On October 22, 1874, just
one hundred and twenty five years ago the Charter for this Lodge was granted. At that time the first brick Sumner County Court House had just been built on the site where Heritage Park now stands. The City of Wellington was only four years old. This was just two years after the first grade school had been built. It was twelve years before the ‘cyclone’ hit Wellington and did so much damage. It was 25 years before the first automobile came to town. The Community, town, county, lodges and everything was young or just starting. That was also the year that the grass- hoppers ate up everything and it is still called the ‘grasshopper year’. In the fall of 1873 a few Masons met in a room on the second floor of an old building South of where Sober’s Jewelry Store is now located. They talked Masonry, and out of these informal meetings grew a petition to the Grand Master of Kansas, for a dispensation to organize a Masonic Lodge. This request was granted, and the dispensation is dated February 2, AD, 1874, A.L. 5874. The first meeting was held in a two- story frame building that stood on the northeast comer of Washington and Lincoln Avenues, where a three-story brick building stood was owned by Eldon E. Walker. Smith Clothing Store Erwin’s Barber Shop, Lana’s Beauty Boutique and others, occupied the lower floor, all of which is now a parking lot. This brick building was constructed in 1886. John A. Kirk, who operated a saloon on the first floor, owned the original old frame building. The building was propped up by four large poles, cut on the banks of Slate Creek, two on the north side and two on the south of the building to keep the strong winds from blowing it over. The second story had two windows in the east end, two in the west. The entrance to the hall was on the south side near the west end of the building, the stairway leading to it was on the outside, starting from the east. The confusion and noise from the saloon below interfered so much with lodge work that the floor was covered with sawdust to deaden the noise.. Later the sawdust was packed in between the floor and the ceiling below and was more effective. Some of the brethren say that this sawdust became a harbor for fleas, which helped to make a more lasting impression on the candidates. The first meeting of the lodge was held in the second story hall in the old frame building on February 9th AD 1874, A.L. 5874, with the following named Masons Present: Enoch Morris, James S. Hunt, James T. Herrick, James Holland, J.L. Kellogg, L.K. Myers, D.W. Cooley, John D. Share, A. W. Shearmn, W. H. McClelland, A. Martin, S.L. Harmon, J.G. Davis, R. W. Stevenson, S.L. Still, C.R. Godfrey, W.J. Lingenfelter, T.J. Riley, S. Mann, A. D. Rosenkrans, James Cook, J.W. Baird, E. Evans and J.E. Reed. The lodge was called to order at 7:00 P.M. and a Lodge of Master Masons was opened in form by R. W. Brother Enoch Morris, Worshipful Master of Adelphia Lodge No. 110 of Winfield, Kansas, as Worshipful Master, Brother James Hunt as Senior Warden, and James T. Herrick as Junior Warden. All these Brethren are now deceased. Brother Enoch Morris then read a dispensation, of which the following is a true copy: “From the East of the Grand Lodge of Kansas, to all good Master Masons where so ever dispersed throughout the world, Owen A. Bassett, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kansas of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, sends greetings. Whereas, a petition has been presented to me by sundry brethren to-wit: James S. Hunt, James Holland, James T. Herrick, and others, residing in and in the vicinity of the town of Wellington and the County of Sumner, in the State of Kansas, praying to be constituted into regular Lodge and promising to render obedience to the ancient usage’s and landmarks of the Fraternity, and the Laws and Edicts of the Grand Lodge, and whereas, said petitioners have been recommended to me as Master Masons in good standing by Adelphia Lodge No. 110 under this jurisdiction. Now therefore, I, Owen A. Bassett, Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Kansas, reposing full confidence in the recommendations, do by virtue of the authority in me vested hereby grant dispensation empowering and authorizing our trusty and well beloved brethren aforesaid to form and open a Lodge after the manner of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and therein to confer the Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason’s Degrees, according to ancient customs and not otherwise. Said Lodge to be known as Wellington Lodge U. D. This dispensation is to continue in full force until the Thirty- first day of August A. D., 1874, unless sooner revoked by me. And I do hereby appoint Bro. James S. Hunt to be the first Master Bro. James Holland to be the first Senior Warden, and Bro. James T. Herrick to be the first Junior Warden of said Lodge, and it shall be their duty and they are hereby required to return this dispensation with a correct transcript of their proceedings had under the authority of the same, together with attested copy of their By-laws, to our Grand Lodge aforesaid, at the expiration of the time herein specified, for examination and such further action in the premises as shall be deemed wise and proper. “Given under my hand and the seal of our Grand Lodge at Lawrence this second day of February, A. L. 5874, A. D. 1874. “(Signed) OWEN A. BASSETT, Grand Master.” “(Attest) JOHN H. BROWN, Grand Secretary” Special Deputy Grand Master Enoch Morris, Worshipful Master of Adelphia Lodge No. 110 of Winfield, then constituted Wellington Lodge U.D. with the following officers: Brother James S. Hunt, Worshipful Master; James Holland, Senior Warden; James T. Herrick, Junior Warden; J. L. Kellogg, Treasurer; L. K. Myers, Secretary; D. W. Cooley, Senior Deacon; John D. Share, Junior Deacon; W. A. McClelland, Senior Steward; A. Murlin, Junior Steward, and A.W. Sherman, Tyler. It was resolved that the regular communications of this Lodge be held on the Second and Fourth Mondays of each Month. Closing this special Dispensation at the end of six months, which was August 31, A. D., 1874, they reported fifteen meetings held, and a list of forty members as follows: James S. Hunt, James Holland, James T. Herrick, Jasper L. Kellogg, L.K. Myers, D.W. Cooley, John D. Share, W.H. McClelland, A. Murlin, J.F. Sutton, George D. Armstrong, Charles E. Attebury. William Brown, J.C. Bums, D.N. Cook, John G. Davis, John Dunlap, T.H. Evans, Elijah Evans, Thomas Dickinson, J. T. Flynn, Clark R. Godfrey, T.A. Hubbard,S. L. Harmon, William R. Jordan, John Logan, Sylvester Mami, R. Bruce Magee, A. B. Mayhew, George M. Miller, John P. McCulloch, James E. Reed, Thos. E. Rich, T.J. Riley, Thomas Smith, Samuel L. Still, A.A. Shope, Richard W. Stevenson, E. R. Sadler and James Wright, all of these Brethren are deceased. The regular Charter, which is safely kept in the fire-proof Grand Office building in Topeka, Kansas a copy of which hangs on the wall in this hall, was issued by the most Worshipful Grand Lodge on October 22, AD 1874, and was delivered to this Lodge on the 11th day of December, AD 1874, by Right Worshipful Brother A.S. Adams, of Wichita, who called the Lodge to order and read the Charter to them and constituted WellingtonLodge No. 150 A. F. & A. M., in regular form. Prominent civic leaders of the town of Wellington were members of the early Lodge as evidenced by some of the additions to the City of Wellington being named after them, such as “L.K. Myers Addition” and “C. R. Godfrey Addition.” Brother Joseph M. Thralls, was the first Brother raised in this Lodge on December 26, 1874. Some of the Brothers of today can remember Brother Thralls, as he was Mayor of Well- ington in 1924. The Lodge held its first meeting in the hall in the old frame building until April 1, A. D. 1880, when they moved two blocks north, and on the west side of the street into the J. T. Hickman building, which stood where the Memorial Auditorium now stands. It was a two-story frame structure and stood just north of the old stone courthouse. The Lodge used the second story, which was reached by an outside wooden stairway on the south side of the building. The Lodge Occupied this hall until January 1,1884 when it moved to the upstairs of the building that was occupied by the Glasco Drug Store, which is the second building from the northeast comer in the block inwhich the Masonic Temple stood. The Lodge used thethird floor of this building until August 1, 1908, when it moved into the third story of the John T. Stewart building, across the street south of the Masonic Temple. They occupied this hall until September 1, 1910, when they moved into the third story of the old Masonic Temple which had just been built by the Wellington Masonic Temple Company on the northwest comer of Washington and Lincoln Avenues, in the City of Wellington, just across the street west from where the Lodge was first organized. In 1984 a new Masonic Temple was erected located at 2129 North A street. A beautiful single story steel building with Silverdale stone, veneer on the front and inside on the east wall of the lodge. The lodge was charted October 22, 1874, erected in 1984 and dedicated in 1986. We are very proud of our Temple and like to share it with our guests. As proof of the results of the continued and faithful work of the officers and members of this organization during these hundred and twenty five years, we wish to mention the following: The Sumner Chapter‘ of Royal Arch Masons, No. 37, whose charter was issued on the 15th day of October, AD 1878. The St. John’s Commandery of Knights Templar, No. 24, whose charter was issued on the 13th of May, AD 1884. The Order of Eastern Star, No. 157, whose charter was issued on the 16th day of May, AD 1895. The Social Order of the Beauceant, No. 14, whose charter was issued on the 12th day of February, 1921 and The Order of Rainbow for Girls, No. 1 whose charter was issued on the 23rd day of April, AD 1923. The history of Wellington shows that these Masonic organizations have had a prominent and active part in the development of this community, for we find members of our fraternity in all the moral, civic and political activities in the past century, and many of them have been chosen for the most important offices in Wellington and Sumner County. We are too apt to limit brotherhood to our own little circle. The word “FREE” in our title is derived from the Norman-French word “Freres” which means “Brethren” or “Brotherhood”, and is still so used in that language. This idea is also emphasized in Holy Writ, where the word “Brotherhood” is used oftener than any other term that pertains to human relations. Thus are we truly Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons. Some of our best Masonic writers inform us that the shape of our Lambskin or White Leather Apron is emblematic of two very important ancient ideals. First to the square form of the body of the apron, and second to the triangular form or the bib or fall, placed over it. In ancient time a square was considered as an emblem of things human, earthly and mortal, while a triangle was considered as an emblem of things divine, spiritual and immortal. Thus by placing the triangle over the square, our Masonic Apron unites these two great ideas. Therefore, let each brother so live and so wear it that when his summons comes to leave this earthly life, may he hear from Him who sitteth as the Judge Supreme the welcome words, “WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT ENTER THOU INTO THE JOYS OF THY LORD.” As we begin the New Millennium “What will the future be? Twenty-five years from today Wellington Lodge No. 150 will have another celebration, which will be its 150th Anniversary. Perhaps some of our younger members will have the privilege of attending. Then let us so live as Masons, that when our Brethren assemble to celebrate that 150th Anniversary, they can say of us,“They are not forgotten, and their words do follow them. ” Committee Chairmen Harold Thompson Edsel King Kenneth Davis Greg Moser |
Wellington Lodge #150 Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons 1874 - Present |
