Untitled Document

KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS

ORGANIZATION OF LODGES

The history of the Knights of Pythias in Rock Island county, which now has six lodges and a membership of 408, began with the organization of St. George Lodge No. 28, at Moline, April 6, 1872. The next to fall in line was St. Paul Lodge, No. 107, which was organized July 20, 1882, at Rock Island; then followed Riverside Lodge, No. 1429, organized at Cordova, February 23, 1886; Albrecht Lodge, No. 307, organized at Port Byron, September 21, 1891; Milan Lodge, No. 477, organized at Milan, June 29, 1894; Campbell Lodge, No. 671, organized at Watertown. October 7, 1905. While these lodges all have comfortable and commodious lodge rooms, and St. George, of Moline. has handsome club rooms, Albrecht Lodge, at Port Byron. is the only one which owns its building. At this writing there is no lodge of the Uniform Rank in the county, but a lodge of the dramatic order of the Knights of Khorassan is under consideration, and it will probably be organized in the very near future. Three times has the Grand Lodge met in Rock Island county, first at Rock Island, October 20, 1896, and again October 20, 1903. The third meeting was at Moline, October 15, 1907. These were great occasions in the local history of the order, and will be long remembered.

St. George Lodge of Moline has recently purchased a lot at Riverside cemetery, and erected a monument upon it, so that any member of the order without other place of burial may here find a last resting spot. The following are the present officers: C. F. Grautz, chancellor commander; David Engstrom. vice chancellor; Hjahuar Lindburg, prelate; Arvid Lundahl, master at arms; Charles Saunders, master of works; John D. Petrie, keeper of records ; A. E. Danielson. master of finance; George Lundquist, master of the exchequer ; Edward Bickler, inner guard; Roy Kelley, outer guard; and F. W. White, 0. E. Owens and W. C'. Crossman, trustees. A. E. Danielson is representative to the Grand Lodge and is also state deputy of district No. 19, to which Rock Island belongs. Frank Shaffer of Port Byron is the county deputy. The membership of this lodge is 193.

The officers of St. Paul Lodge, Rock Island. for the year 1913, are as follows: E. C. Reynolds, chancellor commander; Frank Bodell, vice chancellor; Frank 0. Larson, prelate; Thomas Journey, master of works; S. R. Wright, keeper of records and seals; S. R. Wright, master of finance; Samuel Ryerson, master of the exchequer; William Lamont, master at arms; John Stroehle, inner guard; Thomas Journey, outside guard; and Frank 0. Larson, William Lamont and John Stroehle, trustees. Samuel Ryerson is the representative to the Grand Lodge. The membership is sixty.

Albrecht Lodge of Port Byron, No. 307. is represented in the Grand Lodge by Frank Morgan, while Milan Lodge, No. 277. is represented in the Grand Lodge by Charles A. Brandenburg. The membership of the former is seventy-three, and of the latter twenty-seven. The officers of Milan Lodge for the year 1013 are: F. A. Miller, chancellor commander ; Mears McCullough, vice chancellor; Jerome W. Caldwell, prelate; Charles A. Dupew, master of works; Charles A. Hull, keeper of records ftnd seals; William Brandenburg, master of finance; Charles A. Brandenburg, master of exchequer; Glen Fitzsimmons, master at arms; Bernard Bowman, inner guard; James Murphy, outside guard; and Glen Fitzsimmons, William Brandenburg and William O'Neal, trustees. Campbell Lodge, No. 671, of Watertown, is represented in the Grand Lodge by William J. Jones, and has thirty-six members.

The ladies' auxiliary, the Pythian Sisters, formerly the Rathbone Sisters, is represented in the county by three temples, St. George, situated at Moline, and one at Port Byron and another at Cordova. The officers of St. George Temple, Moline, for 1913 are; Mrs. Rose Moran, past chief ; Mrs. Nettie Grantz, most excellent chief ; Mrs. Anna Owens, senior ; Mrs. Clara Lundt, junior; Mrs. Emma Holt, manager; Mrs. Jennie Renoe, mistress of finance; Mrs. Emma Keller, mistress of records and correspondence and deputy ; Mrs. Ida Schofer, protector; Mrs. Jennie Boone, guard; and Mrs. Ella Wehrend and Mrs. Emma Holt, trustees. Port Byron Temple No. 108 was organized in 1905. with thirty charter members. St. George Temple was instituted May 1, 1900, by Mrs. Abbie McCall, with forty-nine charter members. Two conventions have been entertained by this temple, the first on October 25, 1907, and the second, June 19, 1913.

The membership of this order in Illinois is 56,000, and there are 528 lodges. During 1913 a great record was made, more than 1,200 new members being admitted and initiated in one class. During 1912 the Knights of Pythias expended $126,757.63 for relief. There is a Pythian Home at Decatur, Ill., the ground for which was donated by the lodges and citizens of Decatur, it comprising forty acres. The erection of the building was commenced in 1907, and the home was dedicated in 1909, its cost being $180,000, and it now contains sixteen adults and thirty-five children who are cared for at the expense of the Pythian lodges of Illinois.

The Pythian Grand Lodge officers of Illinois for 1913 are: Joseph M. Omo, Cottage Grove avenue, Chicago, grand chancellor; William K. Whitfield, Decatur, grand vice chancellor ; Thomas Williamson, Edwardsville, grand prelate; Henry P. Caldwell, W. Madison street, Chicago, grand keeper of records and seals; Millard F. Dunlap, Jacksonville, grand master of exchequer; Augustus A. Partlow, Danville, grand master at arms; John J. Reeve, Jacksonville, grand inner guard; Walter C. Hayes, Belvidere, grand outer guard; and William D. Hadfield, Peoria, John F. Parsons, Joliet, and

Edward T. Guthrie, Mattoon, trustees. The supreme representatives for 1913 are: John J. Brown, Vandalia ; William G. Edens, Chicago; Albert Watson, Mt. Vernon; Eugene E. Bone, Springfield; and John B. Vaughn, Carlinville. The Pythian Home board is composed of the following members and officers: Joseph

Omo, of Chicago, chairman; Edwin R. Wright, of Taylorville, secretary ; Nicholas M. Green, Chicago; James W. Carter, Decatur; Jesse K. Payton, Springfield ; and Jesse J. Winters of Carbondale.

The Pythian Relief board is composed of the following members: Charles H. Franklin, Chicago, secretary; Ernest G. Howell, Geneva ; Smith L. Von Fossen, Beardstown; George H. Perry, Chicago; and Joseph Shriver, Virden. The grand tribunal is composed of the following: George W. Herdman, Jerseyville; Joseph D. Roper, Springfield; Harry C. Stuttle, Litchfield ; Andrew J. O'Donnell, Chicago; and James B. Hefferman, Chicago.

Historic Rock Island

Illinois Ancestors

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