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Who Is Brother Laflin?
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Brother John Warren
Laflin was born at Hartford, Connecticut on November 24, 1844. He was the son of John and Margaret Kinne Laflin, natives
of Ireland, who were married there in 1833. His parents emigrated to America during the year of their marriage, landing
at Quebec, but subsequently locating in the state of New York. From New York the Laflin's went to Connecticut,
and thence came to Wisconsin in 1845, settling near Watertown where the father, John Laflin, who was a cabinetmaker and a
worker in wood, died in April, 1847, at the age of thirty-six years. The death of Brother Laflin's father broke
up the family, and he lived in various homes of until 1856, when he went to New Lisbon and took employment in a general
store. In 1859 he became clerk in the postoffice at New Lisbon, for Richard Smith, who held the position of postmaster
under the appointment from President Buchanan.
When the Civil War broke
out Brother Laflin was living with his brother-in-law on a farm near Fox Lake, whither he went in 1861. In August
1862, he enlisted in the Twenty-ninth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and was with his regiment in all its movements
in the Vicksburg campaign until April 28, 1863, when he became ill with typhoid fever and was left in a field hospital.
After the fall the Vicksburg he was sent to Benton barracks at St. Louis, with other convalescents, and from that rendezvous
of the sick, was hurried, with other convalescents to assist in repelling the Confederate raiders under General Price.
Returning to Schofield barracks, with a view of rejoining his regiment, he was, after medical examination, transferred to
the Veteran Reserve Corps. Subsequently he was assigned to clerical work under Colonel Morrison, commandant of the recruiting
and draft rendezvous of Missouri, and was appointed quartermaster sergeant of the post. He was afterward made clerk
at the headquarters of General Rosecrans, commander of the department of Missouri, in which position he remained under General
Dodge, until mustered out of the service at the close of the war.
Brother Laflin returned
to New Lisbon, where he conducted a mercantile business until 1872, when he moved to Oshkosh, and carried on a grocery, flour,
and feed business until 1883, the year in which he was chosen Grand Secretary of the Masonic Bodies of the state with headquarters
in Milwaukee.
Brother Laflin was
married December 3, 1868 to Helen M. Daniels. of New Lisbon and had four children, Herbert N., Lettie G., Mary L., and Helen
M. Laflin.
John W. Laflin's
Masonic record begins in the winter of 1865-66, while he was a clerk at New Lisbon. He was initiated, passed and raised
during that winter, and about a year later in 1867, received Capitular degrees. He was initiated into the Cryptic degrees
in the 1847, during which year he also received the orders of Knighthood; and in 1884, he took various degrees of the A. and
A. Scottish Rite, up to and including the Thirty-second. At the annual meeting of the Supreme Council, held in Cleveland
Ohio, in 1890 he was advanced to the Thirty-Third Degree. Brother Laflin was an assiduous Masonic worker from the
time he joined the order on attaining his majority, and was honored by his brethren with preferment in Lodge, Chapter and
Commandery, being repeatedly chosen to preside over each of these bodies. In 1883 he was chosen Secretary of the Grand
bodies of Masonry in the state. Brother Laflin died August 30, 1900 and his remains were laid to rest with impressive
Masonic ceremonies. |
MASONRY IN WISCONSIN AND EAST TROY
Unlike the histories of Masonry in Europe and the Craft's origins in the New World, the records of the developement of Masonry in Wisconsin are
quite unclear.
It was December 23, 1823 --- 20 years before the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin was formed, 25 years before we became a state and just 35 years after the signing
of the United States Constitution --- that ten Masons met in what is now Green Bay (then
part of the Northwest Territory known as the Michigan Territory). Seven were officers
in the Third U. S. Infantry Regiment, which was stationed at Fort Howard. Three were
civilians. Before the evening was over, the ten prepared a petition to bring
Masonry to the Northwest Territory. The petition was sent to Detroit, and from Detroit
to the Grand Lodge in New York. That Grand Lodge issued a dispensation to allow
for the operation of the first lodge in what is now Wisconsin.
On December 3, 1824, the permanent charter was approved. The lodge was immediately active. Its records show the Rev. Eleazar Williams was a member in 1825.
By 1826, all lodge officers were civilians and a man named Henry Baird was in the line.
He went on to become Grand Master of Masons in Wisconsin in 1845. The lodge was then
called Menominee Lodge.
The military left the area in 1828. Menominee Lodge closed two years later.
It is suggested the loss of military Masonic membership rushed the demise of that first lodge.
Michigan became a state in 1836 and, at that time, the Wisconsin Territory was formed. The Grand Lodge of Missouri in 1841 chartered two lodges in the Wisconsin Territory --- Mineral Point 1 and Melody Lodge 2 in Plattville. In June of 1843,
the Grand Lodge of Illinois chartered a lodge in Milwaukee. It was called Milwaukee
Lodge 22 and is now known as Kilbourn Lodge 3.
The Grand Lodge of Wisconsin was formed in 1843, five years prior to Wisconsin's statehood.
Slightly less than 8 years after the formation of the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin, the first Masonic meeting was held in the Village of East Troy. It was on
March 16, 1851; the Village was bearly fifteen years old. A meeting was held in
the Odd Fellows Hall by six Master Masons for the purpose of forming a new Lodge. The
Worshipful Master for this meeting was Lot Kayo, who was a member of Harwony Lodge 112
and would later serve as the first Wordshipful Master of St. James Lodge while
under dispensation and later served in the same capacity for Elkhorn Lodge
#77. At that first meeting in East Troy, the date for future meetings was set at
the Thursday on or before the full moon.
The first meeting of St. James Lodge #41 under the Charter granted by the Grand Lodge of Masons in Wisconsin was not until July 14, 1853. The presiding Worshiful
Master was Hiram Medberry.
While a complete transcript of our Lodges' history would be far to time-consuming to be included here, the following is a summary of some of the more interesting events:
June 12, 1851 First By-Laws were approved
Sept. 4, 1851 First degree (EA) given by our Lodge to
J.A.Crouch
May 23, 1853 Grand Lecturer conducted our first School of Instruction
March 17, 1863 Silver officers jewels were purchased,
which we still have
Oct. 2, 1863 A funeral service was conducted for Past Master
Hiram Medberry which included internment
April 19, 1865 Our building was draped in mourning for our
asassinated President, Abraham Lincoln
Over the years our Lodge has met in four different locations. The first was the Odd Fellow's Hall situated above the current Pro Hardware Store. Meetings were held there from 1851 to 1881 and our rent was $36.00 per year. In 1881 we
moved to the Meadows Building, now the Western Auto store. In 1986 our meetings were
held in the Deist Building and in 1916 we moved once again. This time to the second floor
in the Dickerman Building, now Tripco. We continued to meet there until 1946 when we
purchased the Deist Building which is our current location. [Date not known.]
Several members of the Lodge of note were James Fowler who was a seventy-seven year member. William G Keats was an early member that served the Lodge faithfully
for many years in several capacities. He also constructed some of the Lodge
furniture which is still in use. Paul Swartz served the Lodge as Secretary from 1888
to 1932, an incredible span of 44 years. And A M Perry, the first Master Mason
raised by St. James Lodge and the father of William W Perry, who went on to serve the
Grand Lodge as Grand Master and Grand Secretary.
Other activities of our Lodge in the early years were, the passage of a resolution on February 28, 1891 to allow some of our members to establish a new Lodge. That new Lodge became Laflin Lodge of Mukwonago. Also on January 24, 1891, the
Lodge granted permission to a group of Ladies to use the Lodge for meetings. Those meetings
established Vesper Chapter, OES.
In more modern times, the members of our Lodge have taken the tenant of Charity beyond the Masonic Family and into the community. We have provided $200.00
scholarships to East Troy High School graduates since 1979. We currently house the East
Troy Food Pantry in our basement rent-free. Though the Pantry is required to reimburse
the Lodge for utility expenses, the Lodge has seen fit to waive these payments
during most of their residence here.
Other charitable activities have included the donation of the American Flag that flies over the East Troy Elementary School, donations to the local fire, rescue
and ambulance departments, the Junior Dairymen's Association, and we were the only Lodge
in Walworth County to donate funds to the Walworth County War Memorial.
Our Lodge has also honored several of our current members in recent years. They have included Past Master Donald Cole and Past Master Virgil Whitmore on their
fiftyth anniversary as a Past Master of our Lodge. We cosponsored a recognition party
for Past Master Everett Desing for his many contributions to many local organizations
and to the Community.
In 1977 we began an annual social gathering with the local chapter of the Knights of Columbus. This event has become a highlight of each year.
Our members have also spent a great many hours attending to the beauty of our Lodge building. The lower level, which became Fellowship Hall, was once a
hardware store. The second floor lobby was once our dining hall.
Freemasonry in Wisconsin
This Wisconsin fraternal order was organized in 1843 and in operation several years before our State
was admitted to the Union. Freemasonry, however, dates its formal beginnings to the 17th century.
The history of Masonry in Wisconsin begins with Menomonie Lodge in the Green Bay area, which at that
time was the territory of Michigan. Although this lodge never became part of the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin, it is part of the
Masonic history of our State. Seven members of the military and three civilians, all Master Masons, met on December 27, 1823,
to form a lodge. A petition was sent to New York and on September 2, 1824, the first regular meeting was opened at Fort Howard.
A charter was granted dated December 3, 1824, as Menomonie Lodge No.374 on the rolls of the Grand Lodge of New York. Records
of the Lodge were kept until 1827, and some time during 1830 the lodge ceased to exist.
According to Lodge records, a dispensation was granted, dated October 17, 1838, from the Grand Lodge
of Missouri to a group of Masons to form a lodge in the Mineral Point area. A charter was granted on October 31, 1841, but
the lodge was not fully organized until February 15, 1843, when it was consecrated as Mineral Point Lodge No.49.
Melody Lodge of Platteville received its dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Missouri on January
10, 1843. The charter, dated October 31, 1843, was granted to Melody Lodge No.65. In the coming months 35 Masons signed the
bylaws.
On June 12, 1843, a petition was sent to Illinois to form a lodge in Milwaukee. On July 5, 1843, the
lodge held its first meeting and was constituted under dispensation. A charter was granted dated October 3, 1843, with the
designation as Milwaukee Lodge No. 22 (now Kilbourn Lodge). The lodge records show there were 23 charter members.
At a meeting of Milwaukee Lodge No.22, as a result of a communication received from Melody Lodge at
Platteville concerning establishing a Grand Lodge in the Territory of Wisconsin, a committee was appointed to correspond with
Melody and Mineral Point Lodges. A Masonic Convention with seven members representing the three lodges was held on December
18, 1843, in Madison. During the course of the meetings a constitution was drafted and adopted. The Grand Lodge of the Territory
of Wisconsin came into being on Monday, December 18, 1843. Benjamin T. Kavanaugh was elected the first Grand Master.
The First-Called Communication of the Grand Lodge was held in the city of Madison on January 17, 1844,
for the purpose of granting charters to the subordinate lodges within the Territory. The three present lodges were now numbered
according to the date of their dispensation or charter. Thus Mineral Point No.49 was numbered No.1, Melody Lodge No.45 of
Platteville became Melody Lodge No.2, and Milwaukee Lodge No.22 became No.3. During the first year of the Grand Lodge, three
new lodges were organized under dispensation: Warren Lodge No.4, Potosi; Madison Lodge No.5 and Olive Branch No.6, New Diggings.
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