Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-03
BATAVIA MAN IS
OLDEST MASON
W. H. WILLIAMS. FORMERLY RE
SIDING NEAR oTTUMwA, A
MEMBER SINCE 1851.

claimant OF being one or lOWa'S OldeSL
Masons Mr.. Williams was born in
Kentucky in 1922 and came to Wapello
county in 1876 Mr.. Williams was sher-
iff Of Wapello county from 1856 to
1857 He was initiated into the order
Of Masons in 1851, and has lived in
Batavia for the past ten years. Pre-.
vfous to moving to Batavia he lived
north Of Ottumwa
Mr.. Williams is the father Of eleven
children, Of whom ten are now living
at home. He is now IS years old and
has been member Of the Masons for
As years and claims to be an older
man than the following men. Jacob
Springer of Benton county, or B.
Mccall of Boone Iowa, whose resords
follow:
Vinton. Dec. Q. - Mason City's old
est Iowa Mason is mere boy. Jacob
Springer of st. Clair township has
been member of that order for sixty
one years. He was made an entered
apprentice In Fayette lodge IN western
Pennsylvania In December, 18A6. He
took the fellow craft and master ma
son the following month.
In the early fifties he came west and
settled in Benton county in st. Clair
township He had but few neighbors
until; the end of the war when the
township settled up. However, he
brought his Masonry with him and he
cast about to establish lodge. His
first step was to organize q lodge in
his own township as there were no
towns nearer to lin than Marengo on
the south and Cedar Rapids on the
east. For this pur:.,;' lie and others
secured charter April z, 1852 and
organized VIII 1t is known Is st. Clair
lodge. which is located nj Norway,
this county. This lodge was, organized
under the disp ,ns.lsi3n granted at th':
time stated arm IT'S first officials ver"'
James McQuin, w. M; c. 8. Turner,
S. W.; S. H. Springer, ]. W.; T. "A.
Springer secretary: w. Alspach,
treasurer; Jacob Springer, 5. T.; s.
w. Stocker, j. D. The charter was
granted June 8, 1868. and the same Of
/ f1cers were reelected.
The first meeting of the lodge while
under dispensation, was. held IN, ans up.
per room of Mr.. Springer's farmhouse
His brother. 8. H. Springer, was at
that time building new house and
arrangements were made with him to
fit up the upper story for q lodge
room, which was done and the meet
ings were held there until the relnov
al to Norway.
Mr.. Springer was made a Royal
Arch Mason in Vinton January S. 1858
and was charter member Of the
Royal Arch chapter of Belle PLANE
He was made knight Templar In
Clinton in 1863. He was saschartel
member of the Knights Templar wher
it was established in Belle PLANE. He
took the degree in the consistory al
Lyons, Iowa, in 1873. He was elected
X. G. G. H. by the grand council al
Washington D. c., May 5, 1897.
Boone Has Claimant.
4 Boone, Dec 2. - B. Mccall of this
city. has been member Of the Ma
sonic order since 1849, when he JOINED
the Golden Rule lodge in Indiana, ane
an Iowa member of the order since
1855. Upon his record Boone layi
claim to the distinction of having as {
citizen the oldest Mason in the state
Mccall became member of Mt. Olive
lodge No. 70 in this city, the year i
was organized. He has been a Masol
So years. considerably longer than thu
Mason City claimant. who has been ,
member only half cantury.