Chapter XII.
(H.R. Smith)
Page 80-82
In the forty-nine years of its existence the Lodge has interred thirty-eight of its members at a cost of $2,979.00, and has paid 4,051 weekly sick benefits at an average of $4.50 weekly, amounting to the munificent sum of $18,270.00. In addition widowed families have received over $1,000. The lodge is prosperous.
Massac Lodge. Twenty years after the institution of Chosen Friends Lodge on the 10th day of October, 1871, the Grand Lodge of Illinois granted a charter for the institution of subordinate lodge, I.O.O.F. of Metropolis, to be known and hailed as Massac Lodge No. 442. The following were charter members: J.L. Elliott, John A. Williams, Henry O. Derr, Thomas Brannon, Richard A. Austin, John H. McCartney, David Snodgrass, Frank Fuller, John Austin, and J.H. Obermarck. R.H. Austin was the first Noble Grand. The lodge is in a flourishing condition.
During the twenty-eight years of this lodge twenty-six members have been buried by it at a cost of $2,080 and 2,604 weekly sick benefits have been paid, averaging $4.50 weekly, and reaching the grand total of $11,718.00. Over $800.00 additional has been paid in special relief.
Egypt Encampment. On Feb. 12th, 1867, the Egypt Encampment No. 45, I.O.O.F. was instituted by the following charter members: Messrs. Tilman Roby, W.R. Brown, J.T. Rennie, Townsley Roby, Daniel Bowker, W.H. Green, John A. Brown and Martin Craig. J.T. Rennie was the first Chief Patriarch. During the thirty-two years of its existence the Encampement has paid 2,340 weekly benefits at $2.00 a week, amounting to $4,680 with an additional $500 special relief spent during that time.
Welcome Rebecca Degree Lodge. This lodge was granted a charter, organized and instituted on the 13th of October, 1870, with twenty-four charter members, as follows: Messrs. T.S. Stone, J.M. Stone, John Lewis, T.J. Fuqua, T.L. Wallace, J.D. Hedges, Edwin Corlis, Nathan Shick, E. Carmichael, L.V. Casey, George Musgroves, and Robert Cole; Mesdames O. V. Stone, M.A. Lewis, N.J. Wallace, C.M. Craig, Sarah A. Corlis, J.E. Carmichael, Sarah V. Stone, Margaret Fuqua, L. Shick, Sarah Casey, E. Cole and also Alice Hodge. James M. Stone was the first Noble Grand.
Welcome Rebecca Degree Lodge No. 28 is an adjunct of Chosen Friends Lodge I.O.O.F. and aids materially in promoting works of charity and social enjoyment. Within the past thirty years the ladies have contributed over #300.00 in special, charitable purposes, while they control the peculiar features of their order.
Metropolis Rebecca Degree Lodge. Twelve years after Welcome Lodge was organized a charter was obtained by certain members of that Lodge to institute the Metropolis Rebecca Degree, Lodge No. 116 I.O.O.F. They are as follows: M. Dinkelspeel, J.W. Sands, Andrew Shoulders, C.E. Bess, J.L. Miller, H.R. Smith, W.D. James, John W. Rupecke, Leming Corlis, James H. Hood, C.L. Spencer, David Smith, J.M. Boicourt, Henry Shelton, J.M. Elliott; the ladies are Mary Sands, E.M. Shouldier, Georgia Bess, Elvira Miller, Josephine Smith, Sallie B. James, Amanda Smith, Mary E. Daniel, Lizzie Shelton, Annie E. Elliott and Dora Obermark.
The first Noble Grand was H.R. Smith, and Mrs. H.R. Smith is the only remaining charter member of the ladies' original list yet a member, while H.R. Smith, David Smith and J.M. Boicourt are the only remaining male charter members now connected with the Lodge. Like their sister lodge the Metropolis Rebeccas have unostentatiously labored in connection with the Massac Lodge No. 442 in doing acts of charity, which can be attested by many families, paticularly, widows and orphans who have received $300.00 within eighteen years.
In addition to the enormous amount of charity carried forward by the various lodges it might be well to state that over $5,000.00 have been contributed by all the lodges to needy members and their families, who were not entitled to sick benefits owing to arrearages in dues.
The lodges of Massac county have twice entertained teh celebration of the Inter-State Odd Fellows' Association, held annually on April 26th, and each time have won words of praise from their visiting brethren.
The lodge was instituted in an attic over L.W. Copland's store room in Joppa, Ill., and met there for fifteen months, when everything burned with but small insurance. Not discouraged, they completed a commodious two-story hall in 1886 and sold the lower story to Fletcher & Sexton for a store room. In about two years this building burned, and a policy of $700.00 was paid in full within nine days. In connection with Messrs. Fletcher & Sexton another building was erected, which was also destroyed by fire April, 1894, with $500.00 insurance.
Permission was now granted by the Grand Lodge to build an upper story on the Hillerman Baptist church, making one of the finest country lodge rooms in Southern Illinois. Here the lodge grew and prospered, initiating fully 125 members only three of whom have died, namely: Dr. Joseph Brown, A.J. Smith, and W.S. Thompson. The membership is very small at present, numbering about one dozen. The lodge is worth fully $1,200. William N. Kelley is the present Noble Grand.
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas H. Smith was one of the early volunteers in defense of the Constitution during the Civil War. He was a practicing lawyer, noted for his bravery and patriotism. At the capture of Fort Donaldson he fell in the honored uniform of Lieutenant Colonel of the Forty-eighth Illinois Regiment of Volunteer Infantry.
To perpetuate his memory and keep alive the sparks of patriotism the Tom Smith Post No. 345 Grand Army of the Republic was organized, Oct. 1, 1883, by G.S. Parks, a veteran, with sixty-three charter members.
The first officers were Robert W. McCartney, now dead, Commander; E.P. Curtis, Senior Vice-Commander; Robert N. Leek, deceased, Junior Vice-Commander; Samuel Atwell, Adjutant; John H. Morris, deceased, Surgeon; Charles P. Wilson, a Methodist minister, Chaplain; James A. Peter, O.D.; Charles Barfield, O.G.; E.B. Cropper, S.M., and J.A. Farrell, Q.M.
In his memorial sermon, May 27th, 1900, Captain Samuel Atwell said:
At the Grand Encampment last week in August, 1900, the report shows over 7,000 who died in the last year. Thirty thousand joined in the parade, four and one half miles, in length, and the record also shows a membership of about 305,000 veterans at the present time, the noblest army on earth. No wonder General Joseph Wheeler told Hon. J. P. Dolliver that the ambition of his life was to die in the uniform of a soldier for the Union.
Metropolis boasts of one of the early lodges of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons in Illinois. The organization came together April 1, 1850, and Messrs. George Hawpe, Gabriel Kay, H.L. Cook, and several others became charter members. The charter was obtained Oct. 8, 1850. George Hawpe was the first W.M.; Gabriel Kay, S.W. and H.L. Cook, J.W.
The lodge has also had the eminent distinction to have two of its members elected R.W. Grand Master of Illinois; Rev. W. H. Scott, 1880-1, and 1881-2; Hon. John R. Thomas, 1884-5 and 1885-6.
The lodge today is in a prosperous condition and is known as Metropolis Lodge No. 91 A.F. and A.M.
Metropolitan Chapter No. 101, Royal Arch Masons was chartered Oct. 5th, 1866. The charter members were Thomas Moore, W.S. Lane, C.H. Greenwood, T.E. Ward, J.L. Gebhart, W.H. Scott, J.P. Choat, L.H. Simpson, Joseph Brown, J.C. Sheets, L.A. Lafont, J.W. Thrift and Geo. W. Corlis.
The first officers were Thomas Moore, H.P.; W.S. Lane, K., and C.H. Greenwood, S. The chapter is flourishing. Thomas Moore attained distinction in Masonry in Arkansas, where he died this year at a ripe old age. Many of the others are also dead, or live in other places.
Gethsemane Commandery No. 41 Knights Templar was organized under dispensation January 1, 1872, and is one of the few commanders in Southern Illinois. Its charter was obtained Oct. 22, 1872.
The charter members were Sir Knights Thomas Moore, William H. Scott, Jonathan C. Willis, Manning Mayfield, Noah M. Farrin, Geo. W. Corlis, George F. Musgrove, Benjamin Rankin and Benjamin Howard.
Thomas Moore was the first E.C.; J.C. Willis, Gen.; G.W.R. Corlis, Captain General. Of the charter members Captain Willis is the only living resident, Captain Benjamin Howard having died at his home in Metropolis this August, 1900. The commandery is in good condition.
September 26, 1886, Sarah Thrift, Maria J. Davis, Luella Corlis, Eva Craig, Fannie E. Willis, B. Howard, Aeira Stanhauser, Kitty Brown, D. Baer, Eliza M. Lukens, Alice Flanagan, Amanda Greenwood, Lute A. Ward, Thomas Moore, E.V. Conner and W.H. Stalcup secured a charter.
The new lodge was hailed as Lilly of the Valley Chapter No. 85 Order of the Eastern Star and Maria J. Davis was appointed first Worthy Matron. Thomas Moore was the first Worthy Patron. Mrs. Elizabeth Cutting is the present Worthy Matron.
The Chapter has always been recognized for its sociability, growth and works of charity.
No lodge excels the Orestes Lodge No. 268 Knights of Pythias for the character of the members. The charter was secured Oct. 20, 1892, by Messrs. Benjamin O. Jones, R. Lynn Minton, John H. Norris, Norman J. Slack, Ed Barbero, O.S. Morse, William H. Craig, Geo. A. Stewart, Wm. O. Towle, W. H. Kraper, Benedict Bender, Robert C. Barham, Henry Heideman, Charles Hilgeman, B.P.D. Schroeder, Frank Adams, R.N. McCartney, J.C. Courtney, Willis B. Ward, Edwin Corlis, Morris Dinkelspiel, Frank C. Johns, Abram S. Bruner, J.D. Barfield, W.A. McBane, E.T. Scott, John Gowan, Geo. D. Zettler, W.H. Hines, D.W. Helm, Ed S. Hood, Herman E. Pergande, Fayette E. Hazen, J.M. Choat, William Wright, W.L. Bridwell, R.H. Austin, J.T. Cummins, W.H. Moreland, Fred Pfaus, Eb. Phillips, P.H. Norris, H.F. Kraper, John W. Rupeke, Robt. Nuckolls, and James E. Gowan.
Most of these are yet living, residents of Metropolis, while to the number have been added many of our leading young men. The first Chancellor Commander was R. Lynn Minton. The present staff is composed of Ed Barbero, C.C.; William Craig, V.C.; William Seilbeck, P.; Tilman R. Lovelace, M.W.; Louis Quante, K.R.S.; R.B.D. Schroeder, M.F.; W.A. Fitch, M.E.; W.H. Arnold, M.A.; Thos. E. Craig, I.G.; Gus Quante, O.G.
April 23, 1896 warrant of authority to organize an Endowment Rank was secured by Louis H. Quante, George A. Stewart, Benhart P.D. Schroeder, Henry S. Meyer, Tilman R. Lovelace and William Wyant. This relates to the insurance in the order.
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