LODGES OUTSIDE THE CITY

Masonic lodges in the county outside the city: No. 74, Dundee, instituted January 11, 1855; No. 102, Blanchard, Petersburg, January 14, 1858; No. 438, Samaria, May 24, 1905; No. 110, Hiram, Flat Rock, January 14, 1859; No. 144, Russell, Lambertville, organized 1864, revoked 1904.

Dundee Lodge, No. 74, as before stated, was the second to be organized in Monroe county, and its first officers were Henry Watling, J. W. McBride, J. W. Mason, M. D., John J. Dixon, George C. Kent, H. A. Wilkerson. Enos Kent.

In 1858 another lodge in the county was organized at Petersburg through the efforts of Rev. D. Burnham Tracy and John T. Rose, Isman P. Russell and others, which was named Blanchard Lodge, No. 102, and its institution dated from February 16, 1859, D. B. Tracy being worshipful master and Horace Hill secretary. This lodge of long and honorable career has had for its officers the following: Masters-D. Burnham Tracy, 1859-1864, 1865; William Corbin, 1860-1863; James I. Russell, 1861-1862, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1870, 1871, 1873, 1875, 1876; W. IIogle, 1869-1877; E. W. Reynolds, 1872, 1874; A. C. Williams, 1878-1879, 1880; J. T. Rose, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1886, 1887, 1888; Perry McCarty, 1885; N. B. Russell, 1889.

Secretaries Horace Hill, 1859; Morgan Parker, 1860; William Heath, 1861, 1863, 1864, 1872, 1873, 1884; II. Camburn, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870; G. A. Canfield, 1871; T. P. Barlow, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880; A. E. Stewart, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889.

HONORS TO MONROE MASONS

Distinguished honors have been paid to Monroe Masons by the various grand bodies in the choice of officers, as will be seen from the following note by a member of the order at the present time.

Companion A. I. Sawyer was elected grand high priest of the Grand Chapter in 1874, deputy in 1873, grand king in 1872, grand scribe in 1871, grand captain of the host in 1870, and made grand principal sojourner in 1879; was chairman of the committee which framed the present constitution of the Grand Chapter in 1875, 1876, 1877 and 1878; was chairman of the committee on jurisprudence for many years; represented the Grand Chapter of Michigan in the General Grand Chapter when it met at Denver in 1883, and was first to receive a grand high priest's jewel without salary. In 1871-2 was chairman of the committee to arrange the chronology of the Order of High Priesthood in this state, and upon that report the present chronology was founded; and in 1871 was chosen vice-president of the order. In 1872-3 was elected grand president of the Order of High Priesthood in this state, acting for others as such several other sessions. At one time he was the only person in the state who had the work of the order.

Companion Joseph Clark was appointed chairman of the committee on finance of the Grand Chapter in 1876, and has been reappointed each year ever since, and at the session of the Grand Chapter in 1888 was presented with a past high priest's jewel for his faithful and successful labors as such, a like compliment never having been extended to a member before.

FIRST ODD FELLOWS LODGE

The first establishment of a lodge of this order in Monroe was the organization of Monroe lodge, No. 19, on January 16, 1847, and a lodge

room opened temporarily in the basement of the old River Raisin Bank, a large building standing on Washington street and the public square. The official installation of the lodge, however, took place in the old Kellogg's Exchange, the four-story brick structure which stood for many years on the present site of B. Dansard's Son's state bank, and which was destroyed by fire in 1852 or 1853. The charter members of this lodge were Benjamin F. Fifield, Jefferson G. Thurber, Joseph M. Sterling, Henry Grinnell, W. A. Noble, W. H. Wells, James Darrah, George S. Howe and Walter W. Prentice. Andrew J. Clarke, M. W. G. M. of the Grand Lodge of Michigan; W. J. Baxter, grand secretary; Colonel John Winder, A. S. Kellogg, Charles S. Adams and P. Teller of Detroit represented the Michigan Grand Lodge instituting this first lodge of Odd Fellows in the city of Monroe. Upon the selection of a permanent lodge room and the holding of regular meetings, there were many additions to the lodge from the prominent men of the city. In 1848 the church building of the old Presbyterian church which stood at the corner of Cass and Second streets was purchased by Elbridge G. Brigham, a furniture manufacturer, who remodeled the structure to meet the wants of another class of occupancy and fitted up a commodious and acceptable lodge room, which was rented by the Odd Fellows and occupied by them for many years. It was also for some months used by the Masonic bodies of the city. It was afterwards found expedient to remove from the church building and lodge rooms were found in the second story of the River Raisin Bank, the same building, in the basement of which the order first had their lodge. In 1858 fire destroyed this building, as well as every other business building on Washington street, from the public square north to Front street, turning that corner and continuing on Front street to the alley, taking everything in its path, including Strong's Hotel, the postoffice and the Episcopal church, the most destructive fire which has ever visited Monroe. In this fire the record books and property of the lodge were entirely destroyed with the exception of a few emblems and the large bible, which had been presented by Mr. H. D. Walbridge, who afterwards removed to Toledo, where he died many years ago. The Monroe lodge, No. 19, in 1812 occupied a commodious and well appointed lodge room in the La Fountain building, corner of Monroe and Front streets.

LINCOLN LODGE, No. 190, I. O. O. F.

Lincoln lodge, No. 190, of Monroe, was organized July 19, 1872. The charter members of which were Charles Frank, John P. Schluter, Anton Munch, Charles Kirchgessner, Jacob Kull, Edward Vogel, N. Rupp, Jacob Zang.

CHAPTER XXXVI

CHIEFLY SOCIAL AND SPORTSMEN'S CLUBS

ESTABLISHMENT OF SOCIAL CLUBS THE O. L. CLUB TWO FAMOUS SPORTSMEN'S CLUBS (FROM "FIELD AND STREAM, BY FRANK HEYWOOD)-GOLO CLUB ORGANIZED THE MONROE MARSH CLUB-MONROE YACHT CLUB-THE GERMAN WORKING MEN'S ASSOCIATION— FARMERS' MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY OF MONROE AND WAYNE COUNTIES.

Monroe has always enjoyed the well merited reputation of a community of marked social characteristics. Hospitality to its visitors and close social relations between the people of all ages in the community has existed, very much to their mutual pleasure and enjoyment. It is a pleasant characteristic, and one upon which our neighbors in other cities have had occasion many times to comment enthusiastically from their own experience here.

It is a custom which appears to have been always in vogue. From the early days when the early French families from Sunny France, or gay Montreal, or the aristocratic Quebec came to live here along the banks of the vine-clad Raisin and build their rude but comfortable "habitations," the hospitality of genial, whole-souled, kindly people gave hearty welcome; the doors were always open and the best in the larder was not only at the pleasure of the caller, but they were hospitably importuned to indulge to a point beyond prudence.

ESTABLISHMENT OF SOCIAL CLUBS

This social tendency is seen today in the number of social clubs that flourish in the city; this particular feature is more prominent than was the case in the last generation for cogent reasons; previous to 1890 it was truthfully asserted that the ambitious young men of Monroe, when they reached able manhood invariably left their home town to seek employment in other fields of endeavor; this was in part due to the fact that business opportunities in a residence town of 4,000 population of slow growth and with little or no manufacturing were not abundant nor attractive. For many years the usual channels of business were limited and over-supplied with men or boys; hence it was not surprising that the boys who were ambitious to be in communities where there was "something doing" left for other scenes.

It is different now. The industrious young man when he has finished his school days need no longer feel himself lured away by apparently greater attractions or more enterprising and cultured communities for there are none. On the other hand, the demand for intelligent help is not fully supplied from the local ranks, but there are many accessions from other and far less desirable fields. This improved condition has naturally had a marked influence in augmenting the membership of local clubs.

SOCIAL AND OTHER CLUBS

Following are the names of the social and business clubs of Monroe, including those already mentioned elsewhere:

Monroe Yacht Club, Merchants and Manufacturers, The Monroe Club; Krypton Club, Monroe Driving Park, The Wolverine Club, and the O. L. Club.

THE O. L. CLUB

The O. L. Club, perhaps the oldest of the social list, was organized in June, 1873, by the following young men of the city: A. N. Perkins, W. C. Waldorf, W. P. Stirling, A. B. Diffenbaugh, F. S. Sterling, and George C. Loranger. This was the nucleus of what has since become one of the social features of Monroe, embracing the names of many of the business and professional men of the city, of all political affiliations, without regard to denominational preferences or professions, business. or matrimonial alliances or "previous condition of servitude.” The club rooms are located in the B. Dansard's Son's State Bank building at the corner of Front and Washington streets, which are comfortably furnished and provided with all the accessories of a well-managed social organization.

TWO FAMOUS SPORTSMEN'S CLUBS

An unique and bountiful provisions by nature for sane and civilized enjoyment of rational sport.

[From an article published in The Field and Stream in 1901, written by a contributor, Frank Heywood.]

Nestled peacefully in one of the most beautiful valleys of the great commonwealth of Michigan in the midst of fertile, well-tilled acres and the "elegant bounty" of one of nature's great producing districts, lies the second oldest settlement in this venerable state, whose history goes back as far as 1620, in New France, when the Quebec adventurers and Jesuit missionaries and the Coureurs des Bois were the first to discover the attractions of one of nature's beauty spots. The surrounding landscape, while by no means bold and striking, is, to the not too exacting observer, one of quiet and satisfying characteristics. Forest, stream, lake and marsh like a botanical garden fill the measure of the nature lover's dream of country loveliness and the sportsmen's ideal of a "perfect paradise.

For more than a century, even ever since this region was first explored by the early French voyageurs, the extensive marshes which lie between Monroe and the lake at its western extremity have been famous as a rendezvous for almost every variety of water fowl. The immense fields of wild rice and celery which constituted these marshes offer most tempting inducements as royal feeding grounds for vast numbers of ducks, while geese and brant frequently stop for luncheon on their way to and from breeding grounds in the region farther north. It is not strange, then, that this has always been a favorite haunt for sportsmen. The first club to be formed for the purpose of enjoying these great privileges was the Golo club of Monroe, Michigan, and the way it came. about is entertainingly told by Mr. Harvey M. Mixer, one of the charter members, and the sole survivor (at the time this sketch was written), who will doubtless be remembered by many of our readers.

"I first began shooting in the Monroe marsh," said Mr. Mixer in a recent interview, "in 1849. I was at that time engaged in the lumber

* Mr. Mixer died in St. Luke's hospital, Detroit, in 1896, at the age of eightytwo, interested to the last, in all that pertained to his early activities.

business, and employed an agent at Monroe, who bought and shipped lumber for me, and on whom I called two or three times a year. On the first of these visits I became thoroughly impressed with the immense opportunities for sport with the gun, and thereafter invariably took mine with me. In the great stretches of marsh lying between the town and Lake Erie there were, every fall, untold thousands of ducks, as well as many geese and swan, feeding wholly undisturbed by man, except for the occasional Frenchman, who would quietly push his dugout through the wild rice and lie in his hiding place until he could get a shot at close range. At that time there was not a gun heard for days, nor any sound, save the tumult of the enormous hordes of canvas-back, red-head, mallard and every other variety of water foul. On the margin of the marsh woodcock and snipe shooting was excellent. I remember well one afternoon's shooting with a friend in the locality, when we bagged seventy-three English snipe. In the high ground about Monroe, back a few miles from the lake, quail shooting was excellent, while wild turkey, partridge and other game birds were abundant.

"In the fall of 1853 I sent one of my vessels, the schooner 'West Wind,' to Monroe with a cargo of iron for the M. S. and N. I. R. R., now known as the L. S. and M. S. R. R., which was then building westward from Monroe to Chicago. I went to Monroe and chartered the vessel back to Buffalo with corn, and when she arrived at her dock an admiring crowd assembled to gaze at the magnificent lot of ducks which I had trussed upon the rigging as the result of my three days' shooting in the Monroe Marsh.

"Among others was John L. Jewett, better known to his friends as 'Jack,' who was thrown into great excitement by the exhibit, and resolved to go with me to these great hunting grounds the next season. He did so, and for many seasons after, and so did George Truscott and J. H. Bliss, of Buffalo. We found lodging with Joe Sears, a capital fellow and good hunter, who had a house on an island in the midst of the marsh on the banks of the stream, and here we sent generous consignments of provisions, a judicious selection of liquid refreshments, together with our boats, decoys, etc. About this time the railroad company, which had some years before built two or three palatial steamers to connect the eastern terminus of this line at the Monroe piers with Buffalo, had erected docks, warehouses, elevators, machine shops and a large, fine hotel. The company for some years after operated this line as a part of their system from Chicago to Buffalo, and subsequently abandoned all these expensive improvements at the piers when there was no further use for them, and removed all the buildings to some other point. The hotel remained, and finally it was proposed by one of our little coterie of hunters to buy the building and convert it into a clubhouse. A conference was held in Buffalo by J. L. Jewett, J. H. Bliss, Geo. Truscott, A. R. Trew and H. M. Mixer. It was found that the structure was admirably situated for our purpose on the substantial piers built by the railroad company, directly across the channel from the government piers, and contiguous to the shooting ground, as well as to the finest bass fishing to be found in the country. It was accordingly decided to lease the property, which was transferred, together with the privilege to use the docks and other buildings as long as they lasted.

GOLO CLUB ORGANIZED

"It was at this meeting, too, that the 'Golo Club' was organized, about 1854, with the following officers: John L. Jewett, president; J. M. Sterling, vice-president; H. M. Mixer, secretary and treasurer;