DaySpring

From MasonicGenealogy
Revision as of 13:17, 12 September 2013 by Hotc1733 (Talk | contribs)

Jump to: navigation, search

DAY SPRING LODGE

Location: Monson

Chartered By: William Parkman

Charter Date: 03/11/1863 VI-449

Precedence Date: 03/13/1862

Current Status: Active


PAST MASTERS

  • Joseph L. Reynolds, 1863
  • Edward C. Robinson, 1864
  • Elisha W. Sholes, 1865
  • Joel B. Williams, 1866
  • Edward F. Morris, 1867
  • E. E. Towne, 1868
  • K. Thayer, 1869
  • G. O. Henry, 1870, 1871
  • Alvin A. Gage, 1872-1875, 1878-1880, 1891, 1892; SN
  • J. M. Phipps, 1876, 1877, 1881
  • Carlos M. Gage, 1882, 1883, 1889; SN
  • G. E. Fuller, 1884-1886
  • D. W. Letter, 1887
  • C. R. Buffington, 1888
  • R. F. Bradway, 1890, 1893-1895
  • A. H. Shaw, 1896-1898
  • H. G. Wentworth, 1899, 1900
  • H. Roehm, 1901
  • G. E. Wills, 1902, 1903
  • W. L. Ricketts, 1904, 1905
  • G. H. Seymour, 1906, 1907
  • F. L. Bliss, 1908, 1909
  • P. W. Soule, 1910, 1911
  • Norman P. Dempsey, 1912, 1913; SN
  • E. R. Sisson, 1914
  • E. R. Cooke, 1915
  • R. E. Shaw, 1916
  • A. R. Brown, 1917
  • F. G. Maguire, 1918
  • F. J. Blakeborough, 1919
  • W. S, Morse, 1920
  • C. L. Ricketts, 1921
  • Ralph T. Entwistle, 1922; N
  • F. R. Rees, 1923
  • W. Kimber, 1924
  • J. O. Murray, 1925
  • J. Kemp, 1926
  • J. M. Carlin, 1927
  • L. K. Hale, 1928
  • C. W. Albro, 1929
  • H. A. Folkins, 1930
  • Henry O. Holley, 1931; N
  • R. E. Crofton, 1932
  • C. C. Williams, 1933
  • Raymond C. Orcutt, 1934; N
  • H. J. Bennett, 1935
  • O. E. Bradway, 1936
  • R. N. Aldrich, 1937
  • H. A. Snow, 1938
  • K. A. Grindell, 1939
  • C. F. Moulton, 1940
  • S. D'Agostino, 1941
  • W. H. Letter, 1942
  • C. W. Bailey, 1943
  • J. F. McConchie, 1944
  • S. L. Young, 1945
  • C. W. Lunden, 1946
  • H. C. Sanderson, 1947
  • L. P. Meacham, 1948
  • W. F. Kenerson, 1949
  • W. A. Heintz, 1950
  • R. E. Bruce, 1951
  • K. F. Hunter, 1952
  • Herman E. Hasenjager, 1953; N
  • E. C. Harrington, 1954
  • D. J. Loux, 1955
  • R. J. Guertin, 1956
  • L. T. Moores, 1957
  • A. H. Galas, 1958
  • G. W. Meacham, 1959
  • C. L. Brown, Jr., 1960
  • R. R. Thomas, 1961
  • W. J. Holley, 1962
  • R. H. Long, 1963
  • H. G. Wheaton, 1964
  • L. A. Blethen, Jr., 1965
  • R. C. Allen, 1966
  • W R. Lombard, 1967
  • R. A. Shorette, 1968
  • G. P. Letter, 1969
  • W. J. Anair, 1970
  • S. E. Johnson, 1971
  • R. L. Hodge, 1972
  • Kenneth J. Petras, 1973; N
  • R. I. Hermanson, 1974
  • R. B. Smith, 1975, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
  • R. E. Tower, 1976
  • B. W. Tower', 1977
  • D. J. Mott, 1978
  • H. S. Smith, Jr., 1979
  • D. H. Paine, 1980
  • R. Dupras, Jr., 1981, 1987
  • G. L. Marketos, 1982
  • P. M. Dempbowski, 1983, 1984
  • A. Marketos, 1985, 1986
  • P. G. Bazinet, 1988
  • R. R. Marketos, 1989
  • D. W. Prew, Sr., 1990, 1991
  • G. W. Shumway, 1992, 1993
  • R. A. Whipple, 1994, 1995
  • P. A. Marktos, 1996
  • R. Dodson, 1997, 1998, 2001
  • R. R. Weldon, 2003
  • R. J. Weldon, Jr., 2004-2009
  • D. S. Johnson, 2010
  • E. F. Miodowski, 2011, 2012
  • Ryan Wheaton, 2013

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

  • Petition for Dispensation: 1862
  • Petition for Charter: 1863

ANNIVERSARIES

  • 1938 (75th Anniversary)
  • 1962 (Centenary)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

BY-LAW CHANGES

1869 1870 1874 1887 1892 1900 1901 1912 1927 1937 1939 1949 1959 1960 1966 1981 1982 2009 2010

HISTORY

  • 1938 (75th Anniversary History, 1938-109)
  • 1962 (History of Masonry in Monson, 1962-115)

75TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY, MAY 1938

From Proceedings, Page 1938-109:

by Wor. Charles Ricketts.

While today we celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of Day Spring Lodge it seems fitting that we enlarge the subject to Masonry in Monson, as at the time of the establishing of a Lodge here it not only served Monson, Brimfield, and Wales, as we do today, but also Palmer and even disregarded the State boundary and included Stafford, Connecticut. At the time Samuel Guthrie, David Young, Peter Walbridge, Hezekiah Fisk, Ephriam Allen, Elisha Woodward, Amasa Stowell, John Moore, David Peck, Zebediah Butler, Jesse Converse, and Isaiah Blood, Jr., twelve Freemasons of Monson and vicinity, petitioned the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts for the establishment of a Lodge of Freemasons. In 1796 there were but twenty Lodges in the state and but four recently established West of Worcester. These twelve Masons presumably came from the eastern part of the state.

This petition was acted upon favorably and on December 13, 1796, a Charter was granted under the name of Thomas Lodge, giving them and their successors full power and authority to convene as Masons within the town of Monson, to receive and enter apprentices, pass fellowcrafts, and raise Master Masons.

This Charter is remarkable and priceless as it bears the signature of Paul Revere as Most Worshipful Grand Master. An outstanding Mason and patriot immortalized in Longfellow's "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere."

The document also has the signature as Grand Senior Warden of another patriot, Isaiah Thomas, for whom the Lodge was named, who gracefully acknowledged the honor conferred upon him by the gift of a valuable set of jewels. He later bequeathed the sum of one hundred dollars to the Lodge.

The meeting place was on the second floor of the new tavern known as the Century Hotel and was used continuously until the closing of the Lodge in 1835.

Active work began March 7, 1797, but left no record of its proceedings for nearly two years. Dr. Samuel Guthrie was the first Master. The Lodge is fortunate in having in its possession a certificate of membership signed by him in 1801. At first notes were accepted from initiates, but the practice was discontinued after two years and only cash payments accepted.

The following years were prosperous. Of special note was the raising of four clergymen in 1819 whose names will ever be honored by the Fraternity. All of them later received the merited degree of Doctor of Divinity. These gentlemen were;

  • Dr. Simeon Colton, a Yale graduate, settled over the church in Palmer, then principal of Monson Academy for some years and later President of Clinton College, Miss. A man of scholarly attainments.
  • Dr. Benjamin M. Hill, a graduate of Brown, Pastor of the Baptist Church in Stafford, later moving to New Haven. Instrumental in establishing the Commandery in New Haven.
  • Dr. Hosea Ballou 2nd, first settled pastor of the Universalist Church at Stafford; a profound scholar who later became the first President of Tufts College which he served until his death.
  • Dr. Alfred Ely, a man of marked ability and strength of character, settled as minister of the Congregational Church in Monson for sixty years, of whom it has been said, "No man has ever exerted a greater influence for good in this community." A great believer in Masonry.

As many members of the Lodge lived a long distance away it was customary to open the Lodge at 9 A.M. and close at 7 P.M.

About 1830 the Lodge voted to dispense with the use of spirituous liquors in the Lodge.

It was customary to charge visiting Brethren twenty-five cents each meeting.

As extreme care was exercised in selecting new members, the Lodge enjoyed an enviable reputation. Many leading citizens in the several towns were among its members. Notwithstanding this the anti-masonic feeling, so strong in the early thirties in New York State, spread to this locality and was very intense and bitter; described by one of former days as "fearful times, families, churches and communities were separated by what appeared as irreparable breaches." Dr. Ely and seventeen influential members of his church, Masons, were violently opposed by others of the congregation. The Doctor was urged to publicly denounce the order and its principles. This he refused to do but offered to remain away from the meetings.

Under such circumstances it seemed wise for the Lodge to close until times should be more favorable, so on January 14, 1835 thirty members met for the last time. The bible was given to Dr. Ely and the jewels were to remain in the custody of those who last wore them. Joseph L. Reynolds was Master at the time.

In view of subsequent events it is reasonable to suppose that at sundry times and in divers places members of the craft must have met together for after a period of twenty-one years, in 1856, the feeling against the Fraternity having subsided, a few former members of the Lodge petitioned the M. W. Grand Lodge that the Lodge be reorganized and located in Palmer. Accordingly the charter was restored to the petitioners, Brothers Elias Turner, Joseph L. Reynolds, S. F. Newton, Jacob Thompson, J. R. Flynt, Alfred Ely, J. Nichols, D. B. Hannum, Otis Bradford, and Joel Tucker, on September 10, 1856 and on October 11th the Lodge opened with the same officers in the East and West.

In 1862 the Masons residing in Monson petitioned the M. W. Grand Lodge for a Charter for a new Lodge in Monson. This petition, signed by every Mason in Monson, was destroyed in the fire in the Grand Lodge apartments in 1864. It bore the names of Dr. Alfred Ely, Pastor; Hon. Joseph L. Reynolds, manufacturer; Captain Joel Tucker, farmer; David B. Hannum, blacksmith; Cyrus W. Holmes, manufacturer; Captain Lucius F. Newton, builder; Jacob Thompson, a country squire; Timothy Packard, merchant and postmaster; Joel B. Williams, bookkeeper; Otis Bradford, wool sorter; Daniel D. Moody, manufacturer of spectacles; Sherman Converse, farmer; Nelson F. Rogers, manufacturer of Shaker bonnets; Elisha W. Sholes, manufacturer; Edward C. Robinson, bank cashier; Elmer B. Miles, merchant; John Thayer, stone cutter, and Henry F. Miller, merchant tailor.

A Dispensation was granted March 12, 1862. Joseph L. Reynolds was the first Master. He thereby enjoyed the unusual distinction of serving three Lodges as Master. There can be no question of his love for Masonry. His son Theodore also showed his love for the Fraternity in a substantial manner.

The full Charter of Day Spring was conferred by the Grand Lodge March 11, 1863 and the Lodge Constituted by the grand officers March 17th. At this time W.M. Joseph Reynolds on being asked by the M.W. Grand Master why he chose the name Day Spring replied, "It was in remembrance of words spoken by the prophet Zacharias—Luke 1—78-79." "Through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the Day Spring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace."

Edward F. Morris, who served the local National Bank for years, and had long entertained a favorable impression of Masonry through intimate association with the members of the Craft, was the first initiate. We prize a letter to the Lodge which he left at the call of the Supreme Architect.

The first meeting place was in the original Barton's Block on Main Street, called Union Hall, which stood on land now occupied by dwellings owned by Worshipful Brother P. W. Soule. The building, together with the Lodge records, was destroyed by fire in 1865. The second story of a new block on the same site was for many years the Lodge home. It also occupied for a time a room fitted for the purpose on the second floor of a storehouse of Brother Reynolds on a private way off Bliss Street, owned at present time by Brother George Field. It also used the Vestry, so-called, on Fountain Street, which was later removed. After several years spent in Central Block on the site of the present postoffice the Lodge in 1893 moved to its present quarters in the Bank Building.

During all these years good will and harmony have prevailed.

Our history since then is more properly a record of peaceable, law abiding citizens who have practiced out of the Lodge its great moral duties.

OTHER

  • 1865 (Report of fire at hall)
  • 1866 (Jurisdictional dispute)

EVENTS

From Moore's Freemason's Monthly, Vol. XXV, No. 4, February 1866, p. 128:

The M. W. Grand Master dedicated a new hall for Day Spring Lodge at Monson on the 22d, and another for Mt. Horeb Lodge at West Harwich on the 25th ult. Both halls, we understand, are neat and convenient structures, and well adapted to the purposes for which they are designed.


GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

DISTRICTS

1864: District 6

1867: District 10 (Springfield)

1873: District 18 (Palmer)

1883: District 17 (Palmer)

1911: District 19 (Palmer)

1927: District 19 (Palmer)

2003: District 28


LINKS

Massachusetts Lodges