Michigan Technological University Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open Reports 2011 "Brethren upon the same level" : membership and class in Calumet's Masonic Lodge Brandon Anthony Sexton Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/etds Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons Copyright 2011 Brandon Anthony Sexton Recommended Citation Sexton, Brandon Anthony, ""Brethren upon the same level" : membership and class in Calumet's Masonic Lodge", Master's Thesis, Michigan Technological University, 2011. https://doi.org/10.37099/mtu.dc.etds/288 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/etds Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons “BRETHREN UPON THE SAME LEVEL”: MEMBERSHIP AND CLASS IN CALUMET’S MASONIC LODGE By Brandon Anthony Sexton A THESIS Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE (Industrial Archaeology) MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY 2011 © 2011 Brandon Anthony Sexton This thesis, ““Brethren Upon The Same Level”: Membership and Class in Calumet’s Masonic Lodge,” is hereby approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY. Department of Social Sciences Signatures: Thesis Advisor _____________________________________ Dr. Larry Lankton Department Chair _____________________________________ Dr. Patrick Martin Date _____________________________________ To my parents Table of Contents List of Figures and Maps ............................................................................................... .vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................. vii Acknowledgments......................................................................................................... viii Abstract ........................................................................................................................... ix Introduction .......................................................................................................................1 The Keweenaw: A Social Conglomerate .................................................................1 Immigrants ...............................................................................................................5 Research Questions and Methodologies ..................................................................6 Chapter 1: Fraternal Origins ...........................................................................................10 Freemasons ............................................................................................................10 American Fraternalism ...........................................................................................13 Chapter 2: Masonic Auxiliaries ......................................................................................16 Background ............................................................................................................16 Knights Templar ....................................................................................................17 Order of the Eastern Star ........................................................................................20 Chapter 3: Membership Motivation and Costs ...............................................................25 The Golden Age of Fraternalism ...........................................................................25 Application and Ballot ...........................................................................................28 Chapter 4: A Means of Respectability ............................................................................33 Social Relations .....................................................................................................33 Classes within Calumet ..........................................................................................36 Chapter 5: “Brethren Upon the Same Level”: Class Membership .................................38 Previous Research ..................................................................................................38 Division Between Occupations ..............................................................................40 In Relation to Each Other ......................................................................................46 Lodge 271 ..............................................................................................................47 Masonic Portraits ...................................................................................................51 Chapter 6: Masonic Spatial Distribution.........................................................................54 iv Diversity .................................................................................................................54 Plotting Members ...................................................................................................56 Masonic Households ..............................................................................................58 Chapter 7: Masonic Ritual ..............................................................................................71 Ritual Transformation ............................................................................................71 Out-of-World Atmosphere .....................................................................................75 Ritualistic Symbolism: The Blue Lodge ................................................................79 The First Three Steps .............................................................................................81 Chapter 8: Masonic Temples ..........................................................................................87 Calumet’s Union Building .....................................................................................87 Lodge Organization ...............................................................................................90 Masonic Religion ...................................................................................................99 Theatrical Masonry ..............................................................................................102 Chapter 9: Masonic Items .............................................................................................107 Badges of Brotherhood ........................................................................................107 Threshold Values .................................................................................................110 Chapter 10: Conclusion.................................................................................................112 Lodge Diversity ...................................................................................................112 Class and Membership .........................................................................................114 Further Study .......................................................................................................117 Bibliography .................................................................................................................119 Appendix: List of Members ..........................................................................................125 Members in 1900 .................................................................................................125 Members in 1920 .................................................................................................130 v List of Figures and Maps Figure 3.1: Sears Roebuck and Company Masonic Charms ...........................................26 Figure 3.2: 1870 Application to Join Masonic Lodge 271 .............................................29 Figure 3.3: Masonic Ballot Box ......................................................................................29 Figure 6.1: Comparison of Membership Between 1900 and 1920 .................................60 Figure 6.2: Comparison of Membership – Mohawk-Houghton .....................................61 Figure 6.3: Masonic Membership Divided by Class in 1900 .........................................62 Figure 6.4: Masonic Membership Divided by Class in 1920 .........................................63 Figure 6.5: High-Low Clustering Report for 1900 .........................................................64 Figure 6.6: High-Low Clustering Report for 1920 .........................................................65 Figure 6.7: Average Nearest Neighbor for 1900 ............................................................66 Figure 6.8: Average Nearest Neighbor for 1920 ............................................................67 Figure 6.9: 118 Amygdaloid – James Wilson .................................................................68 Figure 6.10: 205 Pewabic – William Galbraith ..............................................................68 Figure 6.11: 322 8th Street – Thomas Gribble ...............................................................69 Figure 7.1: Masonic Winding Stairs.. .............................................................................74 Figure 7.2: Masonic Temple Sign ...................................................................................76 Figure 8.1: Layout of the Union Building’s Third Floor ................................................92 Figure 8.2: Masonic Ritual Movement