The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-04-15
MAsoNs OF IOWA.
Who Claim Distinction of Being
the Oldest Lodge Members.


Col. John Scott, former lieutenant
governor of Iowa, has prepared
very valuable and interesting treatise
with respect to the masons of Iowa
who claim the distinction of being
among the Oldest members of that
order. Col. Scott himself, who now
lives in Des Moines, was made ma
son in Wingate lodge, No. 161, i'll
Kentucky. in January, 1S4S. He was
made master of the lodge at Owings-
vile, KY, in 1s49, and it is believed
that he is the ranking past master in
Iowa. He became master of the lodge
at Nevada in January, 1857, and
| holds his membership there yet. 1t
! is thought that he and Hon. James
Hawthorne, who was also charter
member of the Nevada lodge, are en-
titled to the claim of longest contin-
uous membership in one lodge in
Iowa. Col. Scott was eminent COM
mander of the Knight Templar en-
campment Gt was called encampment
at that date) in Des Moines in 1856,
and he probably ranks in years any
| one in Iowa who served in that ca
pacity. There is no question but
what he is the ranking past grand
master of Iowa. A. r. Cotton, who
lived at Lyons, was grand master be-
fore Col. Scott, but he long since re-
moved to San Francisco, Cal. Col.
Scott was elevated to the thirty-sec-
| ond degree, Scottish Rite, on July 4,
1865, and but two are now living who
are of an earlier date in the south
ern jurisdiction. George Beeson, of
Pennington, has been a freemason
more than half century, having
Joined the lodge at Circleville, o., in
1850. He was high priest of Kadosh
chapter, No. SO, two, years ago, and
was then supposed to be the oldest
acting high priest in the world He
is more than 90 years old. P. Cad
Bryan, S. P. Yeomans, Cyrus Bussey,
Asa Call, Samuel A. Moore, r. p.
Speer, L. L. Ainsworth, Robert Sloan.
r. P. Henderson, w. C. Evans, w. W.
Mcknight, F. M. Mills, George NJ.
Hippee, w. r. MCDOWELL, c. W. Nash,
B. F. Keables, George w. Struble, Le-
ander Clark and w. c. Smith run close
to the half century mark, and with
them are perhaps more than 100 9TH
ers who have been masons for near
ly so years. The following is par
tial list of others of the Oldest dis
tinguished members of the order:
James Hawthorne Nevada, Ia, made in
Harmony lodge, No. II, at Brookville, Ind,
in 1910.
Dinsmore. Fremont. Ia. made in
Newark o.. in 1910.
Harry Fulton, Keokuk, was an officer in
No - in 1S47 and 1S4S, was a member of
the Grand lodge in 1S49, and was elected
grand junior warden In 1852. making him
the oldest elective grand officer and life
member of the grand lodge.
Jacob Springer, of Blairst town, was made
in Fayette lodge, No. 1928, Uniontown, Pa,
February 20, 1886.
D. A. Hoffman, of Oskaloosa, was made
a mason in Newark, O., in 1916.
A. P. Berry, of New Virginia, dates from
1876 or 1S47.
Alonzo Shaw. of Upton was tyler of his
lodge in 1S47.
w. T. Smith, of Des Moines, was mem
Der of Lodge No. 10, at Oskaloosa in 1S49
Among those who were members of Pho
neer lodge. No. %, of Des Moines, about
1859, were j. NJ. Griffith, A. T. Hull and Cole
Noel.
H. w. Sample. of Keokuk, is shown by
the records to have been secretary of Lodge
No. 20 in 1858.
John H. Wallace was senior deacon in
1852 and master in 1854 of Lodge No. 2, OF
Muscatine.