Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-03-29

Col Haskins said in opening that while
the present communication is held under
the auspices of Columbian lodge, No Sc,
il should be understood that the members
Of Brattleboro lodge, No. 102, have an
equal interest in the occasion, as it
marks the centennial milestone of the
action taken by our elder brethren for
the establishment of organized Masonry
in this town and its immediate vicinity.
It would be an interesting contribution
to the history of Masonry in Brattleboro
were we able to bring from darkness to
light and place upon perpetual record the
name of him who was the first Free
and Accepted Mason to come within the
borders of this town and that of the
neighboring town of Guilford to reside.
Some of the early settlers who came
from Massachusetts, Connecticut and
New York previous to l770 brought their
Masonry with them, and it is fair to
assume that Guilford, which up to the
year 1900 was the most populous town in
the state. and Brattleboro, ranking sixth,
had their full share of Masons among
their inhabitants at that time.
The first Masonic lodge organized with
in the state of Vermont was chartered
Nov. 10, 1771, under the name of Vermont
lodge by ST. Andrews grand lodge OF
Massa chusetts and was located at
Springfield and removed to Windsor in
1895, where il has ever since been To-
Gated
Col. Haskins gave information about
the other four lodges which formed with
Vermont lodge the nucleus for the grand
lodge, which first convened at Manches-
ter August g. 1894, again by adjournment
in Rutland Oct 10, 1894, and on Oct. IA,
1894, a constitution was adopted and
grand officers elected, Brother Noah
Smith being the first grand master.
petition bearing date March 81, 1912,
Masons, residents of Brattleboro and
Guilford, viz: Lemuel Whitney, Abram
Kingsbury, Almerin Tinker, Elisha Chase,
Elihu Field, jr., Samuel Elliot, Samuel
Clark, John W. Blake, Nahum Cutler
Rodney Burt, Quartus Smead, Nathaniel
Bliss, Aaron Barney, Samuel Dickinson
Richard Phillips, Porter Johnson, Joseph
Boyden Josiah Brown and Asa Green,
speaking in behalf of themselves and
about 90 other Master Masons of this
vicinity, was presented to John Chapman,
grand master, praying that a dispensation
be granted, empowering them to assem-
BILE as a regular lodge on the last Tues
days preceding the fun of the moon in
every month alternately in the towns Of
Gulford and Brattleboro for the dis
charge of the duties pertaining to a Ma
sonic lodge in a regular and constitu-
tional/manner until such time as a char
ter Gould be granted by the grand lodge,
vcKed In their petition, as is the Gus
tom and rule, they nominated Lemuel
Whitney to be worshipful master, Abram
Kingsbury to be senior warden and AL
merin Tinker to be Junior warden, and
that said lodge be named Columbian
lodge Grand Master Chapman having con-
sdered the petition, granted his warrant
of dispensaton under date of May g.
1912, as prayed for by the petitioners
The dispensation did not require the
lodge meeting to be held alternately In
Guilford and Brattleboro, but empowered
them to convene and open an Appren-
tives, Crafts and Masters Lodge OF Brat
tleboro or Guilford in the state aforesaid
bv the name of Columbian lodge and tc
do all business appertaining to those de-
grees until the Monday preceding the
second of October, next" and from an eX-
animation of the records of the lodge
somewhat imperfectly kept, 1t seems that
the meetings were held in Guilford unit
Dec. 90 1914; at Brattleboro commencing
with the meeting of Dec. "a, 1914. unit
Nov 30, 1919, a period of five years; next
under a vote of the lodge they were
held at the East Parish in Guilford, bet
ter known as East Guilford or Algiers
for five years, which included the meet
ing of Nov. "a 1912; commencing witt
Nov. 30, 1924 the meetings were agar
held in Brattleboro until the time thu
records close, Dec. 8, 1929
The first recorded meeting held undel
the dispensation was August IL, 1872, a
which rs members were present ant
three visiting brethren, of whom Distric
Deputy Grand Master Martin Field o
Blazing Star lodge of Newfane was one