Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-11-19
MASONIC TEMPLE
DEDICATION IS
A GREAT EVENT
Numerous Members Of Order from All
Parts OF the Valley Attend Ceremonies
Attendant Upon Dedication of First Ex-
elusive Masonic Temple in South Texas.
SON OF FOUNDER LOCAL MASONRY
REPRESENTS The STATE BODY
Feature Addresses Following Placing Of
Documents in Corner tSone Are Made
by Edwin Chamberlain, T. D. Mathis and
Or. S. X. HalIam.

~ Ei'AA'NA ~ ~ Ahhl'iAhHA 'NNhA
that ever transpired in Masonic circles in
the Lower Rio Grande Valley took place
in Brownsville at 3 o'clock this afternoon
when the Masonic temple. at the corner of
Twelfth and Jefferson streets. was form
ally dedicated. The simple but impress
historical addresses touching upon the
growth Of the order in Brownsville and
the Valley were the features Of the event.
Ii was fitting that Edwin Chamberlain
of san Antonio, acting grand master, and
past grand commander of the grand com
mandery Of Texas, should make one Of the
feature addresses Of the occasion. Mr..
Chamberlain Is the son of the late Rev.
Hiram Chamberlain, the founder of Rio
Grande lodge No. 81, of Brownsville. the
oldest Masonic body in this section. The
address Of welcome was delivered BY DR..
:. h. Hallam, president Of Che Masonic
Temple association, one of the organizers
of the Brownsville cummandery No. 90,
Knights Templar. and active in the work
of all the local Masonic bodies.
" lUiIu dubItNN oU the DIO-Tam lDI
the afternoon was To have been delivered
by 7. ID. Mathis Of San Antonio, secretary
Of the Scottish Rite bodies o. that city.
The ceremonies were conducted by the
following, all representing the various state
officers: Edwin Chamber. grand master:
lsadore Moritz, deputy grand master; G..
III. Thorn. grand senior warden: ID. l..
AN... .~..l ,,,,r -. -. -
ski, grand treasurer; J. j. Cooke, grand
secretary; Rev. J. :. Bowles. grand chap
lain; ID. B. kowal>ki. senior deacon: 4. A.
Mon~ees. junior deacon; George :. Stcll.
grand senior steward: ID. McLendon, grand
junior steward; Albert Snyder, architect;
Jee Dominique, tiler.
Following the ceremonies Of dedication.
the ladies of the Order Of the Eastern Star
were to entertain the local and visiting
Masons rom 4 until ) o'clock this evening.
The lower floor Of the three story Masonic
temple was beautifully decorated for the
occasion. flowers and ferns being used
profu>ely throughout. in the library. the
receiving room. and the dining room. in
which luncheon will be served.
ID. l.. Spero. secretary Of the Masonic
Temple association. in the Temple souvenir
book, SAYS of Rio Grande Lodge No. 81, A.
Il. 4 A. NJ:
"The year If grace 1919 was one that
brought many interesting and important
events 10 this great country of ours.
Among other things. gold was discovered
a. lfnlsnr,,. ...l IL. ....Itl, - ... -.
wa~ increased in untold fold. Brownsville.
too, shared in the blessings Of that year,
in the fact that the golden tenetsr of our
beloved and ancient fraternity, were
brought 10 this part of the Rio Grande
country by the Rev. Hiram Chamberlain
missionary of Masonry. r. well a of the
gospcl-who founded Rio Grande Lodge
A. y. 4 a. NJ. al that time.
"The lodge worked under di-pcnSation
through 1919 and continued by dispensa-
tion of the grand lodge at Austin through
1880. On January -, 1850. the grand
lodge convened al Henderson. Texas. resu-
larry granted 4 charter ID Rio Grande
lodge. This charter. however. was not de-
livered-owing To the distance and hard
ships pertaining to travel IN those days
until January p. 1852. The first officers
under the charter. were Hiram Chamber
lam. W. NJ; W. ". Nelson. :. W. and T..
II. Scarborough. j. W. The Rev. Chamber
lain wa> also ID. ID. q. NJ. with plenary
powcr~-then much greater than those en-
loycd today by ID. ID. q. Masters. The
number of the lodge a. chartered. was 81.
Il had been No. 56. while working under
di~pcn>ation. and Brother stephen Powers,
Cater ". NJ represented the lodge before
the grand lodge. with a request that the
lodge be- permitted To retain it, old number.
%. The grand body had in the interim
chartered another lodge under thu number.
- Rio Grande had 10 retain number 81.
THAT the lodge was an active and pro-
gre~~lve one. IN those early dav~. what
records there are. prove: hut most Of the
records pertaining a. the period between
1887 and lS65 were host IN the storm Of
1867. when the house IN which the Masonic
hall was then located-on Elizabeth street
between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets
was blown down and utterly demolished.
The old charter of the lodge was after
wards found in 'the rubbish Of the tenn
pie by Tier Martin and restored to the
lodge. The records coverings the years Of
1902 and 1870 were also lost later. and
OF these years there Is no positive data.
RIO Grsnde lodge has had several abid-
me places before finally settling in it, own
present home IL was first located on
Elizabeth street. between Thirteenth and
tonrieenth streets. as hefnre menf,nned.