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YESTERDAY MARKED HUN DREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST LODGE. WAS OCCASION OF MUCH IM PORTANCE IN ANNALS OF MASONRY IN ILLINOIS. Fraternity’s First Foothold Was at Kaskaskia — Dispensation Was Granted by Jurisdiction of Pennsylvania. Yesterday was the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the first Jodge of Masons in Illinois, and it was a day of unusual interest to the order throughout the state. On September 13, 1806, the first lodge of Masons was constituted in what is now the state of Ilinois, but which was then the territory of Indiana. Although the fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons was well rep resented among the hardy pioneers and early settlers of the northwest territory, it was not until the year 1805 that steps were taken toward the organization of the first lodge within the limits of the present state of Illinois. The first lodge organized in the state was at the old French town of Kaskaskia, in the then terri tory of Indiana. This town, the old est in Ilinois and perhaps in the territory known as the western states, was the cradle of Freemason ry in the upper Mississippi valley. On the ninth of March, 1805, seven pioneers, who were bound by “the mystic tie,’ and who had conceived the idea of establishing a lodge in their frontier home, addressed a let ter to the grand lodge of Pennsyl vania, asking from it a dispensation authorizing them to hold a regular jodge in the town of Kaskaskia. Iy response to this petition Israel Is raeli, then grand master of the state of Pennsylvania, issued a dispensa tion to James Edgar, a past master, empowering him to “‘call to his as sistance a sufficient number of known and approved Masons and open a lodge at Kaskaskia, and then and there intimate, pass and raise Free masons, according to the most an cient and honorable custom of the craft in’ all nations and ages through out the known world, and not con trariwise.” The dispensation was given for the period of six months. Thus was Freemasonry planted in Ilinois, First Meeting Held in 1805. The first meeting held under the dispensation was held on Saturday, December 14, 1805, when James Ed war called to his assistance Rufus aston as senior warden, Michael Jones as junior warden, Robert Rob inson as senior deacon, Alexander Anderson as junior deacon, and Wil liam Arand as secretary, all of whom he reported ‘to a due trial to the Mas ter Masons.” A Master Masons’ lodge was opened “in due form,” and it was decided that the new lodge should be known by the name of “Western Star.” Regular meetings of the Western Star lodge were thereafter held, peti tions were received, referred and acted upon, and on February 8, 1806, the first Masonic initiation within the present territorial limits of the state was performed. The first person to receive Masonic right within the boundaries of the state of Ilinois was Charles Quercy. First Lodge Constituted in 1806, Western Star lodge was consti tuted by Robert Robinson as proxy for the grand master of Pennsylvania on September 10, 18060, it being the real commencement of the order in the state. James Edgar acted as first worshipful master and installed Michael Jones and James Galbraith as his wardens. The first visitor to the frontier lodge after constitution was Shad rack Bond, Jr. of Temple lodge, Bal timore, Md. He visited the lodge on October 4, PSG, the same evening petitioned for affiliation. Shadrack Bond was subsequently elected the first grand master of the first Ilinois grand lodge, which was organized December 1, S22, at Vandalia, then the capital of the state. He was also the first delegate to congress from the territory of Illinois, in S12, and became the first governor of the state in ISLS. The first person initiated after the constitution of Western star lodge was Captain James Moore, who was admitted November 1. The first election under the charter was held December 6, James Edgar being re elected worshipful master. Western Star First Masonic Lodge, For ten years the Western Star was the only lodge in the territory now known as Illinois. It was not until 1815 that a second lodge was chartered within the limits of the state. The records of Western Star lodge show that its members per formed their Masonic duties zealous ly. ‘They held regular meetings and the records disclose a faithful atten tion to Stasonic forms and preced ents. From the planting of the first “sprig of acacia,” Western star lodge china sprang to a total of s6a lodges in good standing within the jurisdic tion of the errand lodge of Ilinois, and from the original seven when com prised the membership of the first lodge constituted on Illinois territory has crown @ presen’ niehiberstit, of over TP Ga,
Newspaper Details
Freeport Daily Journal
Freeport, Illinois, US
Fri, Sep 14, 1906
Page 10
Full Page
Clipped by
Valerie A.
USA 05 Jun 2026
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