updated 06/12/2014

Ancient Free & Accepted Masons (AF & AM) Allamakee county, Iowa

1856 Lodges & Members

No. 85, Parvin Lodge
Rossville, Allamakee co.
Stated Meetings: Tuesday after Full Moon
Grand Lodge Dues: not given
Dispensation granted Jan. 15, 1856
Chartered June 4th, 1856
Number of current members: 15

~source: Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Iowa at the Thirteenth Grand Annual Communication, Held in the City of Oskaloosa on Tuesday, June 2D, A.D. 1856, A.L. 5856; T.S. Parvin, Muscatine, Grand Secretary;
Printed by Raymond, Foote & Eystra, Faust Printing House, 1856.
~data extracted by Sharyl Ferrall from an original copy of the book.

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1864 Lodges & Members

Report of District Deputy Custodian
I received official invitation to visit and hold a school of instruction from Waukon Lodge No. 154. Waukon school of instruction I organized 15th January and kept open four days. An interest was gotten up, and a few brethren, Bros. Hedge, Isted, Hersy, Pottle and flint, gave their attention almost undivided, and the result was, they made much progress in the work. On the 19th the school closed. The regular communication of said Lodge being on the same evening, I presided, by urgent request, and fully exemplified the work by conferring the E.A. [Entered Apprentice] degree on Messrs. John Goodykoontz and W.D. Bryant, F.C. [Fellow Craft] degree on Bro. G.W. Bryant, and M.M. [Master Mason] on Bro. S.W. Bailey.

On the 16th February, I again visited Waukon Lodge, No. 154, by request, it being their regular communication, and took the East and conferred the E.A. degree on L.W. Plank and F.C. on Bro. John Goodykoontz.

On the 25th, at home to the regular meeting of Evergreen Lodge, No. 144.

On the 15th March, Waukon Lodge, No. 154 again sent for me. Opened a school of instruction, which continued five days. The brethren made rapid progress in the work, and this Lodge can open, close, call off, call on and work and give the 1st section of the lectures in all the degrees, and in fact all but 2d section of 3d degree. Promises fair to be one of the best working Lodges in Northern Iowa.

On invitation of said Lodge [Waukon, No. 154], I met with them March 22d, at their stated communication. The Lodge was opened in the 1st, 2d and 3d degrees in due form, at 2 o'clock P.M. The usual business of the Lodge was done by 5 P.M. Called on at 7 P.M., and conferred E.A. degree on Messrs. Josiah Dull, Wm. Dalton, Ezra J. Litchty, Isaac Greer, W.E. Rose and Allen Clark. Lecture was given in full in the three sections. Called off for refreshment at low 12. Called on and conferred 2d degree on Bro. Levi W. Plank, and 3d degree on Bro. John Goodykoontz. Lectures in both degrees given in full. Closed in due form at 5 A.M.

I organized a school, Lansing school of instruction in Lodge No. 144, my own Lodge, in October, which held meetings once a week until February. Not as much progress made as I could have wished; in fact, I met with more silent opposition to the work than in any Lodge in my district. Time, faith and perserverance will accomplish the desired result even in this Lodge.

Yours in a zealous bond,
H.H. Hemenway, Dept. Cust. st Dist.

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Parvin Lodge, No. 85
Rossville, Allamakee co.
Charter surrendered June, 1860

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No. 144, Evergreen Lodge
Lansing, Allamakee co.

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No. 154, Waukon Lodge
Waukon, Allamakee co.

~source: Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Iowa, of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, at its Twenty-first Grand Annual Communication held at Des Moines, June 7, A.L. 5864, A.D. 1864
~Data extracted by S. Ferrall from a microfilmed copy of the book.

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1864 Lodges & Members

EVERGREEN LODGE, NO. 144, LANSING, ALLAMAKEE COUNTY
Time of Stated Meeting,Thursday on or after Full Moon.
Officers:

J. W. Thomas, W.M.	Salmon Wood, Treas.	L. M. Elmondorf, J.D.
S. H. Hazleton, S.W.	John Hancy, Jr., Sec'y
John I. Taylor, J.W.	A. L. Battles, S.D.

WAUKON LODGE, NO. 154, WAUKON, ALLAMAKEE COUNTY
Time of Stated Meetings, Tuesday before Full Moon
Officers:

Lewis W. Hersey, W.M	Jno. Goodykoontz, Treas.	Jacob Shew, J.D.
I. H. Hedge, S.W.	J. W. Flint, Sec'y	J. C. Bartlett, Tyler
W. R. Pottle, J.W.	Robert Isted, S.D.

~source: Iowa State Gazetteer : embracing descriptive and historical sketches of counties, cities, towns and villages, which include much valuable information respecting the agriculture, manufactories, commerce, educational and religious institutions, population and history of the state : to which is added a shippers' guide and a classified business directory of the manufacturers, merchants, professional and tradesmen of Iowa, together with their business address; by James T. Hair; Chicago: Bailey & Hair, 1865; pg 62-63
~transcribed by Constance Diamond for Allamakee co. IAGenWeb

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Brotherly Love Lodge, No. 204 A.F. & A.M.
Postville

~contributed by Reid R. Johnson

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History of Brotherly Love Lodge No. 204

~contributed by Connie Ellis

Brotherly Love No. 204
Chartered by the Grand Lodge of Iowa AF&FM June 5, 1867
Lodge Explained to Public at Open House in Postville

An Open House was held at the Postville Masonic Hall Sunday afternoon. All lodges in the state were requested to host such an event. The purpose was to open the doors to the general public so that tours of the premises could be conducted. Visitors were shown through the hall and the dining area and explanations were offered. They were invited to ask questions about the working of the Lodge and members explained the role of Masonry in the community.

It was explained that some of the decorative chairs used by officers had been acquired when the Ossian, Iowa Lodge merged with the Postville group. The seating on either side of the hall been procured from a Decorah, Iowa theater. Lights from the extinct Monona, Iowa Lodge adorn the hall. In the usual fashion for an Open House, visitors came, toured the building, had coffee and bars and went on their way. Such was the case when Pam and June Ackerman from Carksville, Iowa noticed the activity and stopped to see what was going on. They signed the register, looked the place over and continued on their way.

Lee Voshell and his wife from Wadena, Iowa attended the event, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Willet Miller of Clermont, Iowa Lodge. Visitors noted the extensive display of symbols which are a Masonic trademark. In particular, the letter “G” in the center of their emblems, indicating God is the center of their lives. The visitors learned about the Masonic scholarship program which is extended to high school students each year, and has proved to be very beneficial to many students. The intention is to enrich this endowment considerably. Other charitable donations have been made to the Ronald McDonald House near the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa, which provides housing for the parents of critically ill children. Generation Gifts were given to assist in the renovation of the Statue of Liberty in New York City, New York.

History

Brotherly Love Lodge No. 204 was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Iowa AF& FM on June 5, 1867 and at that time it became a regularly constituted lodge. On January 1, 1867, after having been duly recommended by Union Band Lodge No. 66, which had just been moved from Moneek to Frankville, Iowa, Grand Master Charles Peck gave a dispensation to G. F. Webster, Worthy Master, Alex Bishop, Samuel Courson, Junior Warden and 9 others who were permitted to form a lodge at Postville, Iowa. While the group was working under the dispensation, the membership doubled to 18, thus making it large enough to have a charter. After the lodge was reviewed it was ordered that the charter be official and the name of Brotherly Love No. 204 be assigned.

Charter members at that time included:

OFFICERS: Glenn F. Webster Alex Bishop S.W. Courson Abraham Hart Albert Dresser W.F. Dresser J. Coykendall

FELLOWCRAFTS: Nathan Clough L.D.B. Hawkins MASTER MASONS: A. Amos James Perry C. I. Bishop John Shaw J. P. Cooper D. Wagner D.H. Fisher A. W. McDonald J. W. Patterson J. H. Penny

ENTERED APPRENTICES: Leni Calendar J.B. Reed E. J. Stevenson E. J. Topliff Joseph Watson

Of these charter members, L.D. B. Hawkins was the first to receive his 50-year certificate in 1917.

First Hall

The first Masonic Hall was located at or about 139 West Military Street which is now an abandoned road or alley, thought to have been part of the old Military Road, which would have been the rear part of the old Ellis Blacksmith Shop. Later the Lodge met in the hall which is now 137 Lawler Street until a fire in 1887 took out most of the buildings in that block. Consequently, most of the records were destroyed. Later a duplicate charter was issued and the Lodge met in the upper story of the Douglass building now occupied by Livingood's Corner Clothier and Barber Shop. The Lodge was given permission to borrow $300 to replace the furnishings for the hall. As was the usual procedure, the building was heated with wood stoves, so it was the duty of the Tyler to carry up wood and build the fires on meeting nights.

The growth in membership followed the precedent set by the Masonic Lodge in the state of Iowa. In 1917, there was a membership of 100. After the close of World War I the return of veterans from the service caused a boom in membership and by 1924, there were 141 members. However, during the Depression years, there were many dropouts and the roll dropped to 100 once more. In April 1962 a consolidation offer was made with Arcturus Lodge 237 at Ossian, Iowa which had an enrollment of 20. It added to the membership but also increased the average age of members as Ossian had admitted few new members for several years.

State Officers

W. W. Perry, a member of the Postville Lodge, became a Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin. In 1924 Ray Douglass qualified as a Masonic Instructor and later became District Lecturer. Later he was elected Grand Master in Iowa in 1955.

After the death of Ray Douglass, the building was sold to Rodney Livingood. The meeting place for the Lodge had to be moved. The group bought an old Methodist Church located on Tilden Street which was no longer in use except as an Odd Fellows Hall. This church was dismantled in 1976. All labor in connection with the demolition was donated by the Lodge members who worked on the project whenever they had time. Lumber was carefully removed for later use. A new structure was built by the carpentry class from Area I Vocational School in Calmar, Iowa, with the help of students from the plumbing and electrician courses. During the fall of 1976, the students came forenoons, five days a week, accompanied by their instructor. Very little material had to be purchased and the approximate cost of the building amounted to about $30,000. Dimensions of the building were 32 x 64 feet with a dining area of 32 x48. The cornerstone laying was done on the afternoon of July 9, 1977.

~Postville Herald, September 30, 1987

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Check these Clayton co. lodges for Allamakee co. members

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