The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-05-25
ANTEDATE CIVIL WAR
MZZerSUiIle MaS0nS Started in 1852


This is the twenty-first OF series
of histories of Masonic blue lodges IN the
indianapolis jurisdiction which is being
published weekly in The Times. Another
will be published next week.
NEILLERSVILLE lodge No. 126,
1V1 Free and Accepted Masons,
was granted a dispensation TO or
ganize on March 3, 1852, authorized
by the Indiana grand lodge and
signed by A. C. Downey, most wor-
shipful grand master, who latee be-
came chief justice of the Indiana
supreme court.
First members authorized to work
in the lodge we're William j. Mil
lard Jr., worShipful master; Jonah
F.. Lemon, senior warden, and Jacob
Spahr, junior warden, together with
all such brothers as are now or
may hereafter, become members OF
a regular lodge of Free and Ac-
cepted Ancient York MasonS."
Other members of the original
lodge were Hiram Haverstick, Will
liam Bacon, William R. Deford, j.
NeSbit and William ]. Willard Sr.
They held their meetings at the
home of Mr.. Willard Jr., lin the
village of Millersville."
On May 25, 1852, Grand Master
Downey issued charter to Millers-
vile lodge and on May % the lodge
met to confer the master Mason
degree, its first work under the char
ter, which was signed by Mr.. Dow
ney, H. c. Lawrence, deputy grand
master; M. C. Brown, senior grand
warden, and Frank Emerson, junior
grand warden, and atteSted by
Francis King, grand secretary.
Election of officers at this meet
ing resulted as follows:
Mr.. Willard Jr., worshipful mas
ter; Jonah F. Lemon, senior war
den; John L. Brown, Junior war
den; Jacob Spahr, treasurer; Will
liam Winpenny, secretary; Hiram
Haverstick, senior deacon; Mr.. Mil
lard ST., junior deacon; James w.
Brown, steward and tyler.
The first meeting place of the
lodge was on the third floor of
the Winpenny mill, a. flour mill 10
Gated on the banks of Fall creek.
The lodge room could be entered
only by climbing a ladder, and
it was lighted. according to the
minutes. by coal oil lamps, fuel for
which the lodge paid so cents a
gallon. This price steadily declined
until it finally reached 7 cents.
During the summer of 1853 Will
liam Winpenny erected two-story
frame building on the west side
of the main highway through Mil
lersville for the use of the lodge.
The lodge room was located on the
second floor of this building.
On Wednesday, Oct. 26, 1858, the
new home was dedicated in an adj
dress by Thomas A. Lynch. The
minutes do not indicate to what lodge
Mr. Lynch belonged, nor do they
disclose the date of the first meet
ing of Millersville in the new tenn
pie.
THE early records of the lodge
l. also are silent concerning the
opening of hostilities between the
Confederacy and the Union. First
notice of the Civil war is shown in
the records of the meeting of Jan.
81, 1868. Four Millersville members
served with the Union forces. They
were James g. Beard, Thomas A.
Fisher, James Thomas Hunter and
Lewis Y. Newlin. Mr.. Beard was
killed in action at the battle of
Vicksburg. Appropriate resolutions
were passed commemorating this
unhappy event.
On June 3, 1865, motion was car
ried to remit the dues for all men,
berS of the lodge serving in the
Union armies. On March %, 1868,
the lodge had granted permission to
the Millersville Ladies Soldiers Aid
Society to hold regular meetings in
the temple.
MillerSville lodge received its first
title in fee simple to its original
temple by deed from Napoleon B.
Taylor on Oct. %, 1862.
The lodge celebrated its fiftieth
anniversary on May "a, 1902. On
this occasion two lineal descendants
of John Negley, Harry E. Negley
and John S. Miller, received the
master Mason degree, which John
Negley had received in the second
year of the lodges existence. Many
Masons from Indianapolis and vi
cinity attended, most notable of
whom were Charles A. Bookwalter,
then mayor of Indianapolis, and
Major Henry T. Condo, prominent
member of Mystic Tie lodge.
Among the lodges represented at
the anniversary celebration were
Marion, Hartford, keystone, South
port, Mystic Tie, Oriental, Pental-
o11rl