HISTORY OF LIBERTY HILL MASONIC LODGE #432   1875 – 1975

History Committee:        D. H. Gardner, J. H. Wilson, Wilson Parks

In the Grand secretary’s files, there are two petitions for a lodge charter. The first was submitted in 1873, the second in 1875.

The 1873 petition to the Grand Lodge of Texas for a charter asked that Brothers W. H. Westfall be the First Worshipful Master, T. N. Bryson as First Senior Warden and W. R. Bratton as First Junior Warden. Brethren petitioning for charter of a new lodge at Liberty Hill Lodge # 432: the following Brethren signed the petition: From Mountain Lodge # 277: T. P. Poole, A. J. Miller, M. P, Fleming, S.P. Stubblefield, U.H, Anderson, G. H. Miller, Henry Price, John H. Hodges from Mt. Horeb # 137: W. K. Bratton, W. O. Spencer from Norton Moses Lodge # 336: Tom S. Snyder & T. N. Bryson.

 

The 1875 petition to the Grand Lodge of Texas for a charter for   a new lodge asked that Brother J. L. Dunn be First Worshipful Master, A. J. Miller be First Senior Warden and T. S. Snyder be Junior Warden. The following Brethren signed this petition: W. R. Bratton, T. N. Bryson, W. H. Coulson, Jr., J. H. Ledbetter, T. P. Poole, G. G. Anderson, W. D. Anderson, T. Dunn, W. R. Seward, S. P. Stubblefield, T. S. Snyder, U. H. Anderson, W. H. Westfall, R. L. Poole, J. N. Russell, A. J. Miller, John Hodges & W. O. Spencer.

While our charter was granted on June 5, 1875, it was dated June 7, 1875. The first meeting was on July 24, 1875.

THE FIRST MEETING

Liberty Hill Lodge # 432 met at the Liberty Hill Academy  at 9:00 P.M. July 24th, 1875. The time and place set by the Deputy Grand Master, for installing the officers and setting the Lodge to registry work. Deputy Grand Master Norton Moses in the East, Brother Babcock in the West, Brother T. M. Price in the South. Brothers Babcock and Price were members of Norton Moses Lodge # 336. The following were installed as officers of the lodge: J. L. Dunn, Worshipful Master, A. J. Miller, Senior Warden & T. S. Snyder, Junior Warden

 

The by-laws in the Taylor Monitor were adopted for the lodge and the member dues were set at $2. 00 a year. The fee for each degree was set at $11. 00. Brother T. N. Bryson presented the lodge with a set of lodge jewels. The stated meeting time was set to be the Saturday night after the full moon in each month. We now have a legally constituted Liberty Hill Lodge # 432 in Liberty Hill, Texas.

 

The 100th anniversary of the Liberty Hill Lodge # 432 was brought up at a lodge meeting in 1974 with John Evans as Worshipful Master, who appointed the following Brothers as a history committee: D. H. Gardner, J. H. Wilson & Wilson Parks. There have been two other history committees appointed over the years passed. The first was composed of Brothers C. F. Van and J. R. Casbeer. The second was composed of Brothers Warren Bryson and J. N. Matthews. We, the third committee want to keep this history as near Masonic as possible, however, it will be necessary to mention some events on the outside which tie into the lodge’s history. The committee has composed this history from events taken from the lodge minutes over these 100 years.

 

In 1870 and 1871 a Methodist Church was started on the site where it is today. Construction of a three-story stone building was started, which took a number of years before it was completed. The second meeting of Liberty Hill Lodge was held on the second floor of the church which had been granted for this use and benefit. At this meeting a committee was appointed to furnish an ante room for the lodge August 25, 1875 and was discharged on February 24, 1876.

 

At a stated meeting on August 12, 1876, a motion was made to change the lodge meeting time to 3:00 P.M. of the second Saturday of each month. The motion passed at the next meeting, September 9, 1876.

 

On April 28, 1877, a committee was appointed to furnish the third story for lodge use, the lodge having met for about two years on the second floor.

 

The Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas, Norton Moses visited Liberty Hill Lodge #432 on February 23, 1877.

 

Mountain Lodge # 277 invited Liberty Hill Lodge # 432 and Norton Moses Lodge # 336 to attend a lecture at their lodge given by Right Worshipful Deputy Grand Lecturer, Brother Eddinson in April, 1878.

 

The first suspension for non-payment of dues was on August 2, 1879. The lodge built new steps for the school and lodge on December 30, 1882. The school was held in the lodge room.

 

In January of 1883, we find the lodge purchased white and black balls for use in the lodge. Aprons were purchased in February of 1883. Columns and stations for use in the lodge room was referred to a committee in March of 1883. On March 4th, 1883, the lodge bought a roll-top secretary desk for $18.70. Brother W. O. Spencer was authorized to procure Deacon rods and Marshall’s buttons for lodge use.

 

A resolution was offered and a committee appointed to get a better lodge room on May 26th, 1883. June of 1883 was a busy month for Liberty Hill Lodge #432. It had two applications for initiation and affiliation, two Entered Apprentice examinations and a Fellowcraft degree. The Lodge was meeting in the third story of the Methodist Church. In May 1883 the Lodge decided to find a new meeting place.

 

The building committee report proposed to build a story on John Munro’s rock building [the one-story building] at a cost of $797.87. A committee was appointed to raise the money and to nominate officers for the coming Masonic year. All was not going too well. The building committee considered the building unsafe and failed to act. The committee asked to be discharged, which was granted. The finance committee reported it had failed to raise enough subscriptions, was discharged and subscribers were released of their subscriptions.

 

Another committee, composed of J. D. Russell, J. K. Lane and John Munro, was appointed to make plans for a lodge hall. This committee submitted two plans. One was to build over the Grange Hall at a cost of about $630.00. The other plan was to raise the walls over the Munro building at a cost of about $825.00. After due consideration it was recommended that the present wall be raised. This committee having failed the Brethren were again released of their subscriptions.

 

Brother John Munro made a proposition to sell the lodge the upper story of his rock building which was just being completed. On a motion it was resolved that a committee of three be appointed to purchase the second story of Brother Munro’s building and make such charges as necessary to raise sufficient money to make a payment, said payment to be not less than five hundred dollars, and to execute a note for the balance, payable in twelve months’ time at 10% interest ($850.00) The Lodge then erected wooden stairs steps on the outside at the back.

 

Called meeting, May 31, 1884, to take action to lay a corner stone for a new school building in this place. The secretary was to write the Grand Master for dispensation.

 

On November 1, 1890 the lodge ordered a set of lodge furniture for use in the lodge consisting of three officer’s stands, alter setting maul, hood wink and kneeling cushion.

 

On March 19, 1892, Liberty Hill lodge decided to give Bertram lodge their old altar.

(This finishes the minutes of book Number 1, from 1875 to 1893. The lodge has made a lot of Master Masons.)

In January of 1894, a committee was appointed to secure Brother John Watson to lecture at the lodge in February and to invite all nearby lodges tb participate if they wished to do so. In February of 1901 a committee was appointed to build a dining room.  In July 1901 things must have been hot in the lodge. The Tiler was instructed to buy a teakettle and two dozen palm leaf fans. Carbide lights were installed in 1903. In June of 1906 Liberty Hill lodge agreed to let Potts and Connell join on to the north wall of the lodge, but were to receive no deed to the wall. This contract is on page 360 of Book 2.

 

At this time the lodge was considering buying a lot or lots for future building of a lodge hall. The lot committee reported that they had bought a lot with the proper deed. On July 3rd, 1909, a building committee was appointed to investigate the cost of building a new lodge building. The building committee was discharged on September 4, 1909. We wonder what happened. On September 24, 1910, the lodge was asked for a list of its membership to be placed in the cornerstone in the Williamson County Courthouse.

 

July 31, 1915, another committee was appointed to look into the cost of building a new lodge hall. On August 28, 1915 the lodge voted to build a new building not to exceed the cost of $500. 00, to be built according to plans and specifications, and to see what term of interest could be obtained on a loan of $350.00.

Brother H. C. Fowler made the lodge a proposition to build the lodge. The lodge and chapter were to pay $1,000. 00 for the building which was rejected at the November meeting in 1915.

 

(The last meeting in Book 2 was April, 1916. There were between 1,000 and 1,100 pages in the first two books.)

 

(Starting Book 3. The first meeting in Book 3 is September 1918. There is part of Book 3 missing.)

Wilson Parks, a member of the history committee petitioned for the first degree in Masonry on January 18, 1919. In March of 1920 electric lights were installed in the lodge room for a cost of $36. 72. In February of 1921, the lodge bought a new ballot box at a cost of $12.15. On March 30, 1929, the lodge bought the three burning tapers for the lodge for the cost of $34.70.

 

There are some of the minutes of the lodge missing here.

 

On May 5, 1940, the RAM chapter transferred their cemetery to the blue lodge. At the same meeting Liberty Hill Lodge leased their business lot to A. F. Lackey.

 

The Lodge bought the first floor of the John Munro building from the three Munro heirs who inherited it for $1350.00 on September 7, 1945.

 

Starting in 1943, we made a large number of Masons through 1948, at which time activity began to slack off. The first public school committee was appointed on January 13, 1951. A resolution by the Masters, Warden and Secretary was adopted by this lodge to have a speaker at the stated meeting of each month.

 

On December 8, 1958, a motion was made and passed to make the lodge dining room available for all worthy causes. Permission to be granted by the three main officers of the lodge. This could be done by two officers if one was not available. On August 8, 1959, the Liberty Hill Masonic cemetery was transferred to the Liberty Hill Cemetery Association, a corporation of Liberty Hill. There was not much activity in the lodge from this time up to June of 1975.

 

On February 14, 1959, the lodge passed a resolution to make lodge dues payable in advance. About this time a great advance in Masonry was introduced, that of Masonic Educations.