An Abbreviated History of Ohio Lodge #199
Ohio Lodge 199, FAAM: Fragments of History, 1851-2001
Firmly rooted in history, in relief, truth, and brotherly love, and in affirming religious freedom and liberty of conscience, Freemasonry is proud history reaches deep into past centuries. Ohio 199 was, and is, part of that heritage. In Bladensburg, a number of Master Masons assembled on 28 July 1850 to hear the Dispensation of the MWGM of Ohio. Its first meeting as a Lodge of Master Masons opened in due and ancient form Aug. 2nd, 1850.
In 1852 the Lodge resolved to have a public procession and address and use a brass band from Utica in ceremonies. Yet even as it grew, the Lodge also lost. Connected to the larger context of the Civil War, the Temple lost two Brethren killed battle in Tennessee, and one killed in Vicksburg, Mississippi Peace be to their ashes, said the Lodge history.
Over a decade later, with the war in their memories, members of the Lodge accepted an invitation from Mount Zion Lodge No. 9, to attend the laying of the cornerstone for the Soldiers´ Monument in Mount Vernon, 4 July 1876.
The routine ups and downs of Lodge membership was noted in 1880, described as more prosperous than the preceding year, in which several brethren.. .suspended or expelled were restored to membership which gave them considerable work. The year was closed by members retiring themselves to the lower room and regaling themselves in a sumptuous Oyster supper.
In a conflict over the beliefs of one member, a self-proclaimed infidel, the Grand Master affirmed that Masonry.. .goes no farther than to require a belief in the Deity. Morality, Industry, prudence, Temperance, Brotherly Love and Charity are enjoined to practice. Members were advised to treat the infidel with compassion.
Being out of debt in 1900 enabled the Brethren to spread themselves with a banquet of 25 lbs. Boiled Ham, 2 1/2 gal. Oysters, (scalloped) 50 Chickens (alive) for a sumptuous repast and jolly good fellowship.
From 1903 through 1918 the Lodge made a variety of physical improvements, noting, purchase of an Edison Phonograph in 1917, and a donation to the Red Cross in 1918.
In the wake of World War One, in 1919, dues were raised from $2.00 to $2.65.
Through the 1920s and 30s, the Lodge showed vigorous activity, with the first Father and Son Banquet established in 1937 honoring Wor. Bro. George Washington.
In the Second World War the Father and Son Banquet was postponed due to conditions caused by the War. Instead, members raised money for the war work of the Masonic Service. Organization of Ohio which assisted active duty and veteran Brethren.
After the war Lodge membership increased as returning veterans joined The Craft. The immediate postwar period saw the reconvening of the Father and Son Banquet and a fundraising effort for the March of Dimes for infantile paralysis, the disease which afflicted President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the same era a Board of Health report certified that water from a newly drilled well at the Masonic Temple was found safe and sanitary for human consumption.
A grandopening celebrated the completion of a building program started in 1947 which added a new addition, 16 feet wide by 54 feet long, to the north side of the Temple.
In 1951 the Lodge celebrated its first one hundred years with its annual banquet at which Grand Master William E. Judd spoke.
For the first time the Grand Lodge appointed a member of Ohio 199 as a District Deputy Grand Master (1955-1958).
Lodge membership remained stable from the I 950s with a peak at l9lmembers, through the 1970s.The Fellowcraft Club, established in the early 1980s, became the major source for financial aid to Temple improvements through a variety of fundraising efforts ice cream socials, firewood and food concession sales, and, since 1983, annual Christmas tree sales. Supplemented by volunteer labor of members, Temple improvements included a sidewalk, insulation, kitchen and dining room renovations, restrooms on the first floor, carpeting, and new heating and cooling. In 1978 the Temple began support of the Special Olympics for developmentally disabled youth. Additional charities included the Grand Lodge Scholarship Fund, the P. Dean Gerber Scholarship Fund, assistance to local families in need, and the use of the Temple for local community efforts such as Red Cross blood donation drives.
But the history of any voluntary organization is, finally more than physical plant improvement and social and charitable activities those are but a reflection in word and deed of something with larger meaning which defines Freemasonry. Not by accident did tyrants throughout time regard Freemasonry with hostility, trying to banish The Craft. Nor is it an accident that in those nations where the blessings of liberty prevailed, Freemasonry took an active role in affirming freedom of expression and belief, always with reverential gratitude to the Grand Architect of the Universe, and with the intention of improving the quality of human life.
Sources: 1850 - 1950. 100 Years of Masonry in Ohio Lodge No. 199, F&Am (1951); and interviews with RW Bros. Herbert White and Don Priest, April, 2001.
