Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-11-02
Lodge, Church and Cemetery History

the fourth Oldest lodge in the state
The records of this lodge show that
the first meeting OF the order held iii
Potosi was on the Goth of October, 49,
A to take into consideration the pro
priety Of organizing a subordinate
lodge. Enos G. Wood was chosen the
chairman and J. d. Spaulding, secre
tary: The first regular communica-
ton was designated Warren Lodge
of Ancient York Mason" and was held
in room over Coons' and Wooley's
store in La Fayette. 1t was held
under dispensation from the grand
lodge of the territory, signed by B. F.
Kavanaugh, Grand Master, attestel
by Ben c. Eastman, Grand Scribe.
The following officers were appointed
Brother Enos Wood, w. NJ, and
Brothers Marcus Wainwright, S. W.,
Simon E. Lewis, J. w. The bylaws
of Melody Lodge No. 2, were adopted
for their government and the follow
ing subordinate officers elected: I.
j. TAYLOR, treas; Geo. Madeira, sec. J;
S. 3. Keene, S. D.: D. w. Hall, J. D..
Samuel Alexander and Myron Patter-
son, stewards; John R. Seaton, TileT.
The following were the names of the
brethren present in addition to the
officers elected: William H. Wood
Hugh r. Coulter, John R. Spauling,
Terrence Clark and Thomas Palliser
were the first candidates for admis-
sion and were received under dis
ponSatiOn from the grand lodge.
The lodge continued to work under
this dispensation until Jan. 10, t845,
when it was fully organized under a
charter from the grand lodge of the
territory and on the oath of the month
the first regular officers of the lodge
were duly installed by Grand Master
B. F. Kavanaugh and Asa E. Hough,
Acting Deputy Grand Marshal, as fol-
lows: Geo. w. Bicknell, w. NJ; H. r.
Coulter, S. w; Geo Madeira. J. w.
Thos. Palliser, Treas. VIM. H. Wood,
Sec; Simon E. Lewis, S. D.; d. w.
Hall, J. D.; j. H. Barnett, Tiler. At
this communication Robt. TempletOn
and Donald Mckenzie were passed to
the degree of fellow crafts. During
the year 1915 JOS. Petty, Jas Chap
man, Lewis Reynolds, GlendoWer M.
Price, JOS Wooley, Cyrus K. Lord,
VIM. Mcdaniel and many other we'll
known citizens of the county made ap-
plication for admission to the lodge.
1u0y were FdlSCu 10 Inc SuUIiLlC uG-
gree of Master Masons.
A lodge of Odd Fellows was insti-
tuted in Potosi in 1S43 and was in a
fiourishing condition having as mem
bers many prominent men living in
this part of the county. They had
built a commodiOus tWo-stOry frame
building for their hall purposes. In
June 1S45, the Masons made a con-
tract with the Odd Fellows for an un-
divided half interest in their hall and
thereafter held their meetings in the
building up to 1916 WIN the present
handsome new temple was construc-
ted. 1t was dedicated in October OF
the same year. The Odd Fellows
ceased to exist in Potosi many years
ago and the paraphernalia was moved
to Lancaster. OF the charter men,
bers and those connected with War
rem lodge No. 4, during it's first years
none are now living. The present
membership is 49, There were IS
Worshipful Masters during the exist
ence of the lodge. They were: Enos
P. Wood, Geo. w. Bicknen, Louis
Reynolds, Thomas Palliser, Ora L.
Stone, Jas w. Seaton, John S. Dobbs,
Robt H. Kendrick, William B. Rich
ards, Henry B. Coons, 2. G. Thomas,
VIM. Hounsell, Geo. w. Hampton,
e. A Berge, r. H. Durley, P. E. Reth-
owitsch, Alfred Audetat and Ben Bas-
ing, present incumbent. E. C. Thomas
has the distinction of serving as a
master for IL years. E. A. Berge is
next with nine years. Robt Kendrick
and John Dobbs each served six years
and all others from one to five years.
e. c.. Thomas, E. A. Berge, r. H. Dur
ley, P. E. RethoWitsch, Alfred Audet-
at and Ben Basing are the surviving
masters. AS was said heretofore the
new Masonic Temple was built in
1916. 1t was dedicated Oct. IS of the
same year by Grand Master Stockwell
with impressive ceremonies as is the
custom on such occasions. Hon Jas.
G. Monahan, cong, delivered the ded-
icatory address.
A lodge Of the Sons of Temperance
was organized in Potosi along in the
forties, consisting of about fifty mem
bers. The organization did not last
many years and in the fifties it went
to pieces. The lodge had q fine para
phernalia but what became of it is not
known to the writer. When the temp
0fdnC0 Ofu0T Oh M0uuOCdS OTSdulZ0u
in Potosi they held their meetings iii
the Methodist church as the sons OF
Temperance did many years before.
The Mendotas discovered a beautiful
white silk banner in the attic of the
church that had belonged to the Sons
of Temperance and had presumably
been hid there by some member.
The Methodist church was estaD-
here in 1889, and after twenty years
of labors yielded to the inevitable in
1859. In 1889 a class was formed in
La Fayette, comprised of Thos. Clay
ton, leader; Thos. CrCckwell, John
Crockwell, Catherine Crockwell, Geo.
Madeira and wife, James r. Short and
wife and John Pedlar and wife mem
bers Weekly prayer meeting was es-
tablished and semi-monthly preach
ing enjoyed for some time in the res
idence of James r. Snort. Finally a
log meeting house was erected and
served its purpose for about years,
or until 1916. During that year a
brick structure erected for Mormon
down in the hollow, was pur-
chased by the Methodist society and
removed up to the side hill, little to
the west of Main street in the village.
Z