User:MELowePM/Terre Haute Lodge, No. 19, F&AM

Terre Haute Lodge No. 19, F&AM (Chartered September 13, 1821) is a lodge of Freemasons in Terre Haute, Indiana. It is the oldest existing organization in the city and in Vigo County.

History

On March 10, 1819, thirteen Freemasons residing in the village of Terre Haute petitioned the recently formed Grand Lodge of Indiana for dispensation to establish a lodge. Grand Lodge complied and said dispensation was received on July 12, 1819. The officers were installed by Elihu Stout of Vincennes Lodge No. 1, and the first organization in Vigo County began its labors. The Lodge worked under this dispensation until a charter was issued by Grand Lodge on September 13, 1821.

As an organization, only Vigo County and its government is older. The village of Terre Haute only incorporated in 1832, and didn't become a city until 1853. The first newspaper wasn't printed until 1823; the earliest church congregation didn't organize until 1822; and the first bank wasn't chartered until 1834.

Terre Haute Lodge No. 19 remained an active part of the community in those early years. It did not, however, escape the effects of the anti-Masonry hysteria of the 1830s. Lodge records are incomplete for this period, and some detractors claim that the Lodge held its last meeting on November 22, 1833, before having its charter arrested in 1835. Personal accounts refer to the lodge meeting “sub rosa” in the homes and businesses of its members during this decade. Further, the Lodge did not surrender its charter and this treasured document remains in use by the Lodge to this day.

Following the dark period of the 1830s, the Lodge experienced a revival beginning in 1845 and continued for well over a century. At its peak, Terre Haute Lodge No. 19 boasted roughly 1800 members and was directly or indirectly responsible for the chartering of the county’s 10 other Masonic lodges.

Famous Members

In the nearly 200 years since its creation, Terre Haute Lodge No. 19 has counted among its members, men of importance in both local and national affairs. Some of the most prominent members include:

• Peter B. Allen – Lt. Colonel, US Army, War of 1812.
• Thomas H. Blake – U.S. Representative from Indiana.
• Amory Kinney – Member of the Indiana House of Representatives.
• William K. Edwards – Member and former Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives; First Mayor of the City of Terre Haute.
• Thomas Dowling – Member of the Indiana House of Representatives.
• Albert Lange – U.S. Consul to Amsterdam; Indiana State Auditor.
• Charles Cruft – Brevet Major General, U.S. Army, during the American Civil War
• Richard W. Thompson – Secretary of the Navy under President Hayes; U.S. Representative from Indiana.
• Robert Van Valzah – Dentist and a founder of the Indiana Dental College (now IU School of Dentistry); Member of the Indiana House of Representatives; Grand Master of Indiana 1878-1879.
• Thomas B. Long – Lawyer, author, poet; Grand Master of Indiana 1889-1890.
• William R. McKeen, Jr. – Founder of McKeen Motor Car Company; inventor of the track motorcar and McKeen Railmotor.
• Eugene V. Debbs – U.S. Presidential Candidate; American labor union leader; Nobel Peace Prize nominee; Indiana State Senator. (Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft degrees, only)
• Chapman J. Root – Founder and owner of The Root Glass Company, birthplace of famous Coca-Cola bottle.
• Birch Evans Bayh, Sr. – NCAA head basketball coach; father and grandfather of two U.S. Senators of the same name.
• Art Nehf – Major League Baseball pitcher.
• John R. Hunter – Grand Master of Indiana 1939-1940.

Present Day

The Lodge currently calls the Terre Haute Masonic Temple home, and has for the last century.

Terre Haute Lodge No. 19 remains an active contributor in the community, partnering with local charities and agencies to exemplify the tenets of the Fraternity.

External links

• Official Site