Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects County Orders and Lodges

Clinton Lodge, No. 15, Fairfield, was organized under dispensation granted by the Grand Lodge of Iowa, September 15, 1847. The charter members were Jacob L. Myers, E. S. Gage, A. R. Sparks, James Jeffries, William Y. Head, Albert L. Conable and William P. Winn.

First officers: Jacob L. Myers, W. M.; A. R. Sparks, S. W.; James Jeffries, J. W.; W. P. Winn, S. D.; W. Y. Head, J. D.; E. S. Gage, Secretary; A. L. Conable, Treasurer.

The first applicants for initiation were George Acheson and Barnet Ristine.

The charter of the Lodge is dated June 7, 1849, at which time there were twenty-two members.

Past Masters: J. L. Myers, George Acheson, J. V. Myers, G. A. Wells, J. M. Shaffer, G. D. McGaw, N. Steele and George Crane.

Present officers: J. J. Gibson, W. M.; S. K. West, S. W.; John Bloss, J. W.; George A. Wells, Secretary; and Eugene Freeman, Treasurer.

The present membership of the Lodge is 119.

McCord Chapter, Fairfield, although numbered 5, was the first Chapter in the State. It was organized under a dispensation issued by Joseph K. Stapleton, Deputy Grand High Priest of the General Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the United States, dated at Baltimore, Md., July 7, 1852, with the following members: Jacob L. Myers, George Acheson, Peter Walker, W. H. Hollis, L. B. Fleak, T. S. Spees, Jesse Williams, William E. Sargent, G. W. Horn, E. S. Gage and Isaac Galliher.

Upon the organization of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter for the State of Iowa, which was consummated at Mt. Pleasant June 8, 1854, a charter was issued, designating the Chapter as No. 5.

The present officers are T. F. Higley, H. P.; S. K. West, K.; J. J. Gibson, Scribe; H. L. Brown, Treasurer; E. Freeman, Secretary, with a membership of fifty-two.

Past High Priests: J. L. Myers, George Acheson, George A. Wells and J. M. Shaffer.

Jefferson Lodge, No. 4, I. O. O. F., was organized March 10, 1846, by P. G. M. W. H. Mauro, of Burlington, under a charter issued at Baltimore, Md., June 25, 1845, by Howell Hopkirk, Most Worthy Grand Sire of the Grand Lodge of the United States, and directed to W. I. Cooper, W. L. Orr, T. D. Evans, C. Kiefer and N. W. Wiles.

Prior to this, in order to secure a sufficient number to organize a Lodge, Orr, Kiefer and Wiles had been sent to Burlington for initiation. At the organization, W. I. Cooper and T. D. Evans were elected and installed N. G. and V. G. respectively. The present officers of the Lodge are R. B. Henderson, N. G.; C. D. Thoma, V. G.; C. M. Bills, Secretary; H. C. Rock; Permanent Secretary; and John M. Gobble, Treasurer, with a membership of ninety-two. The Lodge is in a flourishing condition, and is possessed of property amounting to some $7,000. Its members are active in all charitable enterprises, its organization unbroken, and interest maintained since its first formation, even during the troublous times of our late civil war. Prominent as expounders of its principles are Capt. W. T. Burgess, T. D. Evans, C. E. Nobles (sic - Noble), S. M. Boling, I. D. Jones, J. W. Quillen, G. A. Unkrich, J. A. Spielman, Dr. P. Woods.

Iowa Encampment, No. 6, I. O. O. F., was organized December 11, 1848, by District Deputy Grand Sire John G. Potts,of Galena, Ill., and ---- Goff, of Wisconsin. Charter members -- Thomas D. Evans, John T. Huey, Ezra Drown, John A. Pitzer, James T. Hardin, John W. Culbertson and Christian W. Slagle. Its first officers were T. D. Evans, C. P.; John T. Huey, H. P.; Ezra Drown, S. W.; John A. Pitzer, Scribe; and John W. Culbertson, Treasurer. Present membership, thirty-two.

This society was initiated February 13, 1877, under the name of Forest City Lodge, No. 37. The following are the charter members: Jacob Dahlman, J. M. Gabble, M. M. Marshall, J. N. Hurst, P. E. Smith, F. R. Williams, T. L. Cole, J. R. Miller, H. H. Wilder, J. P. Growney, N. S. Doty, R. E. Lynch, J. Snook, H. B. Hanson, W. M. Black, F. R. Fegan, G. H. Stakes, William Simonson, J. Wolf, L. Williams, A. D. Green, F. W. Cook, C. Morrison, Anson West, A. C. Noble, J. W. Barlow, N. McGill and W. T. Burgess. The officers of a lodge are designated as follows: Past Chancellor, Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Prelate, Keeper of Record and Seal, Master of Finance, Master of Exchequer, Master of Arms, Inner Guard and Outer Guard.

The Order in Fairfield is in a flourishing condition.

Fairfield Lodge 52, Ancient Order of United Workmen, was organized March 8, 1876, with twenty-two charter members and the following officers: W. C. Lewis, P. M. W.; H. S. Wills, M. W.; A. H. McKee, F.; B. E. Lynch, O.; F. R. Fegan, Recorder; Joseph Bradley, Guide; T. L. H. Cole, O. W.; N. S. Doty, I. W. The growth of the Lodge has not been so rapid as many others, the idea being to secure such a membersnip (sic) as would insure the permanency of the order. Forty-six Master Workmen constitute the Lodge at present, with the following as officers: F. R. Fegan, P. M. W.; J. H. Tappert, M. W.; N. S. Averill, F.; A. G. Scranton, O.; George K. Gilchrist, Recorder; P. H. Howlett, Financier; W. C. Lewis, Receiver; Jacob Dahlman. Guide; J. C. Duncan, I. W.; M. Ackerman, O. W.