Past Masters of Zebulon Lodge #273
Gallery
No. 1
Several months ago, my friend Jimmy Goble, a long-time member of the Prestonsburg Masonic Lodge, knowing of my work on the Samuel May House Photo Archive, asked me if I would like to obtain photos of Past Masters of Zebulon Lodge #273. Naturally I said yes.  Several days later, we climbed the stairway leading to the lodge, which is located above Rose's Restaurant in downtown Prestonsburg.  Then we inspected the photographs, which cover the entire east wall of its spacious ceremonial chamber. I subsequently contacted Burl Wells Spurlock, President of the First Commonwealth Bank, and asked him if he would underwrite the cost of copying the photos. He generously agreed to do so. So thanks, Jimmy, and thanks, Burl, for making this exhibit possible.
The Zebulon Lodge #273 has been one of Prestonsburg's most enduring institutions. It was established in 1854, and its first Master was Prestonsburg attorney John Preston Martin, U.S. Congressman from 1845 to 1847.
The law  partner of John M. Elliott, Martin was one of the most popular men in the Kentucky Democratic Party.  In the Spring of 1848 party leaders chose him as their candidate for  Lieutenant Governor. Martin County, established in 1870, was  named in his honor. He is buried in the May Cemetery on the ridge overlooking the Samuel May House. Until recently, his grave was overgrown with weeds and his marker was lying flat on the ground.
On Sunday, May 17, 1998, several members of Zebulon Lodge cleaned up his grave and placed his marker back on its pedestal. Then they held a brief ceremony in his honor. The group is raising money to erect a new headstone in the near future.
From left to right: Robert Perry, Jimmy Goble, Rodney Gardener, and Robert Moore at John P. Martin's gravestie.
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The Second Master of Zebulon Lodge was Greenville M. Witten, a native of Tazewell County, Virginia. He evidently owned and operated a store in Prestonsburg during the 1850s, and he was also involved in the timber trade. According to William Ely, author of The Big Sandy  Valley (Catlettsburg, 1887), Witten was a business partner of  Joseph M. Davidson, the fifth master of Zebulon Lodge. He served as master of the lodge from 1856 to 1858 and from 1871 to 1873. In that year he and Davidson established a bank in Catlettsburg, which they operated until 1882. Witten is buried in Catlettsburg.
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The Third Master of Zebulon Lodge was James Trimble, son of Edwin Trimble, Floyd County Attorney from 1833 to 1840. Born in 1830, James followed in his father's footsteps and became Clerk of the Floyd Circuit Court. He was the grandson of John Graham, one of the founders of Floyd County. He died on February 14, 1862, while he was still a young man. He is buried in the May Cemetery next to his son, Malcolm Trimble. Trimble Branch is named for his brother, Col. Edwin Trimble, Jr., commander of the Tenth Kentucky Cavalry, the regiment organized by Col. A. J. May. Trimble was master of the lodge from 1859 to 1863.
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The Fourth Master of Zebulon Lodge was William James May, the second owner of the May House and a cousin of Colonel Jack May. William was Floyd County Surveyor and one of its largest landowners. At the time of his death in 1883, he owned over 10,000 acres. He is buried in the May Cemetery alongside his wife, Cynthia Powers May. He was master of the lodge from 1864 to 1867.
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The Fifth Master of Zebulon Lodge was Joseph M. Davidson, Prestonsburg merchant and Floyd County's Representative in the Kentucky Legislature from 1869 to 1873. He also served as County  Sheriff and as Superintentent of Schools. He died in 1882 and is  buried in the Weddington Cemetery at the mouth of Trimble Branch.  His gravestone, a tall granite obelisk, is the largest monument in the cemetery. He was master of the lodge from 1868 to 1869.
The Sixth Master of Zebulon Lodge was Alexander Lackey Martin, son of John Preston Martin and Prestonsburg attorney during the 1860s and 1870s. William Ely tells us that, like his illustrious father, Alexander Martin was "an able man and a prominent lawyer of his native town." He served as Senator in the Kentucky Legislature from 1871 to 1875. He is buried in the May Cemetery next to his father and mother. He was master of the lodge from 1870 to 1876.
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The Seventh Master of Zebulon Lodge was John W. Mayo, Sr., who owned a large farm where Lancer stands today. He was the son of  Wilson Mayo and the grandson of William James Mayo, the First  Clerk of Floyd County. In addition to farming, John served as Commissioner of the Floyd Circuit Court. He is buried in the Mayo Cemetery at Lancer. He was master of the lodge in  1874, 1875, and 1878.
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The Eighth Master of Zebulon Lodge was William Harvey May, son of Reuben May and Sarah Allen May of Maytown, Kentucky. He attended school in Prestonsburg and for many years was deputy surveyor under William James May. He was also in the timber business and operated a grist mill and saw mill one mile north of Prestonsburg.  He is buried in the May  Cemetery. He served as master of the lodge in 1877, 1879, and 1880.
The Ninth Master of Zebulon Lodge was Francis Alexander Hopkins, better known as Frank Hopkins. A Prestonsburg attorney and hardware store owner, Hopkins served as Floyd County Commissioner of Schools during the 1880s, and in 1890 he was a delegate to the Kentucky Constitutional Convention. He was elected to  Congress in 1902 and served two terms in the U.S. House of  Representatives.Hopkins died on June 5th, 1918 and is buried next to his wife  Alice in the Weddington Cemetery. He was master of the lodge in 1881 and 1882.
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The Tenth Master of Zebulon Lodge was Robert S. Friend, son of John Friend, who came to Prestonsburg in 1821.  Born in Prestonsburg on March 1, 1840, Robert attended Mount Sterling Academy. In 1863, at age twenty-three, he enlisted in  Col. Jack May's Tenth Kentucky Cavalry. After the war he returned to  Floyd County and in 1870 he was elected county attorney. He later  served as Commissioner of the Floyd Circuit Court, in which capacity he tracked down and arrested "moonshiners" operating in the  surrounding hills. Friend was master of the lodge in 1883, 1887, and 1892.
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The Eleventh Master of Zebulon Lodge was Andrew Jackson Davidson, son of Samuel P. Davidson and brother of Joseph M. Davidson and Mary Matilda Davidson, first wife of Colonel Andrew Jackson May. A Prestonsburg merchant, A. J. Davidson married Josephine Martin Harmison, niece of Congressman John  Preston Martin and widow of Prestonsburg merchant P. D.  Harmison.
The Twelfth Master of Zebulon Lodge was Isaac Richmond, Prestonsburg merchant and builder of the Richmond Department Store. John W. Hall says that Richmond was a "great  humanitarian." He served as master of the lodge in 1885, 1899, and 1901. He was born in Big Stone Gap, Virginia on January 27th, 1851, and died in Prestonsburg on February 23, 1922. He is buried next to his wife Mary Cooley Richmond in the New Richmond Cemetery on North Lake Drive.
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The Thirteenth Master of Zebulon Lodge was Walter Scott Harkins, Prestonsburg attorney, banker, and investor. The grandson of Hugh Harkins, who settled in Prestonsburg in the 1830s, Walter organized the Bank Josephine, named in honor of his wife, Josephine Davidson Harkins, in 1891. He was the first president of the bank and remained in that position until his death in 1920.  With his partner John C. C. Mayo of Paintsville, he was instrumental in developing the mineral resources of Eastern Kentucky. Harkins was master of the lodge in 1886.
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The Fourteenth Master of Zebulon Lodge was Rev. Joseph R. Langley of Middle Creek. A farmer and minister of the Christian Church, Langley  served as master of the lodge in 1888. His son, John W. Langley,  became one of the region's most influential politicians, serving in the  U.S. Congress from 1907 to 1926. Joseph is buried next to his  father Joseph R. Langley, Sr. in the Langley Cemetery two miles west of Prestonsburg on the Mountain Parkway.
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The Fifteenth Master of Zebulon Lodge was Thomas Y. Fitzpatrick, born near Prestonsburg in 1850. Admitted to the bar in 1877, he served as Floyd County Judge during 1874-75, State Representative 1876-77, County Attorney 1880-1884, Presidental Elector 1884, and U.S. Congressman from 1898 to 1902. John W. Hall says that Thomas was "a brilliant man." Scalf mentions him briefly in Kentucky's Last Frontier and says that he also had a law practice in Whitesburg. The 1880 U.S. Census shows him boarding at Steele's Hotel in downtown Prestonsburg. He was master of the lodge in 1889 and died in 1906.
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The Sixteenth Master of Zebulon Lodge was John Dick Mayo, son of John W. Mayo. Born at the Mayo Farm south of Prestonsburg on December 8th, 1850, John D. Mayo engaged in farming and the raising of livestock. The Mayo Dairy became a flourishing business under his management, and he also devoted a good  deal of time to the timber trade. He died in 1913 and is buried in the Old Richmond Cemetery on Earl Street above Prestonsburg. Mayo was master of the lodge in 1890.
The Seventeenth Master of Zebulon Lodge was John Witten Layne, Prestonsburg hotel-keeper and postmaster. Born in  Prestonsburg on August 31, 1839, John was the son of  William H. Layne and Sophia Graham Layne. Mary Short,  in her article about John in Traum's History of Floyd County (page 269), says that during the Civil War, John raised a  company which "fought in the Union Army." During the years that followed the  war, he owned and operated the Bonanza Hotel. He died on May 30, 1923  and is buried next to his wife Angeline in the Weddington Cemetery at the mouth of Trimble Branch. His son, Will H. Layne, practiced law for many years in Prestonsburg.
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The Eighteenth Master of Zebulon Lodge was Joseph M. Davidson, son of Greenville Davidson and Laura Cooley Davidson and brother of Mary, Judith, Lyda, Nelle and Victoria Davidson. In 1902, Joseph's sister, Nelle Bly Davidson, became the second wife of Col. Andrew Jackson May. Known for his generosity and public  spirit, Joseph was for many years one of Prestonsburg's  best-loved citizens. He is buried in the Weddington Cemetery  alongside his wife Annie.
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The Nineteenth Master of Zebulon Lodge was Jacob M. Porter, who owned a large farm north of Prestonsburg at Abbott Shoals. Jacob's son Graham Porter contributed the land on which Prestonsburg Community College stands today. Porter was active in the timber trade and operated a dairy. He died  in 1940 and is buried in the Porter Cemeter next to his wife Cynthia.
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The Twentieth Master of Zebulon Lodge was Belvard P. Friend, Prestonsburg attorney and son of Robert S. Friend. Belvard served for many years as Master Commissioner of the Floyd Circuit Court. He served as master of the lodge in 1896 and 1900. He is buried in the Mayo Cemeter at Lancer next to his  wife Judith.
The Twenty-First Master of Zebulon Lodge was Bascom May, the fifth son of Samuel May (1820-1904) and Mary Osborne May. Bascom inherited a portion of the original May Farm, and for many years he and his wife Annie lived in the Weaning  House at the mouth of May's Branch. Bascom made his living by farming and operating a dairy. He and his wife are buried in the May Cemetery on the ridge overlooking the May House.
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The Twenty-Second Master of Zebulon Lodge was George P. Archer, Floyd County banking pioneer and business leader. Mr. Archer was for most of his life associated with the Bank Josephine. He was named Assistant Cashier of the bank in 1892, became Cashier in 1904, and later became President of the bank and a member of its board of directors. In December, 1887 he married to Miss Emma Johns, who preceded him in death in 1949. He and his wife are buried in Davidson Memorial Gardens near Ivel, Kentucky.
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The Twenty-Third Master of Zebulon Lodge was Frank H. Morrell, who served as Surveyor of Floyd County for many years. His son James was the owner of Morrell Hardware in downtown  Prestonsburg. Frank served as master of the lodge in 1902. He is buried in the Weddington Cemetery next to J. D. Morrell.
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The Twenty-Fourth Master of Zebulon Lodge was Dr. H. F. Neal. The 1880 U.S. Census shows that in that year, Dr. Neal was living in Prestonsburg with wife Millie, daughters Johnnie and Mary, and son Joseph. He served as master of the lodge in 1904. John W. Hall says that Neal "specialized in fevers."
The Twenty-Fifth Master of Zebulon Lodge was Sam Spradlin. Son of Samuel Spradlin of Middle Creek, Sam earned his teacher's certificate in 1892 and worked as a Floyd County schoolteacher during the 1890s. A veteran of the  Spanish-American War and for many years a member of the Prestonsburg City Council, he was one of the town's best-loved men. He served as master of the lodge in 1905. He is buried in the Porter Cemetery next to his wife Lida Davidson Spradlin.
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The Twenty-Sixth Master of Zebulon Lodge was James M. Morell, son of Frank H. Morell and owner of Morell Hardware in downtown Prestonsburg. James served as master of the lodge in 1907. He is buried in Porter Cemetery next to his wife Ella.
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Go to Wheelwright Exhibit
Go to Jack May's War
Go to Steamboats Exhibit
Go to Oldest House in the Valley
Go to Zebulon Gallery No. 2
Go to Archive Main Page
The photographs on this page come to us courtesy of Zebulon Lodge No. 273 in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. I would also like to thank my friend Jimmie Goble of Prestonsburg for helping me with this project. Jimmie is Sixty-Fourth Past Master of Zebulon Lodge and I wish him many more years of active service.
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