The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-26
SKETCH OF COMMANDMENTS.
Brief Histories Of the Grand, Occur
dc Lion anu Melita.

-. The history of the grand command
cry gives Pennsylvania the honor OF
having the first conmandery, or en-
campment of knights Templar ON the
American continent: To this state also
belongs the honor of having the larg
est grand commandery in the world
The grand commandery began in the
quiet town of Brownsville In 1854. I'm an
humble way. From three subordin-
ates, embracing membership of less
than a hundred, it has been enlarged
to seventy three subordinates. whose
asylums shelter over II 600 Sir knights,
making this the largest grand com
mandery in the world. But the orga-
niZation formed at Brownsville was not
the beginning of the Order of Knights
Templar in Pennsylvania. In the lat
ter part of the last century COM
mandery. (or as then styled an en-
campmen) existed in the city of Phila-
delphia, and that was probably the
earliest organization of Knights Temp
lar on this continent The Templar
order 1t seems. had been conferred un-
der Blue Lodge or Chapter warrants,
but to Philadelphia appears to belong
the honor of organizing the first com
mandery, or encampment of knights
Templar on the American continent.
This encampment at Philadelphia. In
connection with encampments at Har-
risburg and Carlisle, working under
Blue Lodge warrants. organized at
Philadelphia on May %, 1897, the first
grand encampment established In
North America. 1t Is not known how
long that grand eTcampment continued
| In active operation, but II doubtless
| maintained itself until 1914, and was
merged in the body formed in February
of that year by a grand convention of
| knights Templar. which met In the
| Masonic temple, in the city of Phila-
| delphia, embracing delegates from en-
campments in Pennsylvania, New
York, Delaware and MARYLAND, and
which adopted the title Of the Penn
| sylvana Grand Encampment of
| Knights Templar.'
SCRANTONIANS HONORED.
John II. Dusenbury and Right Emf
nent Sir Joseph Alexander, jr, two liv-
| ing Scrantonians, are past grand COM
| manders, the one serving in 1875 and the
other in 1886. The complete list of
grand commanders since 1857 Is as fol-
lows: william w. Wilson, 1857; Benja-
! min Parke, 1858; A. Jordan Swartz.
| 1853: William II. Allen 1860; Christian
+. Knapp, 1861; John A. Wright, 1862:
| Edmund H. Turner, 1868; II. Stanley
| Goodwin, 1864: Fl. Stanley Goodwin,
1866: William H. Strickland, 1856; Rob-
ert Pitcairn. 1867; Jer. l.. Hutchinson.
1858; John Vallercamp. 1869; James H.
Hopkins, 1870; Henry b. Mexican. 1871:
Charles Nj. Howell. 1872: Geter H.
Shidle, 1873; Grant Weidman. 1874;
John II. Dusenbury, 1875; Charles Fl.
Kingston. 1876: A. J. Kaufman, 1877;
! William Fl. Egle, 1873; Samuel b. Dick,
! 1S79 John p. S. Goblin. 1880; ID. w. c.
Carroll 1881: G. W. Kendrick. jr., 1882;
3. Frank Breneman. 1888: Charles w.
Bachelor. 1884; Edwin G. Martin. 1885;
Joseph Alexander, jr., 1856; George S.
Graham. 1887: Lee S. smith 1883: Will
lam w. Allen, 1889; Terrence c. Hipple.
1890; John j. Wadsworth, 1891: Joseph
S. Wright, 1892: James II. Codding,
1893; Charles G. Baer, 1894; Irving =.
| Wanger. 1895.
The grand commandery is divided
into sixteen division communicates,
each of the latter including from three
to five local Communicates. Eminent
Sir X. A. Zimmerman, of Scranton, is
in command of Division No. Is, which
is comprised of Scranton. Carbondale,
Great Bend and Susquehanna. Emi-
nent Sir Hubert D. Judd. of Wilkes
Barre. is in command Of Division No
i 16. which comprises Wikes- Barre
Bloomsbury. Danville and Pittston
Eminent Sir Lester r. Frost, of To-
wanda, commands Division No. 3
which includes Towanda, Tunkhan.
mock and Canton.