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A History of masonry in Indianapolis. English, William E. (William Eastin), 1850–1926. 
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HISTORY OF MASONRY
IN
INDIANAPOLIS

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TO
MY MASONIC BROTHERS
OF
INDIANAPOLIS

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[View Figure]
ORLANDO W. BRO\WNBACK, Grand Master. [View Figure]
JAMES W. DUNBAR, Deputy Grand Master. [View Figure]
WILLIAM E. ENGLISH, Senior Grand Warden. [View Figure]
GEORGE E. GRIMES, Junior Grand Warden. [View Figure]
MARTIN H. RICE, Grand Treasurer. [View Figure]
CALVIN W. RATHER, Grand Secretary. [View Figure]
ISAAC P. LEYDEN, Grand Trustee. [View Figure]
FRANK E. GAVIN, Grand Trustee. [View Figure]
ROGER PARRY, Grand Steward and Tyler.

PRESENT ELECTIVE OFFICERS OF THE GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND
ACCEPTED MASONS OF THE STATE OF INDIANA,
For the term ending May 27, 1902.

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A HISTORY
OF MASONRY
IN INDIANAPOLIS

BY

WILLIAM E. ENGLISH,

32º
Senior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Indiana, F. & A. M.
Past Worshipful Master of Center Lodge No. 23, F. & A. M.
Past High Priest of Indianapolis Chapter No. 5, R. A. M.
Past Illustrious Master of Indianapolis Council No. 2, R. & S. M.

INDIANAPOLIS
THE BOWEN-MERRILL COMPANY
PUBLISHERS

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COPYRIGHT 1901
WILLIAM E. ENGLISH

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CONTENTS.

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INTRODUCTORY

In his annual address to the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Indiana, May 28th, 1895, Grand Master Gavin used the following language:

"I received and read with care a very interesting and excellent monograph on "Early Masonry in Indianapolis," by Bro. W. E. English, P. M., of Center Lodge No. 23. "The example of thus perpetuating the name and fame of the early fathers of Masonry in our land is worthy to be followed both by the Lodges and the Grand Lodges. I most earnestly commend it to you, with the suggestion that there have been many men prominently connected with the early history of Masonry and of the Grand Lodge of Indiana whose Masonic careers and labors should not be forgotten. Some steps ought to be taken to keep fresh in the minds of succeeding generations the recollection of their great work."

The Grand Body received this recommendation of its presiding officer with decided favor and unanimously adopted a resolution directing "that the Grand Master appoint three persons as Historians of the Grand Lodge," and the records show that, "in obedience to this order of the Grand Lodge, M. W. Frank E. Gavin, Grand Master, appointed the following Historians: P. G. M. Daniel McDonald, of Plymouth, P. G. M. Thomas B. Long, of Terre Haute, and P. M. William E. English, of Indianapolis." Although there was great uncertainty in the page: 2[View Page 2] minds of the appointees as to what the Grand Lodge intended the actual scope of the work to be, in the absence of definite instructions, they proceeded to act under their appointment, and at the first formal meeting held at Masonic Temple in the city of Indianapolis, October 24th, 1895 (as shown by their report at the next meeting of the Grand Lodge) "after due consideration the committee came to the conclusion that it was the spirit and intent of the Grand Lodge in creating the committee that it should embrace in the proposed history all the branches of Masonry now organized in the State, and so believing, a division of the proposed work be made as follows: History of Ancient Craft Masonry to Daniel McDonald; History of Royal Arch Masonry, Order of High Priesthood and Royal and Select Masters, to Thomas B. Long; History of Knights Templar and Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, to William E. English."

In accordance with this apportionment of labor, the committee proceeded with the work during the year that followed and reported to the Grand Lodge at the annual meeting of 1896, that the part of it referring to Ancient Craft Masonry was "well under way" with "much yet to be done" and that "much data and statistics" had been gathered as to "the other orders of the proposed history," but added that because of "the lack of definite instructions as to the wishes of the Grand Lodge as to the extent of the contemplated history, they have held the matter in abeyance, waiting definite action at the present session." In conclusion it was asked that such steps be page: 3[View Page 3] promptly taken as would "leave no doubt as to the wishes of the Grand Lodge in regard to this important matter." Nothing was done, however, at this session in response to this request for definite instructions, and no action was taken upon the report further than the making of a small appropriation to defray certain expenses of the committee incurred in the prosecution "of their investigations in the various parts of the State." The appointees therefore continued their efforts in the direction of gathering "data and statistics," etc., for another year, but recognizing the unsatisfactory position in which they were placed by the ambiguous instructions and intentions of the Grand Lodge, the attention of Grand Master Simeon P. Gillett was called to the situation, who promptly relieved the uncertainty by the following declaration in his annual address to the Grand Lodge, October 25th, 1897:
"The preparing and publishing this history will be more expensive than the Grand Lodge at first supposed, and it must be prepared to meet it, if the object is to be accomplished. The question has arisen in my mind, what history did this Grand Lodge intend should be prepared and published? The history of Freemasonry, as appertaining to this Grand Lodge and its pioneer founders, or the history of Symbolic Masonry in Indiana and concordant orders? From a careful reading of the recommendations of Grand Master Gavin, and the report of the Committee on Ways and Means, to which it was referred, I am constrained to think that it was intended that there should be prepared a full, careful and elaborate account of the facts and incidents connected with the lives and times of the pioneer Masons of Indiana, and the history of the Grand Lodge from its organization, but especially of the circumstances and events attending its earlier formative period. "I am led, therefore, to question the correctness of the opinion page: 4[View Page 4] of the Committee that the history proposed was to be inclusive of all the branches of Masonry now organized in the State."

The position of the Grand Master was sustained and approved by the Grand. Lodge, and nothing therefore remained for the members of the committee to whom the "Concordant Orders," etc., had been assigned but retirement from the work as appointees of the Grand Lodge and the abandonment of further research along the lines apportioned to them in the original division of labor when the compilation of a history "embracing all the branches of Masonry now organized in the State" was contemplated. It was wisely decided, however, that Past Grand Master McDonald should, under Grand Lodge auspices, continue the branch of the work which had been allotted to him and for which he had collected much valuable material, confining his labors strictly to Ancient Craft Masonry "as appertaining to this Grand Lodge and its pioneer founders." The result was the production of a most excellent work highly satisfactory to the members of the Grand Lodge and in every way creditable to the Historian, entitled "History of Freemasonry in Indiana." Judge Thomas B. Long, who was better equipped than any man in the State to write the "History of Royal Arch Masonry, Order of High Priesthood and Royal and Select Masters," met with an untimely death July 21, 1900, and was thereby prevented from carrying out the desires of his friends, who realized that with the material at his command and the great literary abilities which he possessed a work covering these divisions of Masonry page: 5[View Page 5] would be produced which would prove alike creditable to himself and gratifying to the representatives of Capitular and Cryptic Masonry in Indiana.

Previous to the disbandment of the committee, the author had already collected considerable material in the field of research assigned to him and he decided later to individually follow out a plan similar to that originally agreed upon by the committee, but to confine it to the capital city of Indiana only, and with his monograph on "Early Indianapolis Masonry" * as a basis to compile an enlarged and comprehensive volume, which should include the history of "all the branches of Masonry now organized" in that city, from the first organization in 1822 down to the close of the century, embracing not only all the York and Scottish Rite Bodies, but all adoptive and kindred organizations. The kindly favor with which the press, the public and his Masonic brethren had previously received the monograph referred to encouraged him to attempt the more pretentious work. The result is the present volume, and while the history of the later organizations naturally does not cover a period as interesting as that embraced in the original publication, it is hoped that the student of Masonic history may find something in the reference to each of them as herein presented at least worthy of consideration from a statistical and historical standpoint.

* Published by the Indiana Historical Society, in Vol. III of its publications, being the first number of that volume.
December 26th, 1894, Center Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of Indianapolis, also ordered its publication under Lodge auspices.

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The author's thanks are due to the Secretaries of the various Masonic organizations of Indianapolis for access to records and information kindly furnished, and he is under especial obligations to Secretaries Willis D. Engle, Hugh J. Drummond, Tom Oddy, William H. Smythe, Edward Moore and John Schley, as well as to Grand Secretary Calvin W. Prather and Past Grand Commander Henry C. Adams for very highly appreciated brotherly courtesies most graciously extended.

WILLIAM E. ENGLISH.

Indianapolis, March, 1902.

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[View Figure]
WILLIAM W. WICK. [View Figure]
HERVEY BATES, SR. [View Figure]
JOHNN C. NEW. [View Figure]
JAMES M. RAY. [View Figure]
JAMES L. HOGIN.

EARLY WORSHIPFUL MASTERS OF CENTER LODGE.

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