Delaware County NY Genealogy and History Site

FRANKLIN LODGE 
No. 562 
F. & A. M.
1864-1913
Franklin, New York

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Officers of the Lodge 
1913 

RAY E. PALMER .......... Worshipful Master
JOHN B. WARNER ......... Senior Warden
ELMER A. GILLETT ....... Junior Warden
GEO. D. CHAMBERLIN ..... Treasurer
DAVID A. BETTS ......... Secretary
AEBERT W. POTTER ....... Chaplain
WILL F. PHELPS ......... Senior Deacon
GILBERT R. DENNY ....... Junior Deacon
LEVI GILLETT ........... Senior Master of Ceremony
JAMES E. LOVELAND ...... Junior Master of Ceremony
H. GEORGE HILLER ....... Marshal
FRED W. PAGE ........... Organist
E. C. BARTLETT ......... Tyler - Janitor
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FINANCE COMMITTEE
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GEORGE F. SULLARD 	GILBERT R. DENNY
DWIGHT J. BIRDSALL

TRUSTEES
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WILLIAM C. COLE		FREDERICK N. WINANS
H. GEORGE HILLER
 
Master's and Secretary's address:
FRANKLIN, N.Y.

Annual Election of Officers, Dec. 31st, 1913

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LIST OF MEMBERS
December 31st. A. D. 1912 ; A. L. 5912.


Henry A. Phelps, Franklin ................. '64
John J. Dewey, Schenevus  ................. '64
Rufus S. Wood, Franklin   ................. '65
D. A. Betts, Franklin  .................... '66
Wm. Brinkman, Franklin .................... '66
Alfred Phelps, Franklin  .................. '66
John S. Widger, Otego ..................... '66
M. B. Edwards, Franklin   ................. '72
C. H. Gibbons, M.D., 
	Granville, Massachusetts .......... '74
Thos. Hamilton, Franklin Depot ............ '75
Giles Tiffany, Franklin   ................. '76
E. A. Holden, Franklin  ................... '78
George N. Rowe, Oneonta ................... '78
Richard Dunmore, Franklin ................. '78
Charles Warner, Franklin  ................. '78
J. B. Strong, Pomona, Cal. ................ '78
G. D. Chamberlin, Franklin ................ '79
George H. Birdsall, Franklin .............. '82
F, H. McNaught, M. D., Denver, Col ........ '83
F. L. Drees, Franklin ..................... '85
Holden G. Cook, Franklin  ................. '86
Rev. S. G. Keyser, Roxbury ................ '88
L. F. Raymond, Franklin   ................. '89
Romaine Jackson, Oxford   ................. '89
Edgar F. Jester, Franklin ................. '90
Geo. H. Pomeroy, Franklin ................. '92
Edwin D. Cole, Treadwell  ................. '93
George H. Ward, Walton    ................. '93
George J. Sanly, Franklin ................. '93
William B. Upright, Little Britain ........ '93
Albert Bedell, Merrickville ............... '93
R. P. Burns, Franklin ..................... '93
I. W.  Goodnough,  Franklin ............... '94
R. K. Bradley, Franklin   ................. '94
Orlo T. Foote, North Franklin ............. '94
E. A. Mackey, Franklin .................... '94
J. H. Graham, Treadwell ................... '94
C. W. Georgia, Franklin   ................. '94
F. N. Winans, M. D., Franklin ............. '94
J. M. Stilson, M.D., 
	Apple River, Illinois ............. '94
James P. Fish, Sidney ..................... '94
H. George Hiller, Franklin ................ '96 
John E. Oliver, Treadwell ................. '96
A. C. Burns, Franklin ..................... '97
F. B. Rose, Franklin ...................... '97
L. W. Bishop, Baldwin, L.I. ............... '97
C. H. Bell, Hancock, ...................... '98  
S. C. McClintock, Franklin ................ '98
H. B. Sewell, Sidney ...................... '98
Ernest Perry, Walton ...................... '98
William C. Cole, Franklin ................. '99
Loren H. Hurd, Franklin ................... '99
E. L. Hinaman, Port Jervis ................ '99
S. Case Miller, North Franklin ............ '00
John A. Roney, North Franklin ............. '00
A. R. Jackson, Columbus, New Jersey ....... '00
S. J. Miller, No. Franklin ................ '00
Stephen Hine, Burlington, Iowa ............ '01
Edward I. Edgerton, New York City ......... '01
D. R. Gladstone, Franklin ................. '01
Walter T. Preston, Franklin ............... '01
Gilbert R. Denny, Franklin ................ '01 
Ray E. Palmer, Franklin ................... '01
Nelson E. Wilcox, Sanitaria Springs ....... '01
W. H. Benedict, Northfield ................ '02 *William*
M. J. Durfee, Otego ....................... '02 *Matthew*
Geo. H. Brockway, Sidney .................. '02
Fred Archer, Oneonta ...................... '03
J. H. Phelps, Franklin .................... '03
Frank A. Bennett, Roscoe .................. '03
Ira L. Bradley, Franklin .................. '04
Edward H. Rider, Canastota ................ '04
Fred W. Page, Franklin .................... '05
S. J. White, M. D.,Schenevus .............. '05
George F. Sullard, Franklin ............... '05
Rev. S. F. Adam, Ponce, Porto Rico ........ '05
George R. Martin, Franklin ................ '05
John B. Warner, Franklin .................. '05
Harry E. Warner, Franklin ................. '05
Wm. G. Kellogg, Franklin .................. '05
Bernard Manzer, Franklin  ................. '05
Rev. Elmond S. Miles, New York City ....... '05
Will F. Phelps, Franklin .................. '05
Herbert R. Stewart, Sidney Centre ......... '05
Jasper Hand, Franklin ..................... '05
E. C. Stewart, Franklin  .................. '05
O. Z. Baldwin, Merrickville ............... '05
Bert Archer, Merrickville ................. '05
LeRoy Evans, Leonta ....................... '05
J. E. Loveland, Franklin .................. '05
D. J. Birdsall, Franklin .................. '06
E. A. Gillett, Franklin ................... '06
W. A. Ostrander Andes ..................... '06
S. J. Srambling, Treadwell ................ '06
L. Fred Stockman, Meredith ................ '06
Howard A. Allen, North Mehoopany, Penn., .. '06
Ainer Munson, No. Franklin ................ '06
Frank H.Judd, No. Franklin ................ '06
Seymour Wheat, Treadwell .................. '06
J. E. Morgan, Maybrook .................... '06 *J. Edson*
Abram Lape, Maybrook ...................... '06
C. E. Lathrop, Binghamton ................. '07
Carl J. Bender, Treadwell ................. '07
Frank M. Strong, Oneonta .................. '07
W. H. Hotaling, Treadwell ................. '07
S. L. Gates, Preston, Washington .......... '07
C. E. Miller, Franklin .................... '07
Levi Stilson, Franklin .................... '08
W. B. Hunt, Franklin ...................... '08
D. D. Signer, Franklin .................... '08
C. F. Signer, Franklin .................... '08
Albert King, Franklin Depot ............... '08
E. S. Rhodes, Walton ...................... '08
A. W. Potter, Franklin .................... '08
Geo. W. Brasee jr., Franklin .............. '08
A. Fitch Burdick, Franklin ................ '08
Rev. A. H. Lindsay, Franklin .............. '08
Grover C. Pomeroy, North Franklin ......... '09
Rev. G. E. Winegard, Treadwell ............ '09         
D. S. Chamberlin, Franklin ................ '09
C. O. Woodward, Leonta .................... '09
E. C. Bartlett, Franklin .................. '09
James E. Smith, Franklin .................. '09
Levi Gillett, Franklin .................... '09
Elmer B. Cole, Franklin ................... '09
C. S. Jackson, Franklin ................... '09
W. J. Pomeroy, Leonta ..................... '09
Virgil B. Ogden, Leonta ................... '09
Rev. W. H. Lofthouse, Franklin ............ '09
Granville J. Ackley, Oneonta .............. '10
George O. Burgin, Franklin ................ '10
Ralph A. Fortin, Philadelphia, Penn., ..... '10          
Wm. B. Storer, Oneonta .................... '10
James E. Smith,jr., Franklin .............. '10
Fred E. Tennant, Franklin ................. '11
Frederick C. Potter, Franklin ............. '11
H. R. Valentine, Leonta ................... '11
Roger H. Clark, Franklin .................. '12
Adelbert Robinson, Franklin ............... '12
Luman R. Bowdish, Pawling ................. '12
Wm. M. Clark, Franklin .................... '12
Ernest B. Valentine, Philadelphia, Penn., . '12
Howard E. Cook, Franklin .................. '12
Arthur D. Manzer, Franklin ................ '12
Ellis Cronauer, Franklin .................. '12
Merton M. Ogden, Franklin ................. '12
Victor J. Maurer, Franklin ................ '12

Regular Communication every Wednesday evening at 7.30 P. M. 
from October 1st to April 1st, and 8.00 P. M. from April 1st to October 1st.

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PAST MASTERS

*Hiram Edgerton, 1864-5-6-7-8-9-70-l-2-7-8-85
*B. L. Bowers, 1873
William Brinkman, 1874-5-82-9-93
Charles E. Miller, 1876
*lra Wilcox, 1879
Alfred Phelps, 1880-1
Henry A. Phelps, 1883-4
*Charles Warner, 1886
*W. Z. Bryant, 1887
Geo. D. Chamberlin, 1888-91-2-3-4-7-99
L. F. Raymond, 1895-6 
R. P. Burns, 1898
*R. K. Bradley, 1900
H. George Hiller, 1901-3
C. W. Georgia, 1902
*H. R. Bradley, 1904-5
I. W. Goodnough, 1906
D. R. Gladstone, 1907
William C. Cole, 1908
George F. Sullard, 1909-10
George B. Martin, 1911
____
* Deceased
	____________

Brethren visiting this jurisdiction are cordially invited to meet with us. 

IT is not our purpose to enter into all the details of any society of the present time or the past, ancient or modern, as time and space will not permit, yet a few words may not be detrimental to the Craft of Free and Accepted Masons. Historian tell us Masonry was known many centuries ago, and at the present day its Lodges are known throughout the civilized world.

It is a fact that Masonry did exist nearly one hundred years ago in Franklin, N. Y. We find that the first Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons was organized under the Grand Lodge of the State of New York, October 15th, A. L., 5815, receiving their Charter from the Grand Lodge, granting the name and number of Franklin Lodge, No. 261, empowering them to confer the seven degrees.

It may be of interest to many to know who were the members of the Ancient Craft, and we will name a few : Beach Jennings, John Edgerton, Elihu McCall, William Beach, Chauncey Ogden, Samuel White, Lyman Cook, Wyman Parker, Joahua Whitney, Cyprian Smith, Harvey Mann, Roger Case, William Betts, Daniel Chamberlin, Amasa Parker, Dewey Case, Luman Cohoon. David Ogden, Joseph Dibble, Almiron Fitch, Ansel Ford, David Chamberlin, Ozias Waters and many more. These were men of high honor and reputation and their sterling character none could dispute.

At first they held their meetings in several places, owing to the fact that they had no Lodge rooms of their own. A few years passed when the membership had increased to such an extent that a more suitable place was necessary for the accommodation of all its members, hence a committee was appointed to purchase a suitable piece of land upon which to build a Masonic Hall. The committee's report was soon heard to the effect that they had procured a piece of land nicely located on the East side of Main street, of John Edgerton. Report was accepted and a building committee consisting of John Edgerton, Beach Jennings, Harvey Mann and Samuel McCall appointed. The corner stone was laid in due form November, A. L., 5825, with Masonic honors. Soon their new home was completed, where they enjoyed many an evening together. (The Hall is still standing and in good preservation, and is now owned and occupied by Miss Florence Smith). Thus we see they were men to accomplish that which had been left in their care and to keep the same within themselves.

"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, save he that receiveth it." - St. John.

The membership in 1830 and later cannot be given, owing to the fact that the records had been destroyed or lost, but it must be admitted that the membership was large and well organized. Thus we see they were loyal to the trust imposed upon them. "According to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began." - St. Paul. They kept a tongue of good report, maintained secrecy and practiced charity. Their work is done, the Grand Master has called them from

this earthly Lodge to one above, where it may be said they rest from their labors.

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MODERN

FRANKLIN Lodge, No. 662, F. & A. M., at the present time was organized in 1864, WORKING under the dispensation of the Grand Lodge until June 21st, 1865, when it received its Charter from the Grand Lodge of the State of New York, empowering it to confer the first three degrees.

The Lodge is in a prosperous condition with a membership of 147 December 31st, 1912. The total number that have joined the order since it was organized is 334. Our membership is not only in the Middle States, but extends from the Eastern States to the Pacific Coast, in fact to the West India Islands.

It is a fact worthy of notice that there are but two of the charter members of this Lodge still living, viz: Henry A. Phelps and Clark F. Brasee. The former is still a member of this Lodge, but the latter is now of Freedom Lodge, Unadilla, New York.

The Lodge held its first meetings in the building now owned and occupied by Root & Ingalls, using the second floor. Here they remained until about 1871, and finding these rooms too small for the accommodation of its members, an agreement was made with J. C. Bush for the rooms in the third story of the Bush Block, which were occupied until July 1st, 1909, when they moved to their new Masonic home, which is located on Institute Street. This building was known as the Chapel of Delaware Literary Institute, and since the Union Free School had taken the place of D.L.I, it was no longer used for school purposes and tnrongh the kind generosity of the Trustees of D. L. I. was given to the Masonic Society, including land and all that was necessary for its accomodation. This building is nearly fifty by ninety feet, three stories above a high basement, with a large hallway extending from first to third floor. The first floor contains a cloak room, sink room and a kitchen where refreshments are prepared when needed; also a large hall or banquet room where refreshments are served and entertaiments of various kinds are held. The second floor was prepared in part for living rooms. The third floor is where all "meet on the level. "

The Lodge room was built new throughout, side walls covered with steel and steel ceilings, and completed with the aid of the artist and his brush; steel ceilings were also used in the preparation and Tyler's rooms; a smoking room was provided for those who find enjoyment in burning the weed (as smoking is prohibited in the Lodge room). All rooms are used save one which is rented to the "E. C." Fraternity for their use. The entire building is lighted with electricity in the most improved way, and the rooms are heated from a large furnace in the basement.

Financially the cost of rebuilding and furnishing the Temple with its wants, far exceeded the expectations of many, yet with good management and true economy all burdens will be lighter and the sun will shine brighter, and in coming days it may be said, "It is well."