The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-01-29

This is the fourth OF series OF MS
tories Of Marion county blue lodges
which is appearing weekly on The Times
Lodge Page A history OF Mystic Tie
lodge will be published next Monday.
A NCIENT LANDMARKS lodge
L n Free and Accepted Masons,
which received its grand lodge dis
pensation to organize, May &c, 1864,
and its charter May "a, 1865, has
among its many distinctions the ex-
traordinary one that its name was
selected by Abraham Lincoln.
The Rev. Lewis Brown, rector of
st. Paul's Episcopal church and
one of the older members of the
lodge tells the story:
1T seems that Lincoln on his way
to Washington stopped overnight in
indianapolis and met one Of the
founders of the lodge who men
toned the new organization to
him. The President asked what its
name was to be, and on being in
formed that there still was doubt
on the matter, said There is only
one name for it, Ancient Land
marks. That embodies best the
story of Masonry
"CuriouSly, the initials Of the
lodge also were the initials of the
Civil war President, and thus CO.
incident perpetuated the Lincoln
tradition in the lodge.
This was recounted to me by
Mrs. John E. Collins, whose hus-
hand, a member of the lodge from
1872 to his death in 1922, was
familiar with the conditions under
which President Lincoln gave the
lodge its name. Mr.. Collins sent me
the story from his deathbed by Mrs.
Collins who was present when lodge
brothers buried him in Crown Hill
cemetery"
TINE lodge had as its first Of
L flcers John Love, worshipful
master; John w. Ray, senior war
den; Edmund Clark, junior warden;
John J. Parsons, secretary; j. H.
treasurer; James w. Hess,
senior deacon; Luther R. Martin,
junior deacon, and Wheelock P.
Bingham, tyler.
Other charter members were
Stoughton Fletcher Jr., Theodore P.
Haughey, Barton D. Jones, John
NJ. Lord, Addison L. Roach and
Oliver B. Stout.
The lodge was organized and held
its first meetings in quarters at the
northeast corner of Washington and
Meridian streets, which were oc-
cupied jointly with the Scottish
Rite. 1t was there that Ancient
Landmarks lodge on July 19, 1864,
conferred the first degree on Nor
man S. Byram and three other can
didateS, and on Sept. % of the same
year for the first time conferred
the Master Mason degree, raising
James NJ. Whiteman to that rank.
NTHEN the lodge received its
w charter in 1865, Mr.. Love still
was holding Office as worshipful
master. Other officers were Mr..
Hess, senior warden; Horatio L.
Nelson, junior warden; Mr.. Baldwin,
treasurer; Martin H. Halpine, Secre-
tary; George S. Warren, senior dea-
con; George w. Purcell, junior dea-
con, and Corey c. Reeves, tyler.
Records show that the lodge from
its inception was active in all Ma
sonic affairs. The lodge worked for
both the Masonic relief
board and the Masonic Burial
Ground Association.
The lodge suggested and Endorsed
a project for the erection of a Ma
scnic temple and opera house, but
this never advanced beyond indorSe-
ment. At the same time it urged
the organization Of a Union Badge
of Instruction which also failed to
probably because it was
expected to meet in the projected
temple and opera house.
In 1871 the lodge sent $500 for the
relief Of sufferers in the Chicago
fire. One year later the lodge par
ticipated in laying the cornerstone
Of the Marion county courthouse.
It was in 1879 in response to a
circular about the debt of the
grand lodge that it was resolved
that Ancient Landmarks strongly
objects to reputation in any form"
The following year the lodge
buried Colonel Nelson TruSler,
former secretary of state, at Con-
nersville, and sent a deputation to
st. Louis to attend the funeral Of
a member, Major John E. Simpson,
superintendent Of the Vandalia rail-
road.
A NCIENT LANDMARKS lodge
IA contributed heavily to the re-
lief Of sufferers in the Johnstown