Lodge History Page 3

From the very beginning Masons were involved with education in Parker County. The earliest settlement in the county was founded by Captain W.G. Veal who was a Methodist minister and leading Mason. He moved there in 1852 and organized it into a community known as Veel's Station in 1858. The church aso served as a school. The Masonic Lodge there operated from the 1860 to 1873. The First Public school in Weatherford was operated by O.W. Keeler who served as the first secretary of Ocean Lodge No. 230 and as the first Master of Phoenix Lodge No. 275. The September 13, 1860 issue of The White Man carried a notice which said "Pleased to state the services of Mr. R.A. Hawkins have been secured for our institute and now Mr. Keeler is prepared to take a few more scholars. Classes were conducted in a blacksmith shop with a dirt floor, and split log benches. He was also assisted by Mollie Dryer who later married Charles Goodnight.

The original plan called for a two story brick building that would be 50x75 feet. All of the ground floor and half of the second floor would be used for the school. The estimated cost was $12,000 which would be raised by organizing a joint stock company. One of the original stock receipts is on display in the archive room at the Weatherford College.

The initial fund raising drive produced $8,000 and work began on the building in April of 1869. The cornerstone was laid on July 5, 1869. District Deputy Judge J. Matlock was in attendance with the local brethren specially deputized to serve as Grand Officers for the occasion.

The annual Fourth of July celebration and the July 5th ceremonies were both marred by indian "depredations." A band of eleven Indians were raiding nearby ranches and were able to accumulate a herd of more than 500 horses.

Despite a very optimistic beginning the lodge was soon beset with financial problems that would last for the next twenty years. The actual cost of the building was $15,000 rather than $12,000 and work stopped in 1870 without the interior being furnished. In 1870 the lodge ased the Grand Lodge to remit their annual dues. The Grand Lodge reply was quite complimentary but the request was denied.

In 1870, Judge F.A. Leach, a past Master of Phoenix lodge, personally raised $850 to make the highest bid when the school and property was auctioned off by the sheriff to pay its indebtedness. Leach then secured a loan of $850 for the lodge and transferred the title to Phoenix Lodge. At a meeting of Phoenix Lodge on Septermber 27, 1873 a motion was approved to assess each member $5 in order to raise $850. At the November 22, 1873 meeting Judge Leach reported that he was about to negotiate a loan at 2 1/2% per month. At the December 27, 1873 meeting the lodge was called from labor to refreshment to solicit contributions to pay off the indebtedness of the Weatherford Masonic Institute. In January of 1875 the lodge leased the building to the Weatheford Hight School Association for 10 years with the experess understanding that the school should never be sectarian in character, under forfeiture of lease. This new arrangement did allow the lodge to gain a clear title by 1877 but did not end its financial problems in connection with the building. After leasing the building for 10 years the lodge informed the school board that the leease would not be renewed because the building is being damaged and that it

This new arrangement did allow the lodge to gain a clear title by 1877 but did not end its financial problems in connection with the building. After leasing the building for 10 years the lodge informed the schoolboard that the leease would not be renewed because the building is being damaged and that it and that it cost a good deal to keep the building in repair. The lodge then sold the building and property to Brother M.C. Brown for $3,000 which was to be paid out at $25 a month. New propperty was purchased and at a called meeting on September 19, 1885 the lodge was convened for the purpose of laying the cornerstone of the new college building.

In January of 1887 the Methodist Church asked to be released from the rental agreement because the church had suffered the destruction of its own building. The committee appointed a investigate the request reported at the January 8, 1887 meeting of the lodge. They recommended that the request be denied becasue: 1. The proposition owas toon indefinite. 2. The building was rented in good faith. 3. It was too late in the school year to rent it to anyone else. 4. If the situation was reversed and the lodge had the chance to rent it for $50 a month the church would hardly release the lodge from the original lease. The final vote was 6 to 6 with the Master of the lodge casting the deciding vote to deny the request. In 1888 the lodge sold their new lodge hall for $2,500 to be paid out in three years. At a meeting on June 8, 1889 they approved the sale of the original school and property.

The new owners then worked out an agreement ot move Granbury College to Weatheford. The main collge building at Granbury had been destroyed by fire. An agreement was worked out for the faculty and the library of the college to be moved to Weatherford and Weatherford College opened its doors for its first session on september 15, 1889.

On August 16, 1890 the cornerstone was laid for the current lodge building at the corner of South Main and Oak Street. This marked the end of the first 25 years for Phoenix Lodge and the end of the Weatherford Masonic Institute.