Norwich bulletin., 1921-12-01
JEWETT CITY

Nit. Vernon lodge. No. s75, F. $ A. M. B. R. Gardner master, has just celebrat- ed its fftieth anniversary and next week will elect it's 6rst-frst officers.
 Mount vernon. is the daughter of Som erset lodge No 54. of Norwich {; members of that lodge conferred the first and sec. ond degrees on the men from Jewett City They were Frederick H. Tanning. Danie: K. Prior, William G.. Duce, Amos Chese- tfce and Alonzo D. Armstrong. All thes seven charter members have passed on. The eldest. living. menAer of Noun, Vernon is Lewis A. Thornton of this place; he was the fifth candidate to be initiated after the organization of the order. He took his degrees in April and June, 1872, the officers at that time were 1 F. H. Tanning, master and the wardens, l D. K. Prior and VIC Duce. The chart CT issued from the grand lodge in Hart | ford mentions these men as being the first three officers
 l The first meeting were held in the dwelling on Main street; occupied now by the Desjardines family. Soon rooms were secured in the Hutchinson and Stead building on Main street where the Con gregational parsonage now stands, In the big. fire of 1878 this building was burned and the lodge lossed everything it pos sessed, including it's charter. A dupli- cate was issued by the grand lodge. Sur. viving this disaster, Mount Verncn again oponed on the top fio GOT of the then Granite hotel owned by Patrick Dolan, from tlnis l place they removed to rtorns in the Ston, grist mill, then owned by John F. Slater l thence several years later to tns Whiting block! now owned by T. A. Rioux, wher. their handsomely appointed rooms com pare favorably with any of the srnalle lodges in Connecticut The last renova was marked with 10 little ceremony tn goat" being the most refractory one in al the train that proceeded up Main street There have been SIS members admit ted with the present m nle-,,l,arshis) standinj
 at 1s3. T. E. Lee acted as tyler |,
 30 years and perforneu Il.s o4l4ce III all 0
 the places which Sthe ledge has occupied
 E. H. Hscox has been elected treasure
 twenty-eight consecutive years Inquir
 of the grand master proves that Worship
 ful Brother E. NJ. Gray broke all Ma
 sonic records, when, one evening he raise
 his three sons to the sublime degree 0
 Master Mason Mount Vernon lodge ha
 worked under 2s masters, of whom eigl 1 have been laid.to rest among their wi with Masonic homer. ss Daniel k. A.l.9., March g. 1883.
 William G. Duce, Dec. 12, f91s Frederick. H. Tanning. Feb. 24, 1911. Thomas N. Crunlb, Feb. !, 1908. ,
 Israel Mathewson. IN,. IS, 1905. } Stephen P. Green, Feb. I, 1914. Arthur c. Ladd, Nov a2s, 1907.
 Thomas B. Keen, Oct. 25, 1s17. } The living past master Te:
 Charles H. Ray. retired. living in Sy vandale, stil a ree-ula- attendant at r.::
 Of the. meetings of the order he ser,
 in 1SS2-s3. s..s Charles Edward Prior 1sS4-5, no1 vice president of the Security Trust Ca
 of Hartford.
 George H. Jennings, 1SSs-9, a phys
 elan of Jewett City. regular attendar
 and an enthusizstice Mason. ,3s. n Frank Bishoo 1s3o-s1. rtw. in the j,
 surance business at Pawtucket. R. l.. John N. Lewis. 1S94-9o-so now treasul ] CT of the Briggs Mfg Co., of Voluntown 5 William F: Burdick,: 1ssT-ss, who present is in i'll health at his home ( a I North Main street.
 . . Edwin M Hra35, town assess-r an : Urea surer and clerk of the borough T Jewett City, he served in 1s9s-1soo.
 William H. Barron, Jr., 1sa1-o2, no v business man of Boston, Mass y Frank E. Oids, 1903, now in busine ; in Providence, R. T. TT; Ge:rge H. Prior, 1904, the presa Il secretary is the son of the third maste l. Daniel K. Prior. He is. now assista