Grand Lodge of Texas
Encyclopedia
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
in the State of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, being solely of the Ancients' tradition and descending from the Ancient Grand Lodge of England, founded in 1751. It was originally founded as "The Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas, A.F. & A.M." on 16 April 1838. With 890 lodges and 105,000 members it is the fifth largest Grand Lodge
Grand Lodge
A Grand Lodge, or "Grand Orient", is the usual governing body of "Craft", or "Blue Lodge", Freemasonry in a particular jurisdiction. The first Masonic Grand Lodge was established in England in 1717 as the Premier Grand Lodge of England....
in the world.
Early History of Freemasonry
Freemasonry has its historic origins among the early lodges of stonemasons and architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s that, utilizing the style of Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
, built the cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
s of Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. They were called "Freemasons" because they were free men and not serfs, their lodges were free from taxation, and they worked in freestone, a type of quarry stone. During the 17th century, lodges in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
began "accepting" members who were not operative stonemasons. The acceptance of these gentlemen Freemasons gave rise to the name "Free and Accepted Masons." In their ceremonies of passing from one degree to another they inculcated a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by the symbols and tools of their craft. During the 18th century, lodges formed grand lodges to govern the craft. No longer operative as of old, Masonic lodges continued without interruption to observe the customs and traditions of the fraternity for the benefit of mankind.
Freemasonry in America
The early American colonial lodges were chartered by the grand lodges of EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Many of the founders of the United States and their allies were Freemasons: George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
, John Hancock
John Hancock
John Hancock was a merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
, Paul Revere
Paul Revere
Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...
, John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones was a Scottish sailor and the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to...
, the Marquis de Lafayette, Baron von Steuben and others. Washington was the Master of Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
Lodge No. 22 when he consecrated the cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
(see "foundation stone") of the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
in 1793.
Early Masonry in Texas
On 11 February 1828, Stephen F. AustinStephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia and raised in southeastern Missouri. He was known as the Father of Texas, led the second, but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin in Travis County,...
called a meeting of Masons at San Felipe de Austin for the purpose of petitioning the York Grand Lodge of Mexico for a charter to form a lodge. Although the petition reached Matamoros
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
, and was to be forwarded to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, nothing more was heard of it. By 1828 the ruling faction in Mexico City feared that the liberal elements in Texas might attempt to gain independence, and being aware of the political philosophies of English-speaking Freemasons, the Mexican government outlawed Freemasonry on 25 October of that year. The following year, Austin called another meeting of Masons who, in an attempt to alleviate the fears of the Mexican government, decided it was "impolitic and imprudent, at this time, to form Masonic lodges in Texas."
In March 1835, five Master Masons met "in a little grove of peach or laurel" at the town of Brazoria
Brazoria, Texas
Brazoria is a city of Brazoria County in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 2,787.Brazoria was originally founded as a port for Stephen F...
, "near a place known as General John Austin's," and resolved to petition Grand Master John H. Holland of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana asking for a dispensation to form a lodge in Texas. Foremost among these five Masons was Anson Jones
Anson Jones
Anson Jones was a doctor, businessman, congressman, the fourth and last President of the Republic of Texas, sometimes called the "Architect of Annexation."- Early life :...
who would later serve as Grand Master, and as President of the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
.
That charter, creating Holland Lodge No. 1, was issued and signed on 27 January 1835. It was given to John M. Allen of Louisiana Lodge No. 32 to carry to Texas. Allen had been recruiting volunteers for the Texas Army in New Orleans, and would not reach Texas until just before the Battle of San Jacinto
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican forces in a fight that lasted just eighteen...
on 21 April 1836.
Freemasons and the Texas Revolution
Meanwhile, Texas was in the midst of war. The first shots of the Texas RevolutionTexas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
had been fired in October 1835 at Gonzales
Gonzales, Texas
Gonzales is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,202 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gonzales County.-Geography:Gonzales is located at...
. Delegates had gathered at the small town of Washington-on-the-Brazos and signed the Texas Declaration of Independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...
on 2 March 1836. The Mexican Army under General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
had crossed the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
and attacked and defeated the small garrison at the Alamo
Alamo Mission in San Antonio
The Alamo, originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero, is a former Roman Catholic mission and fortress compound, site of the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, and now a museum, in San Antonio, Texas....
in San Antonio de Bexar. Among the nearly 200 defenders who died at the Alamo were Freemasons James Bonham
James Bonham
James Butler Bonham was a 19th-century American soldier who died at the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution...
, James Bowie, David Crockett, Almaron Dickenson, and William Barrett Travis.
There has existed for many years the story or myth that General Santa Anna, captured on 21 April 1836 after the defeat of the Mexican Army after the Battle of San Jacinto, was able to save himself from execution by giving secret "Masonic signs" when he was captured, and again when he was brought before General Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
. Texas historian James D. Carter recorded in his book, Masonry in Texas, that "Texas Masons contemporary with [the Battle of] San Jacinto stated emphatically that Santa Anna 'filled the air' with Masonic signs after his capture and had given a Masonic grip to Houston." C.R. Wharton, in his book, El Presidente, stated that "Santa Anna, fearing for his life, gave the Masonic distress signal to John A. Wharton." Where it may be true that the captured Mexican dictator did appeal to his captors to spare his life, using his knowledge of Masonic signs and grips, they were under no obligation to do so for several reasons. Santa Anna had disowned the Masonic fraternity and outlawed its practice in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, further his many offenses against Mexican and Texan Freemasons placed him outside the protection of any Masonic obligations, and most importantly, Santa Anna was worth more to Texas alive than dead. President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
, a member of the same Masonic lodge as Sam Houston, Cumberland Lodge No. 8 at Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, wrote to Houston and implored him to spare Santa Anna's life, reminding Houston that "while he is in your power, the difficulties of your enemy, in raising another army, will be great.... Let not his blood be shed, unless imperious necessity demands it.... Both wisdom and humanity enjoin this course in relation to Santa Anna."
Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas
The Masonic Convention of December 1837: By the end of 1837, three lodges had been chartered in Texas by the Grand Lodge of Louisiana: Holland Lodge No. 1 which had moved to the city of Houston, Milam Lodge No. 40 at Nacogdoches, and McFarland Lodge No. 41 at St. AugustineSan Augustine, Texas
San Augustine is a city in San Augustine County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,475 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of San Augustine County and is situated in East Texas.-Geography:San Augustine is located at ....
. On 20 December 1837, Sam Houston, President of the Republic of Texas, presided over a convention meeting in the city of Houston consisting of the representatives of these three lodges. The representatives were: From Holland Lodge: Sam Houston, Anson Jones, Jeff Wright, and Thomas G. Western; from Milam Lodge: Thomas J. Rusk, I. W. Burton, Charles S. Taylor, Adolphus Sterne
Adolphus Sterne
Nicholas Adolphus Sterne served three terms in the Texas House of Representatives and one term in the Texas State Senate. He immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1817, living in Louisiana for ten years...
, and K. H. Douglas; and from McFarland Lodge: G. H. Winchell was delegated to represent McFarland Lodge. The representatives there assembled resolved to form a "Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas," and to that end they elected Anson Jones as the first Grand Master of Masons in Texas, and other officers. After approving a resolution that the first meeting of the Grand Lodge should be held "on the third Monday of April next," the convention was then adjourned. It is clear from the minutes of this convention that, although a Grand Master was elected, he was not yet installed, and although a resolution to form a Grand Lodge was approved by the convention, it had not yet done so. The birthdate of the new Grand Lodge was still four months away.
The Grand Lodge is Born - 16 April 1838: As the delegates to the previous convention had agreed, they met again on the third Monday, the 16th of April 1838 in the city of Houston, although only three of the six elective grand officers were in attendance: the Grand Master-elect, the Senior Grand Warden-elect, and the Grand Treasurer-elect. Nevertheless, the minutes state that the "Grand Lodge was opened in ample form," and, according to Texas historian James D. Carter, "the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana was ended," making 16 April 1838 the birthdate of the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas. It may be of some historical interest to note that three and one-half weeks later, on 11 May 1838, the Grand Lodge met again and installed the Grand Master and his officers. As a result, this latter date, 11 May 1838, is the birthdate of the Grand Lodge given in Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia.
Early Texas Lodges
The following is a list of 28 lodges organized under the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas. They are listed along with their final charter dates and original locations:| Lodge | Final Charter Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Holland No. 1 | 2 Dec. 1835 | Brazoria |
| Milam No. 2 | 2 Dec. 1838 | Nacogdoches Nacogdoches, Texas Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of... |
| McFarland No. 3 | 18 Nov. 1838 | San Augustine |
| Temple No. 4 | 10 May 1838 | Houston |
| St. John's No. 5 | 18 Nov. 1838 | West Columbia West Columbia, Texas West Columbia is a city in Brazoria County in the U.S. state of Texas within 50 miles of Eastern Columbia. The population was 4,255 at the 2000 census.... |
| Harmony No. 6 | 30 Jan. 1840 | Galveston Galveston, Texas Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of... |
| Matagorda No. 7 | 18 Nov. 1838 | Matagorda Matagorda, Texas Matagorda is an unincorporated community in Matagorda County, Texas, United States. It had a population of approximately 710 in 2000. Matagorda is at the end of State Highway 60 and beginning of Farm to Market Road 2031, which runs over the Intracoastal Waterway and south to the Gulf of Mexico... |
| Phoenix No. 8 | 18 Nov. 1838 | Washington |
| DeKalb No. 9 | 2 Feb. 1840 | De Kalb De Kalb, Texas DeKalb is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,769 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Texarkana, Texas - Texarkana, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its two area codes are 430 and 903. Its ZIP code is 75559... |
| Perfect Union No. 10 | 2 Jan. 1920 | San Antonio San Antonio, Texas San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,... |
| Milam No. 11 | 31 Jan. 1840 | Independence Independence, Texas Independence is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Texas, United States. Located twelve miles northeast of Brenham, it was founded in 1835 in Austin's colony of Anglo Americans. It became a Baptist religious and educational center of the Republic of Texas... |
| Austin No. 12 | 7 Nov. 1839 | Austin Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in... |
| Constantine No. 13 | 10 Mar. 1840 | Bonham Bonham, Texas Bonham is a city in Fannin County, Texas, United States. The population was 10,127 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Fannin County. James Bonham sought the aid of James Fannin at the Battle of the Alamo.... |
| Trinity No. 14 | 2 Nov. 1840 | Livingston Livingston, Texas Livingston is a town in Polk County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,433 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Polk County. Livingston was settled in 1835 as Springfield. Its name was changed to Livingston and became the county seat of Polk County in 1846.The Alabama-Coushatta... |
| Santa Fe No. 15 | never organized | Santa Fe Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census... |
| Friendship No. 16 | 11 Dec. 1841 | Clarksville Clarksville, Texas Clarksville is a city in Red River County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,883. It is the county seat of Red River County.-Geography:Clarksville is located at .... |
| Orphans Friend No. 17 | 30 Jun. 1842 | Anderson Anderson, Texas Anderson is a city in Grimes County, Texas, United States. The population was 280 in 2009. It is the county seat. The city and its surroundings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Anderson Historic District.-Geography:... |
| Washington No. 18 | 11 Jan. 1844 | Washington |
| Forrest No. 19 | 12 Jan. 1844 | Huntsville Huntsville, Texas Huntsville is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Texas, United States. The population was 35,508 at the 2010 census. It is the center of the Huntsville micropolitan area.... |
| Graham No. 20 | 13 Jan. 1845 | Brenham Brenham, Texas Brenham is a city in east-central Texas in Washington County, Texas, United States, with a population of 16,147 according to the 2009 census. It is the county seat of Washington County... |
| Lothrop No. 21 | 18 Jan. 1845 | Crockett Crockett, Texas Crockett is a city in Houston County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,141. It is the county seat of Houston County.- History :... |
| Marshall No. 22 | 18 Jan. 1845 | Marshall Marshall, Texas Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523... |
| Clinton No. 23 | 16 Jan. 1845 | Henderson Henderson, Texas Henderson is a city in Rusk County, Texas, United States. The population was 11,273 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Rusk County... |
| Redland No. 24 | 16 Jan. 1845 | San Augustine |
| Montgomery No. 25 | 15 Jan. 1846 | Montgomery Montgomery, Texas Montgomery is a city located in Montgomery County, Texas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 489. It is the birthplace of the Lone Star Flag of Texas.-History:... |
| Olive Branch No. 26 | 19 Feb. 1846 | Cincinnati |
| Paris No. 27 | 24 Jun. 1846 | Paris Paris, Texas Paris, Texas is a city located northeast of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Lamar County, Texas, in the United States. It is situated in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods. Physiographically, these regions are part of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. In 1900, 9,358 people lived... |
| Frontier No. 28 | 29 November 1845 | Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the... |
- - Demised.
- - Demised, but charter restored at or near original location.
- - Now working as Redland Lodge No. 3.
- - U.D. but Never Working but later granted a charter on January 2, 1920 at or near original location.
- - Demised 1847, but Charter Restored 2 August 2006 at West Columbia, TX
- - Demised, but charter restored December 2005 near Sealy, TX
Famous Texas Freemasons
- Stephen F. AustinStephen F. AustinStephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia and raised in southeastern Missouri. He was known as the Father of Texas, led the second, but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin in Travis County,...
- Father of Texas - Louisiana Lodge No. 109, Ste. Genevieve, Mo. - Sam HoustonSam HoustonSamuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
- Hero of San Jacinto - Holland Lodge No. 1, Houston, Tx. Cumberland Lodge No. 8, Nashville, Tn. - William Barret Travis - The Defender of the Alamo - Alabama Lodge No. 3
- James Bowie - The Greatest Fighter in the Southwest - Loge L'Humble Chaumiere No. 19, Opelousas, La.
- David Crockett - King of the Wilderness - (lodge unknown - his Masonic apron, entrusted to the Sheriff of Weakley Co., Tn., has survived with the family of E. M. Taylor of Paducah, Ky.)
- James BonhamJames BonhamJames Butler Bonham was a 19th-century American soldier who died at the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution...
- Alamo Defender and last messenger to leave the Alamo and return - (So. Carolina lodge records destroyed by fire in 1838) - James FanninJames FanninJames Walker Fannin, Jr. was a 19th-century U.S. military figure on the Texas Army and leader during the Texas Revolution of 1835–36...
- Commander at Goliad - Holland Lodge No. 36, Brazoria, Tx. - Anson JonesAnson JonesAnson Jones was a doctor, businessman, congressman, the fourth and last President of the Republic of Texas, sometimes called the "Architect of Annexation."- Early life :...
- Last President of the Republic of Texas - Holland Lodge No. 1, Houston, Tx. Harmony Lodge No. 52, Phila. Pa. - Lorenzo de ZavalaLorenzo de ZavalaManuel Lorenzo Justiniano de Zavala y Saenz was a 19th-century Mexican politician. He served as finance minister under President Vicente Guerrero. A colonizer and statesman, he was also the interim Vice President of the Republic of Texas, serving under interim President David G...
- First Vice-President of the Republic - Logia Independencia No. 454 (Gr. Ldg. of New York), Mexico City. - Jose NavarroJosé Antonio NavarroJosé Antonio Navarro was a Texas statesman, revolutionary, politician, and merchant. The son of Ángel Navarro and Josefa María Ruiz y Pena, he was born into a distinguished noble family at San Antonio de Béxar in New Spain....
- Texas Patriot and Legislator - American Virtue Lodge No. 10, Saltillo, Mexico. - Juan SeguinJuan SeguínJuan Nepomuceno Seguín was a 19th-century Texas Senator, Mayor, Judge, and Justice of the Peace and a prominent participant in the Texas Revolution.-Early life and family:...
- Tejano Patriot - Holland Lodge No. 1, Houston, Tx. - Lawrence S. "Sul" Ross - Texas Ranger, Confederate General, Governor - Waco Lodge No. 92, Waco.
- John J. Kennedy (Republic of Texas politician)John J. Kennedy (Republic of Texas politician)John Joseph Kennedy was a Scotch-Irish American sheriff of Harrison County, Texas that helped end the Regulator-Moderator War in East Texas. He was an artillery officer in the United States Army and a cavalry captain for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War...
- "Sheriff and Ender of the Regulator-Moderator War, Confederate Captain" - Marshall Lodge No. 22, Marshall, Tx. - R.E.B. Baylor - Founder of Baylor University - Baylor Lodge No. 125, Gay Hill, Tx.
- Benjamin F. Terry - Founder and Commander of Terry's Texas Rangers - Holland Lodge No. 1, Houston.
- Thomas S. Lubbock - Commander of Terry's Texas Rangers - Holland Lodge No. 1, Houston.
- Charles GoodnightCharles GoodnightCharles Goodnight, also known as Charlie Goodnight , was a cattle rancher in the American West, perhaps the best known rancher in Texas. He is sometimes known as the "father of the Texas Panhandle." Essayist and historian J...
- Plainsman and Cattleman - Phoenix Lodge No. 275, Weatherford, Tx. - Jimmie RodgersJimmie Rodgers (country singer)James Charles Rodgers , known as Jimmie Rodgers, was an American country singer in the early 20th century known most widely for his rhythmic yodeling...
- The Singin' Brakeman, Father of Country Music - Blue Bonnet Lodge No. 1219, San Antonio, Tx. - Audie MurphyAudie MurphyAudie Leon Murphy was a highly decorated and famous soldier. Through LIFE magazine's July 16, 1945 issue , he became one the most famous soldiers of World War II and widely regarded as the most decorated American soldier of the war...
- Most Decorated American Soldier of World War II - No. Hollywood Lodge No. 542 - Gene AutryGene AutryOrvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
- The Singing Cowboy - Claire Chennault - Founder of the Flying Tigers
- Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin - 2nd Man on the Moon - Clear Lake Lodge No. 1417, El Lago, Tx
- James "Red" Duke - Chief of Trauma Center at Memorial Hermann HospitalMemorial Hermann HospitalMemorial Hermann Healthcare System is the largest not-for-profit hospital system in Houston, Texas, and consists of 11 hospitals, 7 Cancer Centers, 3 Heart & Vascular Institutes, and 27 sports medicine and rehabilitation centers, in addition to other outpatient and rehabilitation centers. It was...
, Houston, and the Creator of the Life FlightLife FlightMemorial Hermann Life Flight is an air medical transport service based in Houston, Texas. Life Flight flies into 12th floor of the John S. Dunn Heli-Stop atop Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. It was founded in 1976.-History:...
Helicopter System, the first air ambulance service in Texas. Hillsboro Lodge No. 196, Hillsboro, Tx.
External links
- Grand Lodge of Texas official website
- Scottish Rite Supreme Council official website
- Texas Lodge of Research website
- Texas Masonic Historical Markers
- Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children official website
- Tranquility Lodge: A Lodge Chartered for the Moon
- United Grand Lodge of England official website
- York Rite website
- Anson Jones - Texas Historical Marker Dedication Ceremony November 21, 2009, Glenwood Cemetery, Houston, Texas.