Boone Union Lodge No. 304 was organized one hundred years ago.
It is hard to conceive of one hundred years in time. Perhaps if we remember that this lodge had its beginning on September 1, 1854, and that was some six years before the start of the Civil War, we can get some idea of the time involved. Few of us remember that war, and many of us have never even met anyone who remembers it. Yet our lodge is that old.
The first Master was W. H. Riley according to the charter we now have. However, according to the records of the Grand Lodge William Wilkie was the first Master. There is no fool-proof way to find out which is correct. Probably both men served part of the year. The most reasonable thought is that W. H. Riley helped organize the lodge and served as Master for a time with William Wilkie finishing the year.
V. Dickerson was the first Senior Warden of our lodge, while A. Stansifer served as Junior Warden in 1854.
This lodge, with all others of course, suffered from the effects of the Civil War. This one probably suffered more than many, because it was in its early stages, and trying to get a start. There were three years during this war when no return was listed with the Grand Lodge. No Master was elected in 1861, 1862 or 1864.
Without the determination of our brethren of that time our lodge may well have perished.
The lodge seems to have had periods of boom and depression, just as the country has, through the years.
Many of the older members tell us that the lodge has changed considerably down through the years. For example smoking was prohibited in the lodge and the order was extremely strict, according to these members.
Many of the members walked as far as two or three miles to and from lodge. This seems to have had a desirable effect on the community. People began to think masonry held some attraction for these men. This plus the high standing of these men in the community, cause many young men to become candidates for masonry.
The lodge, due to this influence, began to prosper just before the turn of the century. About this time brother Huey became a candidate and received the degrees. He informs us that the group of men who were in the lodge at this time were: "As fine a group of men as ever lived in Boone County."
Boone Union Lodge then owned the upper half of a frame building which stood on the site of the present building. Matson Ruschell owned the downstairs, with the exception of a chute that ran down through the store which he operated. Some of the very old members may be able to explain this, but we have been unable to find its use.
Although the lodge was flourishing, disaster was destined to strike. On the night of December 19, 1914 the entire building and all its furnishings were leveled by fire. This was indeed a dark time for the Masons of this community. Soon our country was involved in another war, the most terrible man had ever engaged in until that time.
As in the past our older brethren arose to the occasion and soon erected another hall. This, despite the fact that the loss had been covered by only a small amount of insurance. This time a brick structure was erected on the same site. Matson Ruschell again built the lower half and used it as a store. The I. O. O. F. paid half the cost of the upper portion and the hall was shared with them for a time.
As time went by the Odd Fellows' membership dwindled and their meetings became infrequent. Finally they seemed inclined to sell their interest in the hall to the first prospective buyer. Largely due the influence of Brother James A. Huey, the lodge went into debt to buy them out. On May 6, 1933 the members voted to buy their interest. Time has proven this to be a wise decision as the debt has been paid and the hall has been and still is a source of pride to the lodge.
It seems that the installation of electric lights took ten years. The subject was first brought up in 1926, but was dropped. In 1931 it was again brought up. The lodge hall was actually wired in 1936.
Many of the older living members of our lodge have given much in the support of masonry. There is evidence that some of these members, when times are hard, rode on horseback to call on the members who had fallen in arrears on their dues. In many cases these brothers have gone into their own pockets to help another brother make up the difference in what he owed and what he could afford to pay.
On June 7, 1930 one candidate was made a Master Mason. Shortly after this there began a dark period for the lodge. As everyone knows a terrific depression came to this country. New petitions failed to come in, and many members could not pay their dues. These things, in addition to the loss to the lodge of those members who had departed this life, weakened the lodge. Things had reached such a state by June 5, 1937 that the Master ordered all members to be notified to attend the next meeting to decide whether to continue the lodge or not.
At the meeting in July it was decided to form a club of the members. These members were to pay twenty cents a week for fifty-two weeks. The money was to be used to pay on the lodge indebtedness, thereby establishing the lodge on a more solid financial footing.
Another crisis arose in 1935 when the Master J. Gaines Huey and Senior Warden B. C. Kirtley both died on June 9 in the same hospital. The lodge then elected James A Huey, Master and Joseph Huey, Senior Warden.
On November 6, 1939 the first petition in over nine years was read and things began looking better.
There were two bright spots during this time. One was the purchase of the hall in 1933. The other was the consolidation of our lodge with Hamilton Lodge Number 354.
The earliest record of Hamilton Lodge dates back to 1887. The building the lodge had shared with the Hamilton School had burned in 1886 and the records seem to have been burned with it.
The school trustees wanted the Masons to build with them again. The Masons to pay half the cost of the building and buy all their own furnishings. The I. O. O. F. also wanted the Masons to build with them over the Methodist Church at Big Bone Springs. They decided to accept the Odd Fellows proposition. They met for the first time in their new hall on July 6, 1889. Their share of the cost having been five hundred dollars.
After the turn of the century the lodge seems to have prospered. They must have been quite hospitable, for in 1916 an order was drawn on the treasury for sixty cents for the purchase of a half box of cigars. There were no meetings in October and November of 1918 because of the epidemic of Spanish Influenza.
Beginning about this time Hamilton Lodge began to lose members and not gain new ones. By 1927 their meetings became irregular. In 1927 they met on in January and July. At the July meeting the members decided to sell their five-thirteenths interest in the building if they could find a buyer.
At a meeting on June 2, 1928 a committee was appointed to sell their interest in the building. The committee sold it to the Washington Encampment Number 75 for two hundred dollars. The sale was ratified by the lodge at a meeting on October 6, 1928. At a meeting on December 5, 1931, a letter was read from the Grand Secretary informing the members that they would have to consolidate or surrender their charter. They only had thirteen members and the required number was fifteen. A committee was appointed to meet with Boone Union Lodge in regard to this matter.
They met again on January 2, 1932 and, after the committee's report, voted unanimously to consolidate with Boone Union Lodge Number 304. The brethren who made this decision were Frank Allen, Ira Smith, B. C. Kirtley, W. C. Johnson, Charles Rich and J. M. Black. Brother Smith is still a faithful member among us.
This consolidation strengthened our lodge and gave it the strength needed to carry it through those bleak years. By 1940 a more prosperous period was dawning. Petitions started coming in, in larger numbers and many good active members entered the lodge.
The end of 1941, however, again saw war, this time even more terrible than the last, come to our country. The lodge was ready and willing to do whatever it could in these times of crisis. The hall was used to register men for conscription into the armed forces. The Use of the hall was offered to the Red Cross, and financial aid was given to such things as the Armed Forces Entertainment Fund.
In 1944 many of the members as well as two outside organizations donated liberally to pay on the dept. The debt was retired and since that time our lodge has prospered and now boasts some one hundred and thirty members. An attempt to buy the entire building this year failed because a clear title could not be obtained.
This record would have been impossible without the sincere and faithful work of past officers. The secretaries and treasurers have served their lodges well: John H. Aylor, H. W. Riley, J. W. Doan, L. H. Voshell, J. C. Platt, and S. S. Bristow of Boone Union and J. F. Greene, J. P. Johnson, J. L. Jones, and W. C. Johnson of Hamilton.
This, then is a brief account of the past century of Boone Union Lodge Number 304. It has survived five horrible wars, numerous epidemics, panics, and depressions.
Now we turn to the future. We know nothing of the future, save that there will be times of happiness and times of sadness, times of prosperity and less prosperous times, and moments of pleasure and joy as well as times of trials and tribulations. Yet if we, the living members of Boone Union Lodge Number 304 can muster anything like the devotion of our older brethren, always relying on the superintending guidance of the Great Architect of the Universe, our lodge will continue to be an important part of the community and a strong link in the chain of International Freemasonry.
On September 1, 1992 Boone Union Lodge # 304 was 136 Years old. The first 100 Year History was written in book form by Bro. George Houston, Past Master.
Some of our older members have read the History, but a lot of the younger members have not. It is very interesting and I would like to read it to you in full.
The Title is:
The first One Hundred Years of Boone Union Lodge # 304 – Centennial Celebration Sept. 4, 1954.
The History of Boone Union Lodge from 1954 to the late 1960’s or early 1970’s was fairly routine. The Lodge progressed and our membership at one time grew to 184 members. Due to death, etc. our membership is now around 170 members.
For a number of years in the old Lodge building the downstairs was a General Store and Post Office. There were several different tenants over the years. In 1940 Bro. Elmer Noe, a member of the Lodge purchased the downstairs store and stayed there around 20 years. Sometime in the late 1960’s our Bro. downstairs was informed by the State Health Dept. that unless running water installed, he would have to quit selling meat. Due to the courtesy of the Union Baptist Church we were allowed to tap into their cistern and sewage disposal and running water was installed and a rest-room built upstairs. Sometime that year 1969 Natural Gas was installed in the building.
In late 1969 or 1970 our tenant bought the building across the street and moved his business there. About this time City Water was also installed in the building. The downstairs was again rented to a local man but because the rent was not being paid, legal action was taken to evict him.
In Feb. 1971 discussion was held about repairing or selling the building. A committee was appointed to study the repairs and the cost. It was decided to repair the downstairs. In April 1971 repairs were started on the downstairs and in the meantime a prospective buyer came in and was interested in buying the building if he could get the financing. It was voted to stop work on the downstairs for 30 days. In May the man found out he could not get financing and a vote was taken not to sell the building, so work was started again on repairs, and the downstairs was remodeled into a Dining Room, complete with a Kitchen and two new Bathrooms. In Sept. a new roof was put on by members. Things moved along rather smoothly until April 1976 when discussions were held concerning a new Lodge Building. It then was decided to approach Mrs. Mattie Utz about buying one acre of ground on Mt. Zion Rd. Two members of the Lodge talked to Mrs. Utz and she gave them a price of $3500.00. They accepted the price and proceeded to get the land surveyed.
That same year a deed was received from Mrs. Utz with the stipulation that if the Lodge Building was not built within a specified time that the property would return to her on her estate for the purchase price.
Now the Question: Financing: The Secretary appointed 7-2 man teams to contact every member by personal visit or by phone to raise money. The year was successful as Thousands of Dollars in money was pledged and Thousands of Dollars in Labor was pledged.
At about the same time a suggestion was made to sell Brick Certificates at $10.00 each. Close to $5,000.00 of bricks were sold. When the cornerstone was laid the record of $4500.00 of bricks and the names of each brick was put in the cornerstone.
In April 1979 the old building was sold to Huey Realtors and in turn was rented to the Lodge until we could move into the new one. Several sets of plans for a New Temple were submitted and also were rejected.
An Architect was then hired to finalize a set of plans for a Temple. These plans were approved on Oct. 5, 1980 and the ground breaking ceremony was held with a Parade starting at the Union Fire Department consisting of several groups and members of the Lodge, with the Sr. Past master, Robert Butler as the Grand Marshal and to turn the first shovel of dirt. Construction was begun the following year.
In June 1981 the building committee reported we had $46,000.00 in pledges and money from the sale of the old building. It was decided by the members that it was not enough to start construction. In Aug. the basement was dug to satisfy the stipulation on the deed. In Oct. the foundation was poured, later the top was poured and the basement was closed for the winter.
We were fortunate to have within our membership, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and concrete contractors who donated their time and labor to construct this Temple. Some members bought and paid for materials out of their own pockets. Through the efforts of the Eastern Star and Contributions from members we were able to have Carpet on the floor and a Modern Kitchen downstairs.
On Oct. 6, 1986 (six years) from the ground breaking, our New Temple was dedicated by our Most Worshipful Grand Master, Joseph R. Conway and the Line of Officers from the Grand Lodge of KY. A mile long parade was started at the Union Fire Dept. and preceded to the new Lodge Hall. This parade consisted of Masons from several of the States, Members of the Shrine, Members of Boone Union Lodge #304, Union Star Chapter #461 Order of the Eastern Star, The Union VFW, The Union Fire Department, Union Life Squad, County and State Police, Floats, Antique Cars, and other organizations. Some 400 people were present. It was the largest crowd ever witnessed in Union. This is the Highlights of the History of Boone Union Lodge #304 up to 1986. I hope that in some way I have brought back a few memories of a group of dedicated men and women who are responsible for what we have here today. As of this Date Oct. 3, 1992 Boone Union Lodge #304 has 26 living Past Masters with the oldest Sr. P. M. Robert Butler.
Robert Butler 1948
Surface Barlow 1951
L.T. Utz 1953
Bruce Ferguson 1958
W.F. Parker 1963
Russell Friend 1964
Donald Marksberry 1967
James R. Robinson 1968
Raymond Ridgell 1969
George W. Mason 1970
Garry C. Kelly 1971
Ronald C. Tanner 1972
Gary A. Barlow 1973
W.F. Parker 1975
Danny Coker 1978
Granville Hollon 1979
Mike Richardson 1982
David Mason 1983
Phillip Craddock 1984
Larry Harper 1985
Earl Hicks 1986
Howard A. Lawrence 1987
Phillip Craddock 1988
James Robinson 1989
Troy Robinson 1990
Ken Nevels 1991