ransom R. Cross. 1893. Sheldon Vorhees. 1894. Sheldon Vorhees. 1895. E. B. Peck. 1896. E. B. Peck. 1897. E. B. Kidder. 1898. John T. Leach. 1899. William I. Donnell. 1900. William H. Foord. 1901. Ernest F. Penny. 1902. Ernest F. Penny. 1903. Wilfred Cottle. 1904. William H. Mosher. 1905. Harry M. Platt. 1906. Warren E. Harding. EASTERN LIGHT LODGE, NO. 126, GREENE, N. Y. WARRANT: The warrant is dated September 2, 1812, and is signed by DEWITT CLINTON, Grand Master. NUMBER: The first number was 208; it received its present number in 1847. MINUTES: Intact from organization. Eastern Light Lodge was organized in 1810. The following is the petition: “To the Right Worshipful, the Grand Lodge of the State of New York: “We, your petitioners, being members of regular Lodges, are most of the members of Western Light Lodge, having the prosperity of the Fraternity at heart we are willing to exert our best endeavors to promote and diffuse the genuine principles of Masonry, we being remote from any other Lodge and for the convenience of our respective dwellings and for other good reasons we have agreed to form a new Lodge to be named Eastern Light Lodge; that in consequence of this petition we pray for a warrant of constitution to empower us to assemble as a regular Lodge in the town of Greene, County of Chenango, and State of New York, to discharge the duties of Masonry in a regular and constitutional manner according to the original form of the Order and the laws of the Grand Lodge. We have nominated and do recommend ISAAC ROSA to be the first Master and LEVI FARR to be the first Senior Warden, and JOSHUA JACKSON, to be the first Junior Warden of the said Lodge, and that a dispensation may be granted to PETER B. GARNSEY Esq., of Norwich in said County, to install the officers thereof. "If the prayer of the petitioners be granted we promise strict conformity to all the Constitutional Laws and Regulations of the Grand Lodge." GREENE, July 10, 1810." Jos. L. Robbins. Joseph Jutland. Russell Rosseter. Norman Harrison. Timothy Clark. Asa Whitney. Horatio Warner. Asahel Olmsted. Jonathan Phelps. James Anderson. Jacob Cook. Esek L. Hartshorne. The petition has the indorsement of Western Light Lodge, signed by JOSHUA BAKER, Secretary. The dispensation was issued 20 Sep 1811, signed by DEWITT CLINTON, Grand Master, and JOHN WELLS, Grand Secretary. The first meeting was held at the public house of Herman Carter, on the Genegantslet, about two miles west of the present village of Greene, on October 31, 1811. There were present: Isaac Rosa, Master; Levi Farr, Senior Warden; Robert Monell, Junior Warden; Timothy Clark, Treasurer; James Anderson, Secretary; Asa Whitney. Senior Deacon; Namon Harrison, Junior Deacon; Asahel Olmsted, Tiler; Jonathan Phelps, Horatio Warner, Elisha Smith, Abel Case, Smith Bradley, Daniel Gates, Orrin C. Dow, and Thomas Lyon. The Lodge met regularly until August 20, 1812; during this time nine candidates were initiated. The first meeting after the warrant had been granted was held at Heman Carter's. October 1, 1812, when the officers were installed. The following is the report of the installing officer: BINGHAMTON, 18 Oct., A. L. 5812. Sir.—In pursuance of a dispensation granted for that purpose. I did on the first day of the present month assemble together the brethren of Eastern Light Lodge, No. , in the town of Greene, County of Chenango, and proceeded to constitute said Lodge and install the several officers, agreeable to the ancient and established usages of the Order. I am with much respect yours, &c., W. J. WELLS, ESQ., G. Sec't'v. TRACY ROBINSON, Master of Tioga Lodge, No. 97. On this occasion an address was delivered in a school-house by DR. ROBINSON, who for several years was County Judge. He died at Binghamton. NY, at the advanced age of eighty-three years. In a sketch of the Lodge, written in 1872, the author, Wor. WILLIAM D. PURPLE, says of him: "The writer has often met him at the head of his Lodge with his clear ritualistic head covered with whitened locks of an octogenarian winter, imparting instruction to the uninformed and dispensing light to those who were in darkness. He often visited our Lodge after its resuscitation and took a lively interest in its prosperity." 42
The following excerpt from this sketch throws some light upon the conditions which prevailed in this sparsely settled country during the early life of the Lodge: “A large majority of the members lived from four to seven miles from the Lodge room. "A portion of them came on horseback, but more on foot. The Lodge was held in a room on the second floor of a country tavern, directly over the bar-room. It was located at Geneeantslet Corners, as the most important central point in this vicinity. There they had a grist-mill, a saw-mill, a store, a distillery and a tavern. The Lodge contracted with Heman Carter, proprietor of the tavern, to furnish the room for their accommodation, furnish fuel and five tallow candles to light the same when necessary, for twelve dollars a year, for three years. "In the meantime the village of Greene, on the Chenango River, had made some progress; had become more central, and in January, 1816, the Lodge was removed to the place now occupied by the "Chenango House" in that village. At neither place had they anything that deserved the name of ante-room, and the Tiler's place was at the head of the stairs. The Lodge was invariably called from "labor to refreshment" during the communication, when the members all repaired to the dining-room where they stood around a table supplied with bread, butter, cheese, cakes, pies, etc., never forgetting one or more kinds of ardent spirits. This refreshment was deemed necessary after their long walk or ride. They met at three o'clock in the summer, and six in the winter. It was the duty of the Stewards to order the refreshments according to the number present, and to collect twelve and one-half cents from each member and pay it over to the host." The Lodge continued to meet regularly until 1826 when, owing to the excitement and hostility produced by the Morgan episode, meetings were only occasionally held, and these were of an informal character, as the members were in fear of being mobbed in case they convened in regular Lodge, so fierce was the bitter hatred that " no Mason was exempt, no matter how pure his life, or exemplary his social conduct, if he was unfortunately a member of the Fraternity, or over had been and did not publicly renounce and join in this 'holy crusade' against his brethren, he was branded as a murderer and unworthy of respectable association." Finally, after several years of persecution, it was deemed advisable to surrender the warrant, which was done in 1831, and Masonry as an organization ceased to exist in that vicinity. For fifteen years the lights remained extinguished and the sound of the gavel was unheard, but the spirit of faith and hope which had found lodgment in the breasts of these true and tried Masons still survived, and after the storm had spent its fury and persecution had exhausted itself a revival of the Lodge was determined upon; preliminary meetings were held in 1846 which resulted in sending the following petition, asking for a restoration of the warrant, prepared in 1847: "To the Most Worshipful, the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. "The memorial of the undersigned respectfully represent that they are members of Eastern Light Lodge, No. 208. which was formerly in the town of Greene, Chenango County, NY; that said Lodge was always in good standing with the Grand Lodge until the Morgan excitement, when, in consequence of the difficulty of working satisfactorily, and of the increasing clamor of the great public against the institution of Masonry, they were forced to resign their charter and jewels to the Grand Lodge until the aspect of the times should become more auspicious and better suited to the advancement of our ancient Order. That time your memorialists are now induced to believe has arrived, and they would therefore most respectfully petition the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge that their charter and jewels be restored and the Lodge be allowed to resume its work with all the ancient rights, privileges and immunities. "Dated, Greene, Chenango County, N. Y. "May 28, A. L. 5847." E. Rathbone. Levi Farr. Robert Monell. Warren Gray. C. E. Barnard. John S. Avery. Aug. Willard. The petition was received by the Grand Lodge, and on June 3, 1847. The Committee on Forfeited Warrants made the following report, which was adopted: "That they have under consideration the petition of the former members of Eastern Light Lodge, No. 208, in Greene, Chenango County, for a revival of their warrant and a restoration of their jewels. It appears from their petition that in consequence of the anti- Masonic excitement it was deemed most prudent and most for the interests of the Fraternity to cease work for a season and they accordingly surrendered their warrant in 1831. "The members of this Lodge all stood firm in their integrity and they believe the fit time has now arrived for the resuming of their labors. The applicants are personally known to the M.'.W.'. Grand Master and they are vouched for by him as men of character and respectability, and one of the petitioners, the HON. ROBT. MONNELL, late Circuit Judge of the Sixth District. "The committee recommend that, on the payment by the said Lodge of one year's dues, their warrant be restored to them and that they be authorized to hold an election of officers and resume their work." Accompanying the petition was a letter to the Grand Master from AUGUSTUS WILLARD (both on file in the Grand Secretary's office) in which he makes a personal appeal for the return of the warrant. He says: "We do not and never have supposed that our charter was in any manner forfeited; it was, as we understood the matter, only returned because of the Morgan excitement which actually prevented us from going on with business. "So long as the state of public feeling would allow we continued our work, and when we could do so no longer we resigned our charter and jewels. ... I wish to repeat that we do not consider our charter to have been forfeited, but simply surrendered for the time, because under the circumstances of the times it was absolutely impossible for us to act." The author of the foregoing letter was a cousin of the Grand Master, John A. WILLARD, who was made a Mason in Eastern Light Lodge No. 208, in 1825. The old warrant was restored, but the number of the Lodge was changed to 126. The first meeting was held at Odd Fellows' Hall, near the canal, in the village of Greene, February 10, 1848. LEVI FARR, the first Master under the charter, presided, and the following officers were elected and installed: Augustus Willard, Master; Warren Gray, Junior Warden; Robert Monell, Senior Warden; 43
Page 1 and 2: Grand Lodge of New York - Masonic L
Page 3 and 4: The warrant was declared forfeited
Page 5 and 6: A dispensation was granted to form
Page 7 and 8: "Art. 6. Any member wishing to loan
Page 9 and 10: the clouds and into the eternal bey
Page 11 and 12: From "History of St Lawrence County
Page 13 and 14: Captain Goodrich accepted the flag
Page 15 and 16: “The Story of a Cavalry Regiment,
Page 17 and 18: GRAND LODGE OFFICERS. Baron D. Brag
Page 19 and 20: meeting where the date is not destr
Page 21 and 22: GRAND LODGE OFFICERS. James E. Bats
Page 23 and 24: PHOENIX LODGE, NO. 115, DANSVILLE,
Page 25 and 26: 1871. Charles H. Wombough. 1872. Ch
Page 27 and 28: MEETING PLACES. When it was revived
Page 29 and 30: married, September 3, 1890, to Emma
Page 31 and 32: "When in 1793 I came here (Madison)
Page 33 and 34: Glens Falls Lodge was the first Lod
Page 35 and 36: 1817 Oliver Hubbard, James H. Roger
Page 37 and 38: The Charter was granted on June 11,
Page 39 and 40: Abraham Camp. Enos T. Baldwin. Eli
Page 41: Previous to the advent of St. Paul'
Page 45 and 46: He married Eleanor(or Ellen) (CATOR
Page 47 and 48: at Lanesboro, heard of the fame of

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