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Chartered 1844
   Past Masters  Past Masters of Mercer Lodge No. 121, Since 1844

 

History of Mercer Lodge No. 121

Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio

St. Marys, Ohio

 

In August 1823, a plat & description of the town of Saint Marys in Mercer County was recorded by Charles Murray, William A. Houston and John McCorkle at the court house in Darke County, Greenville, Ohio.

 

Twenty-one years later, a Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio was organized there.  The first meeting on record was held at St. Marys, Ohio under dispensation on April 24, 1844.  Six months later a Charter was granted to Mercer Lodge No. 121, F. & A. M., October 25, 1844.

 

The name Mercer was chosen for the Lodge at that time as St. Marys was a part of Mercer County with St. Marys as the County Seat.  In 1848, a new County of Auglaize was formed along the lines that now exist today.

 

At the Masons Hall In Columbus, Ohio, on October 23, 1844, the Most Worhipful Grand Master of Freemasons in Ohio, Wm. B. Thrall, reported in his Annual Communication:

"the official acts of your presiding officer during the past year, consist in part in granting dispensation to the following new Lodge, to wit:

"    To Brothers Michael Wallace, N. H. Starbuck, Samuel R. Mott, and their associates, to be styled Mercer Lodge at St. Marys."

 

At 1:00 p.m. on Thursday October 24, A.D. 1844 - A.L. 5844, The Standing Committee on Charters and Dispensations, (Consisting of  Brothers John P. Worstell, Samuel Reed, and Benjamin F. Smith) made the following report, accompanied with a resolution, which report was received and the resolution agreed upon, to wit:

"    That they have examined the dispensation, By-Laws and proceedings of Mercer Lodge No. __, held at St. Marys, in Mercer County, and find the same, in all respects, in proper form.  Your committee would therefore recommend that a Charter be granted to Mercer Lodge."

"    Further Resolved, that Brother Michael Wallace be entitled to a seat in the Grand Lodge, as the representative of Mercer Lodge No. 121."

 

The Charter was officially signed & sealed on October 25, 1844.

 

Mercer Lodge No. 121 was represented at the following Annual Grand Communications with a reported membership of:

Date

Location

Representative

membership
Oct. 23 - 25, 1844 Columbus M. Wallace 14 members
Oct. 21 - 24, 1845 Columbus N. H. Starbuck 17 members
Oct. 20 - 23, 1846 Dayton N. H. Starbuck 17 members
Oct. 19 - 22, 1847 Zanesville Geo. C. McCune 19 members
Sep. 25 - 29, 1848 Columbus James Wilson no report
Oct. 15 - 19, 1849 Steubenville Wm. Sawyer no report
Oct. 15 - 19, 1850 Cincinnati Wm. Sawyer no report
Oct. 23 - 28, 1851 Cleveland James Wilson no report
Oct. 19 - 22, 1852 Chillicothe Wm. Sawyer no report
Oct. 18 - 21, 1853 Chillicothe D. R. Moss no report
Oct. 17 - 20, 1854 Chillicothe W. B. Wise no report
Oct. 23 - 27, 1855 Mansfield not represented no report
Oct. 21 - 24, 1856 Zanesville D. R. Moss no report
Oct. 20 - 24, 1857 Massillon James Wilson no report

 

Since it began in 1844, Mercer Lodge has met regularly in St. Marys, Ohio on the "Wednesday proceeding the Full Moon and again two weeks after" with only one disturbance.  From 1860 until 1864, all of the Officers of Mercer Lodge served in the Union Army during the Civil War and no Lodge meetings were held.  At the Grand Communication in 1864 permission was granted to Mercer Lodge to resume their labors under their original Charter.

- - Historical Research provided by Gary A. Thomas
 
References:
 ©1857, The Grand Lodge of Ohio, Columbus, (Follett, Foster & Company.)  "Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free & Accepted Masons of the State of Ohio, at its Several Grand Communications, from 1808 to 1847, inclusive."
 ©1858, The Grand Lodge of Ohio, Columbus, (Follett, Foster & Company.)  "Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free & Accepted Masons of the State of Ohio, at its Several Grand Communications, from 1848 to 1857, inclusive."
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Charles DePoy
   Past Masters  Past Masters of Mercer Lodge No. 121, Since 1844