BlackstoneRiver
BLACKSTONE RIVER LODGE
Location: Blackstone
Chartered By: Winslow Lewis
Charter Date: 12/12/1856 V-264
Precedence Date: 12/12/1855
Current Status: in Grand Lodge Vault; merged to Montgomery Lodge, Milford, 06/12/1997
PAST MASTERS
- Samuel S. White, 1872-1874, 1883
- 1875?
- Leonard T. Gaskill, 1876, 1878, 1882
- Charles F. Sisson, 1877, 1878 died in office
- Jeremiah Gatchell, 1879-1881; Memorial
- George J. Baldwin, 1884, 1885
- William H. Hawkins, 1886, 1887
- William A. Cole, 1888, 1888
- Charles W. Rickards, 1890, 1891
- Edward E. Wheelock, 1892, 1893
- George W. Maxon, 1894, 1895; SN
- Melvin E. Ellis, 1896, 1897, 1901, 1902; SN
- Isaac T. Holman, 1898
- Ambrose B. White, 1899, 1900; Memorial
- John Kinnibergh, 1903
- Ansel Holman, 1904
- Joseph Hoyle, 1905-1907; SN
- Fred M. Bennett, 1908
- William R. Booth, 1909
- Ralph M. Estes, 1910
- Edward J. Saalfrank, 1911, 1912
- Joseph F. Barnet, 1913
- Duncan B. Cunningham, 1914
- William C. Hay, 1915
- Harry S. Nelson, 1916
- Nelson Slater, 1917
- William Carville, 1918
- Samuel L. Lampher, 1919
- William Spencer, 1920
- Harold W. Armstrong, 1921
- Philip E. Thomas, 1922; N
- Edwin M. Crane, 1923
- Louis A. Webster, 1924
- William E. Loveland, 1925
- Morton C. Matteson, 1926
- Ray S. Maxon, 1927
- Daniel E. Greene, 1928
- Harrison M. Smyth, 1929
- Lester H. Matteson, 1930
- Andrew N. Maxon, 1931
- George A. Arnold, 1932
- Edwin M. Crane, 1933; N
- Cornelius J. Hauge, 1934
- Henry F. Feddern, 1935
- John W. Mellor, 1936
- John Alden, 1937
- Paul E. Larson, 1938
- Fred Israel, 1939
- Lester E. Carpenter, 1940
- Philip L. Voelker, 1941
- Jules E. Conrardy, 1942
- Joseph D. Rosenthal, 1943
- William A. Robbins, 1944
- Philip H. Hoyle, 1945, 1946
- Harold A. Gustafson, 1947
- Gerard A. Lafreniere, 1948
- Paul L. Hoyle, 1949, 1954
- Raymond G. LaFreniere, 1950-1951, 1955, 1978-1980; N
- Neilson A. Darling, 1952
- Daniel B. Middleton, 1953
- Frank C. Wadsworth, Jr., 1956
- Herbert S. Smith, 1957
- Joseph D. Rosenthal, 1958
- Walter Karasek, 1959
- Samuel H. Stein, 1960
- Henry C. Feddern, 1961
- Alexander Kokolski, 1962
- Clinton S. J. Jacks, 1963
- Joseph Hoyle, Jr., 1964
- Robert E. Ranslow, 1965, 1966
- Hollis S. Booth, 1967
- Robert F. Taylor, 1968, 1969
- Victor J. Karasek, 1970
- John J. Salisbury, 1971
- Elmer E. Normandin, Jr., 1972
- Henry R. Reiner, 1973
- Randall L. Faneuf, 1974
- Cecil H. Lane, Sr., 1975, 1983
- Cecil H. Lane, Jr., 1976, 1981, 1982, 1985
- George A. L. Ethier, 1977
- Ross N. Fisher, 1984, 1988
- Stewart R. Holbrook, 1986; PDDGM
- Todd E. Smith, 1987
- Ross N. Fisher, 1988
- Russell S. Wise, 1989-1992; N
- David W. Farrington, 1993, 1995
- Richard E. Heon, 1994
- Donald E. Guertin, 1996, 1997
REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS
- Petition for Dispensation: 1855
- Petition for Charter: 1857 chartered 1856; constituted 1857
- Consolidation Petition (with Montgomery Lodge): 1997
ANNIVERSARIES
VISITS BY GRAND MASTER
- 1857 (Heard; Constitution of Lodge and installation; see below)
- 1879 (Welch)
- 1927 (Simpson; Cornerstone laying at Blackstone Federated Church)
- 1940 (Perry; district meeting)
- 1955 (W. Johnson; Centenary)
- 1980 (Melanson; 125th Anniversary)
- 1987 (Ames; consolidation with Montgomery Lodge)
BY-LAW CHANGES
1859 1874 1882 1912 1913 1922 1926 1927 1928 1929 1940 1947 1955 1956 1957 1982 1986
HISTORY
- 1955 (Centenary History, 1955-281)
OTHER
- 1870 (Complaint against Olive Branch Lodge)
- 1872 (Petition regarding formal charity to families of deceased members)
EVENTS
CONSTITUTION OF LODGE, FEBRUARY 1857
From Moore's Freemason's Monthly, Vol. XVI, No. 5, February 1857, Page 155:
At Blackstone, Worcester Co., was consecrated by the Grand Lodge of this State, on Monday evening, Feb. 2, by the usual ceremonies. The officers of the Lodge for the current year were duly installed and the new hall dedicated on the same evening. The exercises were attended by an audience of ladies and gentlemen, and the occasion was one of more than ordinary interest to the fraternity of the neighborhood. After the ceremonies the Brethren and their ladies supped together at Gaskill's hotel.
In the course of the evening, brief and appropriate speeches were made by the Most Worshipful Grand Master, John T. Heard, Esq., John H. Sheppard, C. W. Moore, and W. D. Coolidge, Esqs., and other gentlemen. The Grand Lodge was well represented by its chief officers. They were received with great courtesy and attention, and the presence of the highest officers of the order in this part of the Commonwealth, (never visited before by them as a body,) was a compliment duly appreciated by the new Lodge and the Brethren generally. — B. H. Aurora.
OFFICER LIST, JANUARY 1864
From Moore's Freemason's Monthly, Vol. XXIII, No. 3, January 1864, Page 96:
Officers of Blackstone River Lodge, for 1864.
- William A. Northup, W M.
- Lewis Holmes, S. W.
- Ben. Ainsworth, J. W.
- John Cady, Treas.
- Geo. E. Bullard, Sec.
- E. Metcalf, S. D.
- E Daniels, J.D.
- Thomas Fisher, S. S.
- Wm. Walton, J. S.
- E. Nichols, Mar.
- Moses Farnum, R. A. Benson, J. P. Pillsbnry, Trustees.
- J. P. Pillsbury, John C. Scott, J. S. Weedham, Relief Committee.
- E. Nichols, Tyler.
GRAND LODGE OFFICERS
- Edwin M. Crane, DDGM, District 20 (Blackstone), 1933, 1934; N
- Melvin E. Ellis, DDGM, District 19 (Southbridge), 1903, 1904; SN
- Jeremiah Gatchell, DDGM, District 19 (Southbridge), 1890, 1891, 1892; Memorial
- Stewart R. Holbrook, DDGM, District 20 (Blackstone), 1987, 1988
- Joseph Hoyle, DDGM, District 22 (Blackstone), 1911, 1912; SN
- Raymond G. LaFreniere, DDGM, District 20 (Blackstone), 1975, 1976; N
- George W. Maxon, DDGM, District 19 (Southbridge), 1898, 1899; SN
- Daniel W. Taft, DDGM, District 4, 1860, 1861; Senior Grand Warden 1902
- Philip E. Thomas, DDGM, District 20 (Blackstone), 1939, 1940; N
- Ambrose B. White, DDGM, District 22 (Blackstone), 1922, 1923; Memorial
- Russell S. Wise, DDGM, District 20 (Blackstone), 1985, 1986; N
DISTRICTS
1883: District 19 (Southbridge)
1911: District 22 (Blackstone)
1931: District 20 (Blackstone)