Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1901-07-04
Theodore S. Parvin is Dead.

Cedar Rapids, June 2S--Special:
Theodore S. Parvin, librarian Of the
Iowa Masonic Library and grand
secretary of the Iowa Masonic
Grand Lodge for ~tifty-eight years,
died at his home here this afternoon
after a lingering illness. He had
been ailing. since last January, and
had been confined to his bed since
the end of March.
In the pages of Iowa history few names are
written as often as that of Theodore S. Parvin,
Grand Lodge of Iowa for more than fifty years.
Nr. Parvin died at the home of his son. Mr..
Newton Il Paryin, who was associated with
him in his work in the Masonic library in Cedar
Rapids. His advanced age-for he was born
January IS, 1877, in Cedarville, Cumberland
county, New Jersey-aided in bringing his long
and useful career to an end.
1t is more than sixty-three years since Theo-
dore ). Parvln first set foot in Iowa. He came
from Ohio, where he was educatedin Cincinnati
and Woodward colleges, to Burlington. Iowa,
in 1888. In August OF that year he went up to
the little frontier settlelnentof Dubuque where
tI1cate admitting an attorney to practice law
in the territory. AT the first session of the ter
rltorial supreme court in Burlington in No
yember, 1888, Mr.. Parvin, the junior in years of
law. He and Judge S. c. Hastings, now of
California, are the sole survivors.
The first constitution proposed for Iowa, in
1S4f. proposed boundaries for the state which
would cut off the western third, known as the
Missouri Slope, because the trainers of this
constitution regarded that portion of the ter
ritory as a worthless desert which would not be
populated. and would be of no value to the new.
So they left it out. But Mr.. Parvin with a far
seeing eye joined with a few others who realiz-
ed the folly of this claim, and together with
Enoch w. Eastman, of Hardin county, after
wards Northumberland, and Sleperd Letter
stumped the middle district of the territory
against the adoption of this constitution be.
cause it had surrendered this valuable piece of
territory and cut the State. OFF from the Mississ-
ippi river and succeeded in defeating the con-
stitutiop. SO this rich section OF Iowa was saved
to the state.
The Masonic fraternity of the State gave Mr..
Parvin his opportunity and he 5 perhaps better
known in Masonic circles and for his work in
Masonry than In other ways; From lo4i to 1851
he was Grand Secretary and in 1852 was Grand
Master. At the end of his grand mastership he
was again chosen grand secretary, and has held
that position ever since. For many years he has
devoted his entire time to the work of this office
and to the management of the Iowa Masonic
library at Cedar Rapids. The Masonic head
quarters of the State were located in Cedar
Rapids in 1855, and the first Masonic library in
the United States, or in the world, was erected
in that year. Thereupon MIR. Parvin moved to
Cedar Rapids and took charge of this important
work. Charles Aldrich says of him that He
has collected and preserved more books and
documents relating to Iowa history than any
twenty men in the state. For many years. prob
ably as far back as 1910, he had been a collector
of the publications of various secret orders
mostly, however, relating to Masonry. These,
with rare generosity, he presented to the grand
lodge of iowa. Continuing his collection with a
degree of zeal which knows no abatement, and
will cease only with his life. That library now
contains more Masonic books than any other in
the world"
Newton R. Parvin, one of the sons of this vet
eran historian, has been for many years closely
associated with his father in the work of the
library and the Masonic secretaryship and for
the past two or three years has done most of the
work so that it is certain to be carried on with
undiminished energy and efficiency now its
| founder has gone II" his reward. 4 laryD aHIi
ton to the building is contemplated in the near
future.