Taylor Masonic Lodge
Taylor Masonic Lodge #98 A.F. & A.M.
written by Secretary Robert Hunsicker on 9/5/2017
(From Taylor Lodge website)
Taylor Masonic Lodge #98 celebrated its 167th year since being formed on December 27, 1850, only 25 years after the first settlement in the town or vicinity on record. Taylor Lodge #98 is named in honor of Christopher G. Y. Taylor, Past Grand Master of the State of Illinois from October 1850 – September 1851. He passed away on September 5, 1851 at age 45. As we all know a lodge cannot be named for a living person, and since the official formation of Taylor Lodge #98 happened only a month later, the founding members wanted to honor Past Grand Master Taylor. Members of the lodge come from all social and economic backgrounds and Freemasonry teaches men to meet on the level and respect each other.
“The first meeting of a Masonic Lodge in Washington was called at 2:00 P.M. on the 27th day of December, 1850. The Lodge was called Washington Lodge under dispensation and was so called until October 5, 1851, when a charter was granted by the Grand Lodge of Illinois; it was the 98th Lodge chartered in this state, and the name Taylor Lodge was adopted.” The first bylaws of Taylor Lodge #98 were adopted from Peoria Lodge #15, which was chartered on October 4, 1842 and merged into Temple Lodge #46 in Peoria on April 17, 1995.
“A search has been unable to identify where the first Lodge Hall was located; but in September, 1891, the Lodge built a third floor on a two-story building located behind the present Heiple Building, and was owned by the father of Brother Rae C. Heiple. They remained there until January, 1923, when they rented the second floor of the then new Esser Building over what is now” Lori’s Kitchen Store & RE/MAX Office (2017). “They remained there fifty years, until constructing the present building on Wilmor Road, which was occupied in April, 1973.”
As you all know, Freemasonry celebrated its 300th anniversary on June 24, 1717. This date signifies when four London Lodges, which had existed for some time, came together at the Goose and Gridiron Tavern in St. Paul’s Churchyard, declared themselves a Grand Lodge and elected Anthony Sayer as their Grand Master. This was the first Grand Lodge in the world. Taylor lodge was proud to join in with all lodges around the State in having an Open House for the public to come in and ask questions about Freemasonry as well as lodge fellowship.
Freemasonry has a strong foundation in history, with ties to numerous organizations and fraternities. The purpose of Freemasonry is to take good men and make them better. It is not a competition, but rather a self-journey to improvement. It is a personal choice to join and has a foundation in a belief in some form of a higher power and helping others.
Taylor Lodge raises money for many programs, including Washington Community High School scholarships (graduates specializing in vocational studies), Eureka HS Scholarship (started by Wm. C. Hobbs lodge, merged with Taylor in 1999), IL-CHIP events (Child Identification program), Illinois Masonic Academic Bowl team sponsorship (WCHS), Eagle Scout recognition items, Masonic Widow fruit baskets (for lodge widows), Masonic Youth Groups (DeMolay, Rainbow Girls, Job's Daughters), Non-Masonic Youth Group team sponsorship (softball, football, baseball, etc), Shriners Children Hospitals, IL Masonic Children’s Assistance Program, and various community events (Fall cookout, Easter Egg hunt that are open to the public). Taylor lodge members enjoy all of these activities as well as activities for its members: Annual Awards Night dinner, Christmas Party, fellowship activities.
Taylor Lodge hosts an all you can eat breakfast open to the public on the third Saturday of the month from September to May from 7 – 10 AM (featuring scrambled eggs, biscuits, gravy, sausage, hash browns, pancakes, French toast, fruit cocktail, grits, orange juice, coffee & milk). Taylor was also proud to host breakfasts for the Washington Community High School Varsity football team & their coaches during their 2017 post season playoff games with help from the 12th Man group & parents.
References:
History of Washington, Illinois Sesquicentennial 1825-1975, pg. 117-118, URL: https://archive.org/details/historyofwashing00vale
Author: Everett R. Turnbull - The Rise and Progress of Freemasonry in Illinois, 1783 - 1952, pg. 330-331, URL: https://archive.org/details/riseprogressoffr00turn
Author: Ralph Omholt - Goose and Gridiron Ale-House and the Four Original Lodges, URL: http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/goose_and_gridiron_ale-house.htm
Taylor Lodge #98 (Washington, IL)
Past Masters - founded on October 5, 1851 :
1851 ~ John T. Jones
1852 ~ John H. Anthony
1853 ~ John H. Anthony
1854 ~ John H. Anthony
1855 ~ John H. Anthony
1856 ~ William C. Arnold
1857 ~ Elias Wenger
1858 ~ George Rogers
1859 ~ Elias Wenger
1860 ~ Elias Wenger
1861 ~ Daniel L Miles
1862 ~ Jesse B. Cooper
1863 ~ Samuel Y. Weiser
1864 ~ Jesse B. Cooper
1865 ~ Richard D. Smith
1866 ~ Richard D. Smith
1867 ~ William A. Ross
1868 ~ Samuel Y. Weiser
1869 ~ John G. Gorin
1870 ~ Samuel Y. Weiser
1871 ~ Joseph B. Miles
1872 ~ Jesse B. Cooper
1873 ~ W. T. Griffith
1874 ~ W. T. Griffith
1875 ~ I. H. Tobias
1876 ~ I. H. Tobias
1877 ~ John Burkey
1878 ~ J. F. Hoover
1879 ~ J. F. Hoover
1880 ~ Samuel Y. Weiser
1881 ~ John Watson
1882 ~ J. F. Hoover
1883 ~ J. F. Hoover
1884 ~ Charles A. Crane
1885 ~ John Burkey
1886 ~ John Burkey
1887 ~ Robert W. Davis
1888 ~ W. H. Weirick
1889 ~ W. H. Weirick
1890 ~ Samuel Y. Weiser
1891 ~ Samuel Y. Weiser
1892 ~ P. H. Parker
1893 ~ G. W. Cress
1894 ~ Bruce O. Goodman
1895 ~ Bruce O. Goodman
1896 ~ Harry L. Zinser
1897 ~ Harry L. Zinser
1898 ~ E. S. Waring
1899 ~ H. W. Veach
1900 ~ E. S. Waring
1901 ~ C. F. Brady
1902 ~ Calvin P. Cress
1903 ~ Calvin P. Cress
1904 ~ Elijah Mason
1905 ~ E. A. Morrow
1906 ~ H. A. Kingsbury
1907 ~ H. A. Kingsbury
1908 ~ A. H. Heiple
1909 ~ Lawrence J. Kern
1910 ~ Lawrence J. Kern
1911 ~ Joseph M. Cooper
1912 ~ Calvin P. Cress
1913 ~ Roy W. Miller
1914 ~ Roy W. Miller
1915 ~ Harlan F. Heiple
1916 ~ Charles F. Nash
1917 ~ Frank S. Harvey
1918 ~ Walter H. Linder
1919 ~ Lester E. Wood
1920 ~ John R. Best
1921 ~ Frank L. Belsly
1922 ~ R. W. Vogelgesang
1923 ~ F. P. Burkey
1924 ~ J. Willard Sweitzer
1925 ~ George H. Rinkenberger
1926 ~ William H. Sharp
1927 ~ Chester L. Slonneger
1928 ~ Harold M. Jenkins
1929 ~ George B. Shorey
1930 ~ R. M. Kiger
1931 ~ William B. Morris
1932 ~ Ray K. Ebert
1933 ~ Harold L. Heitzman
1934 ~ Joseph Deatherage
1935 ~ H. H. Kimpling
1936 ~ Harold C. Ebert
1937 ~ G. A. Brunnenmeyer
1938 ~ Chris P. Blumenshine
1939 ~ Chris P. Blumenshine
1940 ~ J. Henry Holtzman
1941 ~ Rae C. Heiple
1942 ~ Charles C. Nutty
1943 ~ T. Laban Lytle
1944 ~ Clarence L. Slonneger
1945 ~ John E. Fox
1946 ~ Nathan H. Sharp
1947 ~ William H. Turley
1948 ~ William A. Christ
1949 ~ Leonard C. Imbler
1950 ~ Morris J. Sprague
1951 ~ Feral E. Sizemore
1952 ~ Herman A. Polderman
1953 ~ James A. Wilson
1954 ~ Orville E. Meyer
1955 ~ George R. Rose
1956 ~ R. Floyd Delay
1957 ~ Archie R. Carman
1958 ~ Paul W. Luthy
1959 ~ Rayford S. Goldsmith
1960 ~ E. Frank Hagan
1961 ~ Roy L. Underwood
1962 ~ Henry Bess
1963 ~ Elmer E. Kuykendall
1964 ~ Ray Nunley
1965 ~ Andrew J. Allen
1966 ~ Robert M. Rentfro
1967 ~ Claude J. Coone
1968 ~ Darrel G. Owens
1969 ~ Merle D. Lee, Sr.
1970 ~ Donald E. Lee
1971 ~ Robert W. Brown
1972 ~ Charles W. Hagan
1973 ~ Paul E. Gerken
1974 ~ Charles A. Taylor
1975 ~ Marvin Cook
1976 ~ Carl Holt
1977 ~ Robert Williams
1978 ~ Edward Richards
1979 ~ Bobby Larrison
1980 ~ Hoy Martin
1981 ~ Tom Bennett
1982 ~ Lincoln Herm
1983 ~ James Degenhart
1984 ~ Jim Martin
1985 ~ Larry Taylor
1986 ~ John Dolman
1987 ~ Charles Cowley
1988 ~ James Dailey, Sr.
1989 ~ Harold Howerter
1990 ~ Jerry Rogers
1991 ~ Bill Dietrich
1992 ~ Jim Odle
1993 ~ Ted Briggs
1994 ~ Ed Platt
1995 ~ Murel Jackson
1996 ~ Jerry Rogers
1997 ~ James Bailey
1998 ~ Ruhlin Gregory
1999 ~ Ruhlin Gregory
2000 ~ Merle D. Lee, Sr.
2001 ~ Richard A. Kerr
2002 ~ Richard A. Kerr
2003 ~ Scott Gallio
2004 ~ Richard A. Kerr
2005 ~ Daniel J. Whitby
2006 ~ Richard A. Kerr
2007 ~ Bobby G. Green
2008 ~ Bobby G. Green
2009 ~ Joshua Saunders
2010 ~ Don Hoffman
2011 ~ Donald Benedict
2012 ~ Matthew Hoppock
2013 ~ Richard A. Kerr
2014 ~ Patrick Newbury, Sr.
2015 ~ Bobby G. Green
2016 ~ James Talaska
2017 ~ Patrick Newbury, Sr.
2018 ~ Charles K. Watson Jr.
2019 ~ Greg Sams
2020 ~ Mike Hoke
2021 ~ Mike Stephens
2022 - Robert Hunzicker