BAY CITY MASONIC LODGE NO. 865 A. F. & A. M.
Submitted by Kenneth L. Thames 

In 1902, eight years after Bay City was founded, there were some twenty Masons living in the  area of Bay City.   They came  from diverse sections  of the  country; no two  Masons were from the same lodge.  At that time there was only one Masonic Lodge in Matagorda County, Tres  Palacios Lodge No. 411 A. F. & A.M., which was chartered June 8, 1884 (renamed Blessing Lodge No. 411 when it was moved to Blessing around 1903)  and was  situated some 15 miles from  Bay City  on the  Tres Palacios River at Deming’s Bridge (where Hawley Cemetery is located).  It is interesting to note that Matagorda Masonic Lodge No. 7, A. F. & A. M.  had lost its’ charter in 1868 and was rechartered   in   1911  and  is  active  today.  Bay  City   Lodge   No.   865 signed  their petition for reinstatement.

A petition for the dispensation to form a lodge in Bay City was presented to the Most Worshipful Grand Master  (M.W.G.M.) of the Grand  Lodge of Texas William Clark, in April 1902, and was signed by the following  Master Masons from Bay City:  C. F. Baker,  Jr.,   J.  W. Brown,  John  T. Sargent, Dr.  James   Byars,  T.  F. Carr, R.  W. Fullwood,  John A. Green, James M. Hamby,  W. P. Johnson,  W. H. Glenn,  Isadore Marks,   E. F. Higgins,  Dr. A. S. Morton,  Dr. E. E. Scott, Theodore  Schaedel,  John Sutherland, J. M. Moore, and W. C. Carpenter.

On April  13, 1902,  the Grand Master  issued his  dispensation  authorizing the  said brethren  to organize a lodge  and confer the degrees of  the Blue  Lodge at Bay City, known as  Bay City Lodge No. 865  A. F. & A. M.   The petition was endorsed by Tres Palacios   Lodge  No. 411  A. F. & A. M.   The  following  officers  were named:  W. C. Carpenter, Worshipful Master; Isadore Marks, Senior Warden; A. S. Morton, Junior Warden; E. F. Higgins, Secretary: V. L. LeTulle, Treasurer; and C. F. Baker, Tiler.

Shortly  after  the granting  of  the dispensation,  the  lodge was  instituted  by D.D.G.M. J. J. Davis of Galveston.  Records as to the exact date were lost in the very strong 1909 hurricane  which  severely  damaged  the  Masonic  building  as  well  as  many  other structures in Bay City.  The charter was dated December 4, 1902.

The 23 Charter Members were: Dr. E. E. Scott, A. C. Fox, W. P. Johnson, Ernest Zuch, Isadore Marks,  J. W. Brown, R.W. Fullwood, Dr. A. S. Morton, V. L. LeTulle, J. M. Moore,  John A. Green,  C.  F. Baker,  T.  F. Carr,  J. M. Sims,  J. M. Hamby,   John Sutherland,  J. T. Sargent,  Theodore Schaedel, Dr. James Byars, W. H. Glenn, E. F. Higgins, M. N. Cain and W. C. Carpenter.

The first lodge meetings were  held on the  second floor of a two-story wooden building, which housed a saloon on the first floor.  Worshipful Master W.C. Carpenter wrote of the location,  “Pardon the allusion,   there  was not  an  elevator  connecting  the  two places.” [Looking at old photographs of Bay City, there was a wooden two story saloon - Gem Saloon - on the North side of the square on the Northeast corner of Ave. F and 7th St.]

On March 24, 1906, A. S. Morton, W. C. Carpenter, V. L.  LeTulle, C. F.  Baker and Theodore Schaedel as Trustees of the lodge purchased from N. King of Adams Co., IL and J. C. Wood of Bee Co., TX part of lot 8 in block 77 of the Bay City Townsite - a plat of ground 20 x 35  feet on the West end of the lot. [Vol. 17, pg. 221 Matagorda County Deed Records] Then on July 16, 1906 the same Trustees, in an agreement with Henry Rugeley concerning a common wall, purchased part of lots 6 and 7 in block 77 - a plat of ground  35 x 50  feet on the West end of the  lots for the  purpose of erecting a two story brick or concrete building, the upper floor being used for Masonic purposes and the  lower floor  to be rented.  [Description from deed]  [Vol. 17, pg.  224  Matagorda County Deed Records]  The Trustees  had purchased the back  of the space BEFORE they purchased the front - they had great faith!

The new building was designed by Jules Leffland, Plan #1028, with Hatchett & Large (local construction company) as carpenters. In a matter of only six months the two story brick building  was constructed at a cost of  $7,000.00.  It is described as a two story, three bay brick early 20th century commercial style building featuring elaborate brick corbelling and arched second story windows. This beautiful building still stands now, over 100 years later.

On March 8, 1908 a fire destroyed every structure on the West side of the square facing the courthouse between 6th and 7th Streets, but fortunately it was unable to cross over 7th St and damage the lodge.

The members of Masonic Lodge No. 865 have met regularly through the years, and they have conducted many Masonic funerals and appeared in public in regalia (decorations or insignia indicative  of an office or membership) for special occasions. 

In  1909,  under  proper  dispensation,  the  lodge  laid  the  cornerstone  of  the  First Methodist Church in Bay City with  William Walker, Worshipful Master, presiding. Mr. Walker owned the first furniture and embalming service in Bay City and also was the first Fire Chief] In 1915 the lodge laid the cornerstone for the First Baptist Church of Bay City, with Thomas  H. Lewis,  Worshipful Master, conducting the ceremonies. [Mr. Lewis served as a County Judge for many years]

The lodge has prospered  all these  years with  the exception  of the depression in the 1930's.  There was one year during  which the  lodge was  in arrears with the Grand Lodge of Texas for not paying assessments.

A movement  was begun to  build a new  building due to several reasons, chief among them  were the  age  and condition of the  structure, a  lack of parking space near the lodge  and the difficulty  some of the older members were having ascending the steep steps to reach the lodge on the second floor. 

On February 8, 1961 the lodge purchased  0.674  acres of land out of the Elisha  Hall League   from   Nathan  and  Dorothy   Blum.  The  property  was  located  on  South Highway 60 (Avenue F) near the city limits. [Vol. 365 pg. 162 Matagorda County Deed Records]    Little  did  they   know  of  the  catastrophe   that  was about  to strike the Matagorda County area seven months later.

On September 11, 1961  Hurricane Carla caused much  damage to Matagorda County and  to  the  fifty-four  year  old lodge  building.   The  building was repaired and the  brethren set out to construct a new building.  With donations from: York Rite Bay City Chapter No. 315, Bay City Council No. 251 and Bay City Commandery No. 74; from Bay City Chapter No. 380,  Order of the Eastern Star;  from the sale of the old lodge building on June 26, 1962 to Thomas L. Burchfield and Melvin A. Epstein [Vol. 288 pg 683 Matagorda County Deed Records] and with the sale of several city lots owned by the lodge, construction of the new building began in July 1962.

The official cornerstone-laying ceremony was presided over by Grand Master of Texas Robert L. Dillard, Jr. of Dallas on August 17,1962.

The  building  was  completed  in January  1963,  and  the lodge  moved into the new building free of debt. An open house was held on Saturday January 26, 1963 and the public was invited to see their beautiful new home.

Officers of the lodge were: R. L. Chandler, Worshipful  Master;  A. W. Noster, Senior Warden;  R.  I. Hoke,  Junior  Warden;  J.  P. Mielsch,  Secretary;  Ramon Johnson, Treasurer;  A. M.  Barber, Senior Deacon;  Kermit Spielman,  Junior Deacon;  H. I. White, Chaplain; W. E. Frazier, Senior Steward; Bert L. Huebner, Junior Steward; and D. B. Wells, Tiler.  Members of the Building Committee were: George R. Brown, Chairman; C. S. Garrett, J. W. Lesiker and J. W. Sanders. 

The    new    Matagorda   County    Sheriffs   office    administrative   building     was dedicated  on  December  27, 2006 with  Brian Dodson, Grand  Master of the  Grand Lodge of Texas presiding over the cornerstone-laying ceremony.  Ten brothers of the lodge  who work  for the  Sheriffs  Department and were present include Sheriff James Mitchell  and  Deputies  Jake  Roberts,  Ron  Ballenger,  Stephen  Baker, David Miles, Randy  Worthey, Wayne Dekle,  Bob Moore and Eldas J. (EJ) Bertrand.

Brothers   Gregg    Westmoreland,  who  was   County   Judge  at  the  time,   George Deshotels  who was  County Commissioner for Precinct 2 and Robert Bertrand, a Citizens Academy Alumni and the current Worshipful Master were also present.

Since the inception of the lodge in 1902 its members have been the shakers and makers of Bay City  and Matagorda  County with  involvement  in all aspects  of the growth and development of the city and county, its governments, its infrastructures- fire - sheriff and police,  its  businesses  including  doctors,  dentists,  lawyers  and  funeral directors, its schools, churches and other organizations.  Many of its members over the years proudly served in the military and are members of Philip H. Parker VFW Post 2438 [named after the son of Past Worshipful  Master Herbert  H. Parker who was a fighter pilot in WWII and  was killed in action  over China]  and Bay City American Legion Post 11.  Several  lodge members  have been both a Worshipful Master of the lodge and a Commander of one of the veterans organizations.

Activities    Lodge    No.   865   are   involved   in    today    include:   annual    college scholarship  and at  Christmas a  motorcycle  run  to obtain toys for underprivileged children.

By 1919 the membership had grown from 23 to 159, in 2007, there were 195  members of the lodge.

T. J. Poole, Worshipful Master 1909-1910 - photo courtesy of Blessing Masonic Lodge No. 411
 

PAST MASTERS BAY CITY LODGE NO. 865 A. F. & F. M.