.
|
 |
BRIEF HISTORY OF GARY LODGE
NO. 677 F &A M
( By Secretary; H. H. Sibley, April 16, 1936 )
A convocation of a number of Master
Masons was held in the old Gary Hotel, the site at that
time of the Hotel Gary on June 19, 1909 for the purpose
of petitioning the Grand Lodge of the State of Indiana
for dispensation to open a regular Lodge of Free and
Accepted Masons in the city of Gary, Indiana. Present at
this meeting were 100 Master Masons from Lodges all over
the United States. The names of those present can be had
from the records. At this meeting, Joseph H. Cothery was
named Worshipful Master, Ellsworth G. Bowen, Senior
Warden, and Arthur W. Carnduff, Junior Warden.
On January 18th, 1910
dispensation to open and hold a lodge of Master Masons
was presented to Gary Lodge U. D. in rooms on the third
floor of the Ohio Building at 540 Broadway, Gary,
Indiana. On February 24th, 1910 a fire
completely destroyed this building and all the property
of the Lodge except the Secretary’s desk which fell
to the basement and was immersed in water accumulated
there to the extent that the record books and Bible were
not destroyed. The preservation of our records enabled us
to continue without any interruptions. Invitations were
received from M. L. McClelland Lodge #357 and East
Chicago Lodge #595 to use their Lodge rooms until new
quarters could be secured. Because of better
transportation to Hobart at that time invitation to meet
there was accepted.
The lease on Ohio Building being
terminated by complete destruction of the building,
trustees entered into negotiations with owners of the
Indiana Building next door north and at this time nearing
completion for our occupancy of the third floor. Lease
was accordingly signed for these quarters from May 1,
1910 to April 30, 1913. On June 20th, 1910 the
first meeting was held in this location; this being the
date on which charter of date May 25, 1910 was presented
to our Lodge bearing the number 677. The ceremony of
presenting charter was held in the Majestic rink on
Massachusetts Street to enable friends of the order to
witness the ceremony of the installation of the first
officers in a public ceremony. The charter was presented
and officers installed by Most Worshipful Grand Master
William Ridley, assisted by Past Grand Master Lincoln V.
Cravens and Senior Grand Warden, J. W. Hanan, Junior
Grand Warden, Calvin W. Prather Grand Secretary. After
the public ceremony of Installation the officers of the
Grand Lodge and members of Gary Lodge, and visiting
Masons repaired to our Lodge rooms and lodge was opened
in due form by the officers of Gary Lodge: Joseph H.
Cothery -W.M., Hiram W. Haskell -S.W., Arthur W. Carnduff
-J.W., Arnold B. Keller -Treasurer, Winfred D. Hunter
-Secretary, Frank B Meyer -Senior Deacon, Herbert Frances
-Junior Deacon, Rosco Morrison -Senior Steward, Henry G.
Sibley –Junior Steward, Rev. Joseph E. Smith
–Chaplain, Max Kirchman –Tyler, Ingwald Moe,
Henry G. Hay, and Alfred S. Hess –Trustees. Of these
only H. H.Sibley, A. B. Keller, Rev. Joseph E. Smith are
now members.
On the termination of our lease on
Indiana Building on April 30, 1913 and on our inability
to secure a continuance on terms satisfactory to us a
lease was entered into on Second floor rooms of the Post
building, 26-28 West Avenue for five year period expiring
on September 30, 1918. This lease was extended from time
to time.
On March 19, 1918 Worshipful Master
Leslie R. Bain, appointed the following committee to
investigate the possibility of securing a site for a
Masonic Temple: A. M. Iams, H. W. Haskell, A. M. Fisher,
H. S. Norton, W. D. Hunter, and H. M. Sibley. On March 4th,
1919 the committee reported with their recommendation to
purchase the north east corner of sixth avenue and
Jefferson Street. This was unanimously approved by Gary
Lodge and committee authorized to purchase on May 6th,
1919 this being sixty feet on the North of Jefferson
Street location, as architects sketches submitted could
not be built on a 90 foot site. The Lodge unanimously
approved the report and authorized the committee to make
the purchase.
The original committee with the
addition of Henry G. Hay were now authorized to apply for
charter to form a Masonic Temple Building Association,
which was subsequently granted. On May 9, 1925, the
corner stone was laid by Most Worshipful Grand Master J.
Lee Dinwiddie, with appropriate ceremonies and on May 1,
1926 the completed Temple was dedicated to the use of
Masonry by most Worshipful Grand Master Albert W.
Funkhouser. Of the original Temple Association Brother
Leslie R. Bain, President, A. M. Iam, Vice-President, and
H. H. Sibley, still continue on the active list of the
association.
Our Lodge as organized with 100 charter
members and first Grand Lodge report or December 31, 1910
showed 145 members. The Grand Lodge report of December
31, 1935 showed 603 members. Our high point in membership
was attained in 1920 when our report showed 898 members.
On March 31, 1936, 1481 members had passed through our
portals of which 621 remained members on that date. Of
the original 100 members forming Charter on May 25th,
1910 only 18 now remain members.
To attempt to list the activities of
our standing Masons would be too large a job for the
purpose of this brief history of our lodge, suffice to
say that the political life of our city and country has
been well represented by members of our Lodge and
Fraternity.
Fraternally submitted, - H. H. Sibley,
Secretary.
Last Updated: January 01, 2002
|