West Liberty History 1838-1938

Source: One Hundred Years of History
* Commemorating a Century of Progress in the West Liberty Community * WEST LIBERTY, IOWA
MASONIC BODIES

"Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethern to dwell together in unity." 133 Psm.

In 1856 with the above thought in mind, a meeting of Masons living in or near the settlement of West Liberty, was called. In response to the call, eleven men gathered for the purpose of forming a Masonic Lodge. A temporary organization was formed and Arthur G. Davis was authorized to draw a petition to be presented to the Grand Lodge of Iowa, A. F. & A. M., for permission to form a regular lodge. The following were named the first officers: Wm. C. Evans, W. M.; Asa Gregg, S. W.; Allen Bloomhall, J. W.; J. A. Mills, S. D.; John R. Palmer, J. D.; I. D. Vore, secretary. Geo. W. Dunlap, treasurer; L. Steckman, tyler. The names of C. Perry Reynolds, Eli Messmore, and Arthur C. Davis also appeared on the original petition.

On August 6, 1856 the first recorded meeting of Mt. Calvary Lodge A. F. & A. M. U. D. was held. The first meetings were held in the Odd Fellows hall, located near the intersection of the railroad and U. S. Highway No. 6, the present north corporation line.

Seeing the need for larger quarters, and as the settlement was moving southward, the Lodge purchased and used, the second story of the building standing on the present site of the West Liberty State Bank. This served admirably until the spring of 1867 when the lodge entered into a contract with Elisha Schooley to erect a second story on the new store building he was erecting at the southwest corner of Calhoun and Third. On Dec. 17, 1867, public services were held and the rooms dedicated by Most Worshipful Grand Master Reuben Mickel and his officers. The records show many distinguished guests visited the lodge and many noted celebrations were held, especially those on St. John's day.

As was inevitable in a growing community, the organizations therein grew also and all too soon the rooms once so spacious were to become too small and hopelessly inadequate.

In the winter of 1913-14 Marion Kirby, then Master, appointed Irwin Atkins, S. H. Archibald, Ivan Noland, B. F. Fenstermaker and M. E. Ruess as a committee to investigate the cost of remodeling the building. The report was to the effect that it would be easier to build a new building than to remodel the old. The committee was continued and on Feb. 20 reported on several sites.

March 20 a committee consisting of S. C. Snider, S. B. Osborn, Irwin Atkins, S. H. Archibald and Ivan Noland was appointed to purchase the site and do whatever was necessary toward letting a contract for a new building. The contract was let on May 20.

July 29, 1914 at 10 a.m., a called meeting of the Grand Lodge of Iowa A. F. & A. M. was held in West Liberty with Brother Charles W. Walton, Grand Master of Masons in Iowa presiding and in due and ancient form he laid the cornerstone of the new Masonic Temple now standing on Calhoun street between Third and Fourth.

April 28, 1915, the building having been completed, the Grand Lodge of Iowa A. F. & A. M. again visited West Liberty, and with Most Worshipful Grand Master C. W. Walton, presiding, with assistance of his officers, the building was dedicated with the usual ritualistic ceremonies.

The building is operated by the Masonic Temple Company, which leases the first floor and a part of the second floor. The dining room on the second floor are for the use of all Masonic bodies.

Since the organization of Mt. Calvary Lodge No. 95 more than a thousand names have been added to the roll, and more than twenty-five hundred degrees have been conferred. Some names are very familiar during the years, as their membership reaches to the second and third generations. At the present time there are 200 members in good standing.

They have had four fifty-year masons, only one of whom, Henry Polders, is now living.

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