Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-10-28
ESTABLISHED 1855
ANCIENT FRArERsAI HISTORY
ivirooua's First secret Ofgzrizatssu as Presented
bycs MeAsehA,..

Members off, qua Masonic brother
hood were hif entertained and a
large crowd present ct the last
meeting to list the lecture given by
Brother R. 81 T Iichaei, on the history
Of Masonry in Z ,qua. Access to the
records and a 5 onal knowledge Of his
subject made 3 lecture entertaining,
and esueciaIl the brother now In
the order and = aniliar with Viroqua
pioneer days
Captain M Ihael spoke for nearly
an hour and % ~ minutes in his rscit-
al. dwelling largely on persons and Incl
dents in connection with the lodge La
Belle lodge was organized February IA,
1857, under dispensaGion from the
Grand lodge of Wisconsin. The charter.
members were William a. Austin, Jer-
'emiah M. Rusk, Sylvester G. Lincoln.
William 4. Heron and ] 81. Wood,
The first officers were COMPOSED OF the
charter members, with Nr. Austin Wor-
shipful Master, Ruek Seufor Warden.
Lincoln Junior Warden. Btlliard secre-
tary, and Heron treasurer. All these
have passed to the grand lodge on high.
During the first years existelNce OK tbs
lodge II prospered immensely a1c forty
nine Joined, eight of these by dimit.
Those who united after organ ization
within year were: George Harshorn,
Martin s Nebsitt, William T. Telbune,
Herman Greve, Henry B Herrick, Dam
iel H Dunlap. William F. Lindemann.
Samuel McMicbael, Henry Waters, John
Gardner, George w Nuzufn, johnson
Smith, Elisha w. Tinker. Joaeph A
Somerby, John s. Austin, Gilbert Her
rick Charles Waters, ROYAL G. Bierce,
E g. Fowler, Samuel NICK Kittrick, John
Heron, r s. McMichaal, John ID. Nc
Lees, Nelson Winters, James Rusk, 5.
w. Green, G s. Jenkins, Reuben Pow
ell, William p. Clark, J. e. Palmer, w.
S, Journey, John 81. Tower, Aaron
White, Thos B. Brown, L. e. Decker.
Truman Allen, John r. Casson, B. f.
Hartshorn, Thos. W. Tower, Charles
Eead, Uriah Gregory, Edmund Strang.
John Bentson. What mortality list is
this, only FIVE of the number living
Rev. Nuzum, Capt McMichael and John
Bentson are the survivors In this section.
The two former resided at Newton when
made Masons. Charles Waters and Nell
son Winters are the other two and they
reside in Oregon and Minnesota respect
lively.
The records show that during the year
following organization only few mem.
bers Joined the lodge and still fewer dur
ing war times, Altogether nearly five
hundred members have united With the
order and there is now membership OF
about one hundred and sixty-fve.
ViroQuR Is considered one Of the leading
Masonic towns in the state, having Royal
Arch and Eastern Star Chapters with
large membership The mother lodgs
is strong In membership and financially
Captain McMichael .old many pAthet-
ic and humorous Incidents connected
With Virouua Masonry. He said the
order had done much to better men, pro-
vide for needy members and their fAkuI-
lies, especially during the war poriod.
At the organization, he said. the order
here az elsewhere, had to contend with
the anti Masonic sentiment that than
pervaded the country. People unfxmil.
lar with the order were prejudiced
against ID and its membership. But he
declared that the membership Of La
Belle lodge had always been and was
still such that he was proud to have been
associated Herewith.