Posted: 3/31/2026 10:38:21 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Hayashi_Killian][Edited]
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According to my great-great-grandfather's headstone, he was a mason. And according to an obituary from a newspaper, he was a grandmaster here in Texas for several years. This would probably have been in the middle-late 1800s, as he'd moved to Oklahoma (and also worked with the masons up there from the same obituary) by the end of the century. If I had to guess where (and this is a mostly ass-pull, with a little information as to some of the areas he left his mark to give it some degree of accuracy) it was somewhere up here in North-Central Texas, DFW area or thereabouts. Is there any way to get any kind of historical documents to confirm this? Or any other information that could be publicly released? Not looking for anything weird, just historical and genealogical information. |
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Presuming he was a member of a Regular Lodge in Texas (which is likely given the timeframe), the Grand Lodge of Texas has a "Past Grand Masters" page: https://grandlodgeoftexas.org/past-grand-masters Download the PDF and search. You could also click the Contact Us link on that same page and inquire to the Grand Lodge of Texas with your Grandfather's name and where he lived. (It helps if the Obituary states the lodge he was a member of, but it's not required.) |
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Originally Posted By JimBSC: Presuming he was a member of a Regular Lodge in Texas (which is likely given the timeframe), the Grand Lodge of Texas has a "Past Grand Masters" page: https://grandlodgeoftexas.org/past-grand-masters Download the PDF and search. You could also click the Contact Us link on that same page and inquire to the Grand Lodge of Texas with your Grandfather's name and where he lived. (It helps if the Obituary states the lodge he was a member of, but it's not required.) Originally Posted By JimBSC: Presuming he was a member of a Regular Lodge in Texas (which is likely given the timeframe), the Grand Lodge of Texas has a "Past Grand Masters" page: https://grandlodgeoftexas.org/past-grand-masters Download the PDF and search. You could also click the Contact Us link on that same page and inquire to the Grand Lodge of Texas with your Grandfather's name and where he lived. (It helps if the Obituary states the lodge he was a member of, but it's not required.) He may or may not have been to the first statement, all the obituary says was he was involved in Masonic affairs here and was a grandmaster for six of them. He lived in Denton for 40 years according to the same, spending the last 28/38 (print is unclear) where he's buried now. I looked around for that page initially but couldn't find it, but unfortunately even after you've linked it he's not listed in any of the times where he would be. Any chance it could be for a different group or chapter? Originally Posted By medicmandan: IM me his name and the year(s) he served. It's not common for GMs to serve more than one year (but happens). I was not willing to do more than one year.  I may be able to find the record of his year(s) in office. The only thing I could give you is his name, DOB and DOD. I have no idea what years he served beyond the claim of "six years as grand master of the Masonic fraternity in Texas". Would that be enough or would you need more to avoid a total wild goose chase? |
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Originally Posted By medicmandan: Let's start with a name. I may not be able to help at all if TX doesn't have their archives online yet. A good backup plan is to follow LenS' advice and reach out directly to the GLoTX and see if they can help. Sent it to you, along with some more details I discovered. ED: They reached back out to me this morning. I also reached out to a lodge in the area to see what they would say, they said they'd research and let me know. |
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Much belated response here, but they kicked it up to the Library and did some research. Here's what they found: Lodge(s): Stanfield Lodge No. 217 (Denton, Tx) Pilot Point Lodge No. 270 (Pilot Point, Tx) Stanfield Lodge No. 217 Initiated: 06-30-1860 Passed: 07-28-1860 Raised: 08-26-1860 Demitted: 1861 (Exact Date Unknown, most likely 06-18-1861) Pilot Point Lodge No. 270 Affiliated: 06-18-1861 (Charter Member) Demitted: 08-11-1866 Affiliated: 03-12-1870 Suspended for Non-Payment of Dues: 04-30-1898 (It appears they kept him on their roster for 4 years after he moved to Oklahoma. He either continued to pay dues, or he slipped through the cracks until 1898) Offices Held: Senior Deacon: 1861-1862 (Charter Officer) Senior Warden: 1863-1864 Worshipful Master: 1864-1865 Grand Lodge Offices Held: District Deputy Grand Master 12th District- 1872 7th District- 1873, 1874, 1875 Now I debate whether or not to submit a request to the Oklahoma Grand Lodge for him + his son to find out more. |