This project was supported and funded by the Research Lodge of #198, and is presented to Eugene Lodge #11 in token of thanks for the generous gift given to Research when the Lodge was facing financial crisis. Research Lodge of Oregon #198 is generously sponsored by the Orient of Oregon , which has provided Research Lodge with a home to do their work.

Additional thanks go to the people at the Lane County History Museum for working with us to provide the initial picture, Kennel Ellis for taking the picture in the first place, and to MWB Don Stapleton for providing PM pictures from Lodge #46.

Research Lodge of Oregon #198 Sponsored by the Orient of Oregon Scottish Rite. March 31, 2019

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Eugene Lodge No.11 A.F.&A.M. Master Mason Degree on February 26, 1927 By a special degree team from Washington Lodge No. 46 Portland, Oregon

In October of 2018 a deal was made with the Lane County History Museum in Eugene. They would provide scans of a number of pictures in their archives relevant to Eugene Lodge #11 in exchange for digital copies of Past Masters pictures from Eugene Lodge #11. The exchange was formalized on October 31, 2018 and the Past Masters pictures were given over to the Museum and a contract was signed. By December the Museum had finished digitizing the desired photographs and the file was acquired. Among the images was a picture of a large group of Masons dated May 26, 1927. It became my mission to determine what this picture was all about and who was in it. Upon consulting the minutes it was quickly made clear that the only information pertaining to this picture, the date, was wrong. Looking at the Eugene officers however, it was clear that the year was correct; 1927. But why were there two sets of officers? Perhaps it had to do with the Chartering of McKenzie River Lodge #195; which occurred that year. This was quickly ruled out after looking at the Past Master pictures from that Lodge. The other group of officers looked familiar and I found them in a 1926 photo I had worked on years earlier. I had thought they were members of Portland Lodge #55, but this did not hold up either. The key was the man sitting in the center. Recalling a picture I’d copied many months earlier; I pulled it out and found the name Mariano Ramos from the Philippines. Looking up his degree dates it was found that he was Raised a Master Mason on February 26, 1927. Now looking at the minutes, the information that would unravel this mystery was found. The other set of Officers were from Washington Lodge #46 in Portland. Contacting MWB Don Stapleton, a member of Washington #46, I asked if he could take pictures of some of the Past Masters for comparison; to which he happily agreed. This unlocked the identities of 15 of the Brothers from Washington Lodge #46, and also solved the question of the identities of the men in the aforementioned 1926 picture. The story of the event and its participants follows.1

1 Special thanks to the Lane County History Museum for the photo, Kennel Ellis for taking the photo and MWB Don Stapleton for providing pictures of Washington Lodge #46’s Past Masters.

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The Special Communication of the Master Mason Degree at the New Eugene, Oregon February 26, 1927 Starting in 1919 the Brethren of Eugene Lodge #11 began to become aware that the old Temple on 8th St., near Willamette, was no longer adequate for the needs of the growing lodge. In 1907 the membership was 327, but by 1919 it had grown to 540 and by 1926 in was 610, the largest lodge outside of Portland. In 1920 the Committee tasked with finding a building site settled on the home lot of Silas Yoran, past Master of Eugene Lodge and past Grand Master of Oregon, at the NW corner of 10th and Olive St. The property was purchased, but it took several years before building could commence.

Silas Yoran Home 10th and Olive St. Eugene, ca. 1910 Once the construction began it was not long before the new Temple arose from the lot purchased from Most Worshipful Brother Yoran. The three trees on the corner were left in place and the building was erected behind them, giving the look that the building had been there for a while, even after just being built. On July 6, 1926, Grand Master Sensenich granted a Special Dispensation to change their meeting place from the Temple on 8th Street to the new building at 10th and Olive St.; the effective date was September 1, 1926. By August of 1926, construction was coming to a close and preparations were made for a grand opening and dedication on September 1, 1926. The Grand Master Edgar High Sensenich, the Junior Grand Warden Milton Meyers and the Grand Secretary D. Rufus Cheney, along with a host of acting officers, including many past and future Grand Masters, opened an Occasional Grand Lodge for the purpose of dedicating the new Masonic Temple. “On this day in accordance with motion in regular session of this Lodge the new Temple was dedicated to

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Freemasonry, Virtue and Benevolence by the Grand Lodge in ample form. With the completion of the Grand Lodge dedication a banquet was served for 430 guests and members in the banquet room. This was followed by “a very fine program… rendered by Eugene No. 11 and included very able and interesting addresses by Grand Master Sensenich, F.S. Dunn, S.R. Mosher and John E. Kollock, Grand Pursuivant. After the banquet and addresses guests were entertained in the main Lodge room while the members adjourned to the smaller Lodge room where they held their first stated meeting in the New Masonic Temple, and entertained an official visit from the Grand Master Edgar Sensenich.2

New Masonic Temple in Eugene ca. 1927

Between September 1, 1926 and February 26, 1927, there were 26 meetings held in the new Lodge, including degrees, funerals and Stated meetings. During a Stated meeting on February 16, 1927, the Lodge received two responses from two letters sent earlier in the year. The letters were invitations to Junction City Lodge #128 and Washington Lodge #46 to come to Eugene and confer the Master Mason degree in the newly erected Temple. Junction City Lodge accepted the invitation to attend a special communication on February 24 and Washington Lodge on February 26, 1927. At the end of the Stated meeting a Lodge of Fellow Crafts was opened to hear the proficiencies of three FC Brothers; Ramos, Smith and York. Brothers Smith and York received their MM degree on February 24, with the degree team from Junction City and Brother Ramos was Raised a Master Mason on February 26, 1927 by the degree team from Washington Lodge #46.

2 Minutes Eugene Lodge #11 September 1, 1926

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Main Lodge Room interior and upstairs hallway.

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Harley H. Young (PM 1915) Washington Lodge #46 received its Charter on June 22, 1869, and set to work on the east side of the Willamette River in Portland. It built slowly over the years, and as written in 1923: “At the time it took its quarters in the new building (1907) it was among the smaller lodges of the jurisdiction, but by the year 1915, it had grown to be the largest Lodge in the jurisdiction, having at that time, a membership of about eight hundred.”3 There are many Masters of this lodge who no doubt should receive special mention, but only one is relevant to this part of the story. “That is Worshipful Brother H. H. Young, who was Master during the year 1915. It was he who fostered the idea of exemplifying the Master Mason degree in a more elaborate and important manner by what is now commonly known as "full form" work and which was, for a long time, peculiar to Washington Lodge. He was also a moving spirit in encouraging fraternal visits among the various Lodges, thereby creating a spirit of cooperation of brotherly love among the various lodges of the state”.4 More than a decade later his inspiration had become tradition. Harland Harry Young PM Washington Lodge #46 in 1915 Harland Harry Young was born on September 23, 1865 in West Haven, Rutland, . He was the son of Harry J. Young born in 1827 in Bangor, and his wife Charlotte born in 1825 in Benson, Rutland, Vermont. Harry Young had a Saw and Grist Mill in Vermont. At the age of 14 Harland was a Farm Hand in Benson. He married Lillian L. McKeever on December 28, 1892 in Kansas City, ; they had six children. Harland was in Missouri in 1900, in 1905 and Oregon by 1908. In 1900 he was a Butcher in Kansas City, in 1910 Harland was the Superintendent of the Swift Meat Packing Company. In 1914 and 1918 he was Superintendent at the Union Meat Packing Co., and he was working at the Swift Co. again in 1920 and 1930. Harley Young retired by 1940 and was still living in Portland. He died in Chicago, Cook, Illinois on July 16, 1946. Masonic History: Harley H. Young was Raised a Master Mason in Washington Lodge #46 in 1909. He joined the ; Washington Chapter 18 R.A.M., Washington Council #3 R. & S. M. and Oregon Commandery #1 in 1910. He was Thrice Illustrious Master of the Council in 1915. When the Washington Commandery #15 was started on September 28, 1911 he transferred his membership and was a Charter member. Harley served as Eminent Commander of Knights Templar in 1916. He was the Excellent High

3 The Masonic Analyst November 6, 1923 “The Largest Lodge in Oregon” Lytel W. Matthews SD Washington #46 page 23 4 Ibid

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Priest of Chapter 18 Royal Arch Masons in 1917. Brother Young joined Al Kader Shrine on February 24, 1912, and was also a member of Eastern Star. His membership in the Shrine and Eastern Star was not noted in 1944. Harley’s son Halfred A. Young joined Washington Lodge #46 in 1920. The Event Soon after the opening of their new Temple in 1926 the Brethren of Eugene Lodge #11 set to work planning a few special events to showcase their new Temple. As noted above the Lodge planned a couple of Master Mason degrees put on by degree teams from other Lodges.

Program for the Degree According to the Eugene Lodge Secretary, Chester Freeland, there were 450 Master Masons in attendance at this special event on Saturday February 26, 1927. “The team and members of Washington Lodge were given a banquet at 6:30 P.M., and all visitors and members were served with refreshments at the close of the meeting

9 in the banquet room (picture below). The members and visitors expressed themselves as being well pleased with the rendition of the work as given by Washington Lodge”5 There were as many as 59 members of Washington Lodge #46 who traveled to Eugene for this degree. Of the 39 cast members listed on the program, 28 signed the meeting Register. There were 4 members of the degree team who were not on the sign-in register, the Junior Warden Arlie Libby was unable to attend and WB Lytel Mathews took his place. The 2nd FC Brother Stubblefield was missing, but there were likely several Brothers at the event who knew the part. The other missing parts anyone could do. There were 6 members of the band not signed in who were likely there but may not have gone to the meeting or just skipped the sign-in book. As for the unregistered cast members some likely didn’t sign in and others had replacements among the other Brothers who attended the degree from Washington Lodge #46. There were the 53 members of Washington Lodge #46 signed in for the exemplification of the MM degree on Brother FC Ramos. The names were taken from the sign-in book and using the Lodge roster for 1927 most of the men were identified, a couple names were too difficult to decipher. There were as many as 450 Master Masons who attended this degree. Since there were so many Masons in attendance and only one sign- in book it is not surprising that some of the Brothers didn’t sign-in. In total there were 378 Master Masons who signed in for the degree, about 90 from Eugene #11. There were 57 members representing 54 different U. S. Lodges from 24 states and 2 Lodges in Canada. In Oregon there were about 318 Masons representing 44 different Lodges, including one that appears to have been clandestine. In total there were members from 100 different Lodges representing twenty five States and two Canadian Provinces. The photograph, taken by Kennel Ellis, was of the officers of Eugene Lodge #11 and the Officers/Cast members from Washington Lodge #46. (There are 40 members of Washington Lodge #46 in photo and 39 cast members on the program.) The picture also included the 8 officers and one candidate from Eugene Lodge #11, for a total of 49 individuals in the photograph. Of the 49 Masons in the photo 24 have been identified; 9 members from Eugene and 15 from Washington Lodge #46.

Degree Cast in attendance *Harry Galt Halstead – Master 1st sec, King Solomon 2nd sec (PM 1927) *Hugh Richard Holman – SW 1st sec, SGW 2nd sec (PM 1928) *Lytel William Matthews – JW pro Tem (PM 1926) Gen Chairman *James H. Richmond Sec – (PM 1902) *Harry H. Richmond SD both sec (PM 1930) *Samuel W. Tracy JD *Ross E. Gearhart – SS 2nd sec (PM 1932) *Lawrence A. Waggener – JS both sec * John M. Lewis Chaplin *George Botsford – (PM 1921) *George M. Clawson –Asst Tyler **George G. Gerber Marshall (PM 1933) 2nd Section: *Milo B. Mack – 1st FC (PM 1934) ______2nd FC Lewis N. Williamson – 3rd FC Ben Friedman – 4th FC

5 Eugene Lodge #11 Minutes for Special Communication Feb. 26, 1927

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Frank N. Dobbs – 5th FC Robert P. DeBord – 7th FC J. J. Jorgensen – 8th FC L. D. Oakes – 9th FC H. W. Miller – 10th FC James Blanco Jones – 11th FC

*Joseph E. Doeneka – 1st Ruffian (PM 1934) Clarence O. Tharp – 2nd Ruffian Neal E. Cotty 3rd Ruffian *Hugh C. Irwin – Warefaring man, Sea Capt. (PM 1935) C. O. Kurtz – Overseer Carl S. Johnson - Overseer Ernest L. Graves – Stage Director and Property man (28 members of the cast signed in) * Identified in the picture ** pictures show that they were there but they didn’t sign in

Members of Washington Lodge #46 signed in for meeting. There were 3 names that were not legible. N. J. Lundgren Rolla O. Williams Edward Otis Carl F. Greve W. C. Steven? Ralph M. Caldwell Dallas J. Sidwell George W. Bates Jr. Ralph F. Kadderly Raymond M. Whalley Charles Hussey Rodney A. Hurlburt William J. Roy MS ? R. Georg Jagner? Saylor E. Smith Frank Pepin W. A. Everitt Robert Callan (PM 1924) D. B. Parks Arthur H. Young Harry J. Waldron Sr. Clarence J. Sample Harry J. Waldron Jr. Morris Wenk (25 members) On the program but not on register sign in, probably not there Arley Ray Libby JW (PM 1929) F. C. Stubblefield 2nd FC E. R. Mooney 6th FC George Henderson 12th FC The 6 musicians: May have been there but did not sigh in. Ward Baker – Interpretive Music J. Herbert J. Ferguson E.W. Finzer T.A. Barber O. Jones

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Brothers came from far and wide to attend this degree. Masons who attended that signed in were from: Franklin Lodge Grafton, Elkader #72 Elkader, John Hancock Lodge Methuen, Massachusetts Western Phoenix #296 Parkman, II Compass #9 Wallingford, Adoniram #517 Akron, Ohio Racket River #213, Potsdam, NY Newton #142 Newton, Kansas Margaretville #389 NYC Scobey #109 Scobey, Montana Summitt #219 Westfield, NY Billings #113 Billings, Montana Morton #63 Hempstead, NY Unity #71 Roundup, Montana Oneonta #466 Onteonta, NY Stillwater #62 Columbus, Montana Bloomfield #40 Bloomfield, Weiser #23 Weiser, Idaho Cosmos #106 Newark, New Jersey Elmore #30 Mountainhome, Idaho Park Ridge #988 Park Ridge, Illinois Sheridan #8 Sheridan, Wyoming Streator #607 Streator, Illinois Thornton #195 Thornton, Washington Cleveland #211 Chicago, Illinois Lebanon #104 Tacoma, Washington Ionia #381 Eldon, Missouri Eureka #20 Seattle, Washington Gate City #522 Kansas City, Missouri Destiny #197 Tacoma, Washington Palestine #357 Detroit, Michigan Ocean #214 Brunswick, East Gate #508 Detroit, Michigan Lake Charles #165 Lake Charles, Louisiana Friendship #417 Detroit, Michigan Charity #254 Fargo, Oklahoma Montecello #16 Motecello, Minnesota Medford #108 Medford, Oklahoma Frontier #152 Breckenridge, Minnesota Durant #45 Durant, Oklahoma Trowel #71 Neligh, Nebraska Alamo #44 San Antonio, Fairfield #84 Fairfield, Nebraska Orient #15 Green River, Utah Dunsieth #99 Dunsieth, North Dakoka Roseville #222 Roseville, Corinthian #78 Calvin, North Dakota Larchmont #614 Los Angeles, California Golden Fleece #31 Foreman, North Dakota Lodge #37 unknown location Blunt #72 Blunt, South Dakota II 24 States with 55 Brothers representing 53 Pymosa #271 Atlantic, Iowa different U.S. lodges Canopy #290 Oxford, Iowa 2 Canadian Lodges Battle #19 Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada Rising Sun #122 Gadsby Alberta, Canada

Portland Oregon Lodges: Columbia #114 Mount Tabor 42 II Washington #46 LIII Lents 156 76 Brothers representing 11 Portland lodges Sunnyside 163 VIII Portland #55 II Other Oregon Lodges: Palestine #141 Ashland #23 III Friendship #160 Corvallis #14 XVII East Gate #155 III Woodburn #106 II Gresham #152 Aurora #59 Gardner Maritime UD III Bay City #102 II

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St. Helens #32 Central Point #135 Central Point Laurel #13 Roseburg II Lebanon #44 St. John’s #17 Albany V Brownsville #36 III La Grande #41 II Shedd #79 III Lyon #29 Independence Springfield Lodge #22 Wendling, near Marcola Siuslaw UD Mapleton III (this was not a recognized Lodge) North Bend #140 Eugene #11 XC Lafayette #3 Yamhill II McKenzie River UD Eugene XXXIV Salem #4 Liberty #171 Springfield XVI Azalea #119 Glendale II Thurston #28 Harrisburg IX Oakland #16 II Cottage Grove #51 VIII Medford #103 Creswell #112 V Florence #107 IV Junction City #128 XVI Lincoln #124 Toledo 242 members of 32 Oregon Lodges outside of Bandon #130 Portland and 1 clandestine Lodge Pearl #66 Turner (The Roman numerals represent the number of Brothers who attended from that Lodge.)

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Table of Refreshment

Refreshments after the MM degree on February 26, 1927 Head table on the left

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Left side of the table Ross Gearhart and John Lewis, further down is Harry Halstead, Frederick Jennings and Lytel Mathews. On the right side of the table 3rd down Charles Huntington and Hugh Holman a couple seats down is Joseph Doenka. You can see that the picture was taken after the degree, as Brother Gearhart forgot to remove his Masonic apron.

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