Fact, Fiction or Malarkey?

Conspiracy theories run rampant in fraternal societies and similar organizations. Hollywood loves them, fictional authors expand them, and there are certainly those that believe them to be 100% true. I am not here to say they are or they aren't, but I do want to follow the correct path of research, and for me, its important to weed out the ludicrous.

Cloister Conspiracy by Philip Jackson
Image: WikiMedia.org

I am way too much of a “common sense” type person to fall for the very outlandish. At some point over time, I guess much of the more radical stories and ideas that have been presented about fraternal organizations could have been truth, but I have a hard time believing that all individuals in a particular group participated and practiced every ritual and ceremony in exactly the same way. We are human, after all, and have a tendency to change things up a bit. (You’ll note I’m being fairly vague about the specifics. I will leave the process of finding these theories of conspiracy up to you, but you've probably heard them once or twice. A simple internet search will give you a very good idea of what I’m referring to here.)


It does seem appropriate in this endeavor to go straight to the source, and that is what I will continue to do as a researcher when investigating these organizations. They are, by nature, secret societies; some of the information they hold within their ranks, and is not to be shared. That is actually ok with me. I guess if I wanted to know every detail, I would have to join (but then I’d be sworn to secrecy too, and wouldn't be able to work on the organizations in the manner I have been…)  Admittedly, knowing it all would mean that some of the appeal would be lost.


Finding the information you need as a genealogy focused researcher is not difficult, but can be a bit time consuming (some of you have asked, and yes, I’m still waiting to hear back from the Shriner’s in Denver regarding my ancestor I inquired on). The social history aspect of the research can be done fairly efficiently, depending on how much you want to know. I have found a few sites that have proven to be very helpful, and have included a few of them here for you. Depending on which society you are investigating, you may or may not find similar resources.

• Three Minute Mason; Grand Lodge Free & Accepted Masons of Wisconsin, 2006 (http://www.wisc-freemasonry.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Three-Minute-Mason.pdf)
• Henry W. Coil Library & Museum of Freemasonry (http://www.masonicheritage.org/)
• Encyclopedia of Freemasonry and its Kindred Sciences; Albert C. Mackey, M.D.. Made available on the Phoenix Masonry site: http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/mackeys_encyclopedia/s.htm

The Masonic Lodge, especially, as a whole seems to have recognized the need to “educate the masses,” and although some of the above list is really designed for current members, they can be helpful to the outsider as well. Other organizations may not have the operating expenses, personnel, volunteer base or other needed tools to share to this extent. When that is the case, consider turning to your local library for more.


I am lucky in that I am very close to the Denver Public Library and its Western History and Genealogy department. A quick search in that repository provides me with material from the Elks, the Slavic Fraternal Lodges of Crested Butte, I.O.O.F., Knights of Pythias, Templars, Masons, and more.


If you do not have a collection of this nature in your neighborhood, try reaching out to other facilities through WorldCat to see what might be available via inter-library loan. You just never know.



On the flip side, I do think it is also important to be aware of the fluff. You need to be able to readily identify the fiction from the facts, and that is why I make a point to read some of the more mainstream publications, over the academic ones. I recently picked up a copy of a book on Freemasons, even though I knew that the reviews of the text were essentially all negative. I need to be able to see the ridiculous - the malarkey - and this seems to be an easy way to keep on top of the latest theories and angles.

A Mason by Many Other Names

What exactly does the Masonic Lodge entail? 

My last fraternal post discussed a building I discovered in Georgetown, Colorado that is the home of several chapters of the Masonic Lodge. I ended with an open ended question: what kind of Mason was your ancestor? So many of us blindly categorize all Masons into one lump sum, but that's not necessarily true. It is always suggested that you do a search based on the specific division that you are interested in, or that was present in your ancestor's community, in order to learn more about that particular group.

Source: Wikimedia Commons, "Masonic Temple Logo"

This post will attempt to list all the major organizations that are a part of the Masonic family. 

The first referenced utilized is the "Masons" category in the Encyclopedia of Associations: Volume 1, National Organizations of the U.S. Part 2, from Associations Unlimited (Tara E. Atterberry, Project Editor, Gale Publishing, Farmington Hills, MI, 2011.) Yes, I have an older version, but it should be sufficient. You can also typically access this text online through your library's database collection, so check there first if you need to find a reference. 

(One note on this particular volume of work: each entry includes basic information such as membership numbers, usually a website, physical address and a phone number, as well as a brief description of the organization. If you are having a hard time locating contact info for the organization you are interested in, this should be your first stop.)

There are 21 entries: 

1. Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Free-Masonry, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction | Supreme Council
2. Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Free Masonry, Southern Jurisdiction | Supreme Council
3. Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AEAONMS)
4. General Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star
5. General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons International
6. The Grottoes of North America ealm
7. Heroes of '76
8. High Twelve International (HI-12)
9. Imperial Council of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine for North America
10. Job's Daughters International
11. Knights Templar, Grand Encampment, U.S.A.
12. Ladies Oriental Shrine of North America (LOS of NA)
13. Masonic Service Association of North America (MSANA)
14. Modern Free and Accepted Masons of the World (MFAMW)
15. National League of Masonic Clubs (NLMC)
16. National Sojourners (NS)
17. Philalethes Society (PS)
18. Red Cross of Constantine | United Grand Imperial Council (UGIC RCC)
19. Royal Order of Scotland (ROS)
20. Tall Cedars of Lebanon of North America (TCLNA)
21. Universal Masonic Brotherhood (UMB)

This list appears to be fairly thorough, but for comparison purposes, I will also include information found on the website for The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Washington, F & AM, citing their "Concordant Bodies" page (http://freemason-wa.org/public-resources/concordant-bodies/).  They include a statement indicating their list is not all-inclusive. 

1. Knights Templar
2. National Sojourners
3. York Rite
4. Royal Arch
5. Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters
6. Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction
7. Shrine
8. Prestonian Table Lodge
9. Amaranth
10. Eastern Star
11. The Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem
12. Tall Cedars of Lebanon of North America
13. Ladies Oriental Shrine
14. Grottoes of North America
15. DeMolay
16. Job's Daughters
17. Rainbow Girls

During this process, I compared the lists of a variety of state lodges, and none were identical. Washington seemed to have the most listed, so that is what I included here. However, the differences from state to state seemed to be consistent in reasoning.  When a specific state did not have an active chapter or lodge of a specific division, they did not list it on their site. For example, if they did not have an active branch of the Tall Cedars of Lebanon of North America in their state, they would not list it on their site. 

A simple Google search will tell you that there are numerous resources on the variations of the Masonic Lodge. This is presented as an example in the differences you might find during your research process, and to provide a demonstration of what you might encounter. Also keep in mind that these lists are current organizations, so a lodge that is defunct will not necessarily be represented on the active state site. 

Understanding the various divisions of the Masonic organization may assist you a great deal when conducting fraternal based genealogical research. At the very least, it is essential to recognize the terminology that may apply when working with the organization to obtain records. 

Selly Sell! 

I authored a Legacy QuickGuide on researching fraternal organizations in genealogy, and that publication is now available as an eBook on Amazon for the Kindle! You can find it on my Author page. 

You Just Never Know

.... where the next clue will show up! 

As I continue to work towards a more detailed understanding of the role of fraternal societies in our collective social history, I seem to be unable to get away from fraternal organizations at all! It seems every corner, every new activity or venture results in at least one new discovery for me. Once you open your eyes to the impact of these organizations across the United States, they're influence is obvious. 

A day trip to Georgetown, Colorado this weekend (designed to give our family a little adventure and avoid the Black Friday mess) resulted in the discovery of this fantastic building, the Masonic Temple in that town. 

©Ancestral Journeys, 2013

The Temple was constructed in 1892, one of the "oldest continuously active fraternal orders in Colorado." 

(National Historic Landmark District plaque, placed in 2007 by the Town of Georgetown and Historic Georgetown, Inc.)

©Ancestral Journeys, 2013

The front door was full of information!
©Ancestral Journeys, 2013

In 1912, the pioneer lodge and Georgetown's second lodge (No. 48) combined, and purchased this building in 1926, where they have met since. 

(National Historic Landmark District plaque, placed in 2007 by the Town of Georgetown and Historic Georgetown, Inc.)

©Ancestral Journeys, 2013

This last picture, a close up of the text on the main doors to the building, tells us quite a bit about the extensive role this organization had, and still has, in Georgetown. 

• Georgetown Lodge #12, A.F. & A.M. is the Masonic Lodge. (Chartered 1867, 146 years ago.)
• Georgetown Chapter #4 R.A.M. is the Royal Arch Masons, and they still have a very active calendar. (Chartered 1875, 138 years ago.)
• Tyrian Council #11 R. & S.M. is yet another Masonic branch, again, still very active. (Chartered 1904, 109 years ago.)
• Georgetown Commandry #4 K.T. would be the Knights Templar division. (Chartered 1880, 133 years ago.)
• Georgetown Silver Star Chapter #42; indeed, the Silver Star, and the only one I could not find an active website link for.  (Chartered 1899, 114 years ago.)

The oldest is the A.F. & A.M., which is necessary, since all the others are auxiliaries of sorts. With the Tyrian Council the youngest at 109 years, imagine the history within the walls of this grand building! 

The street scene of Georgetown. The Masonic Lodge is the brick
structure in the center, with the point on the roof.
©Ancestral Journeys, 2013.

It does beg the question, for all of you who say you had an ancestor in the Masonic Lodge... do you know which one? 

Quick Update and Happy Thanksgiving!

It's been over a week since my last post on researching fraternal societies, and I really was hoping to avoid that kind of time delay. 

My goal is to post at least once a week, and I missed the mark this time, didn't I? 

So, here is a quick update for ya'll on where I stand with my ongoing investigation into the fraternal life of Mortimer Lawrence. 

See how the box is empty? 

Yep, I was really hoping there would be some text there... but alas, there is not. 

These are the research goals I established for myself: 

1. Contact the El Jebel Shriners and the Masonic Lodge of Denver to inquire on any available information on Mortimer Lawrence. 
2. Research his Army unit from the Civil War to learn of the possibility of his involvement in the G.A.R. 
3. Contact the college, if possible, in Ohio to determine if any records still exist. There may be some background work required, in order to determine what happened to the institution. 
4. Search newspapers from Cleveland to see if I can find him listed as a member of a lodge.
5. We have contacted the Ohio Farmer in the past, but never with this intent. My inquiry here would be specifically to see if they ever published information on local lodges. 
6. Our family collection does include several letters from Mortimer, to his niece, Carrie Brown. Those are just begging to be transcribed and investigated in detail. They may or may not include specific mention of his fraternal activities, but I am sure they do include other information that will be helpful to this particular facet of his life. 

I did email the El Jebel Shriners, and got a simply reply back: we'll work on it, but its going to take some time. I took a quick dive into trying to connect the Ohio Farmer with fraternal organizations, but wasn't able to come up with anything. This was in the form of searching on Google, so I still need to actually directly contact them. 

The big time consumer was reading through all the letters that belonged to Carrie Brown. There is simply a great deal of material there, and I have now read or re-read about half of them. So far, nothing has led to any new clues about Mortimer's fraternal involvement, however, I have been able to add to his timeline a bit. I have more specific data now that indicates exactly when he was in what area of the country, and have recorded that in retirement, he traveled quite a bit. Perhaps there are records of him attending Masonic meetings in other states as a guest? It is worth pursuing as I progress through this process. 

Ultimately, I learned a little tiny bit this week, so I guess my box should not be totally empty... and all information is good information. I'll take these little nuggets and eventually make a story out of the collective. 

To all of you, Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you have a wonderful holiday. I am so thankful for those that read through this blog and for the comments you contribute. Your ideas and feedback are truly appreciated by this writer. 

This year, I am especially grateful for my Mom. 

Where to Begin?

Researching fraternal organizations is just like any other research: you need a plan. 

What is your plan?

Where do you start? How do you do it? I hear those questions a lot, and have heard them even more since I started this series on fraternal societies. Thankfully, there is no big mystery here. You need a plan, plain and simple. This plan must be organized, done in advance, and fluid. 

A quick word on your research plan being "fluid." I believe this element is incredibly important, as you just simply do not know where any of your research may take you. You need to be able to adjust with your findings, follow the ebb and flow of history, in order to achieve success in your work.

This is not a post about how to write a research plan; I'll leave that to the numerous others who have written well on the topic. This post should take you to the beginning of the process, but where is that beginning, truly? You don't start on the journey of researching a particular society or lodge without some basic information... you need the who, what, when, where and why. 

• Who is the ancestor involved? Do you have their individual timeline established? 
• When would they have likely joined the organization? 
• Where did they live at that time, and did they recently relocate there, or have they been there for some time? (And if they recently moved, where did they come from and is it possible they were involved in any other organization in their previous location?)
• What was the motivation for joining the society in the first place? Why would they have done this?  
• What was happening in the country, the world, during the period of time in question? Would the political situation at this time have an effect on which organization they joined, or why? 

This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but you get the point. Let us, just for giggles, take a look at a real life situation, and lay this out on paper. 

Meet Mortimer

Mortimer J. Lawrence
Personal Collection of Author

Mortimer James Lawrence, brother to my great great grandmother, Frances Elizabeth (Lawrence) Brown. You can read more about the Lawrence family on these posts.  Using the concept outlined above, what do we already know about Mortimer? 

• Mortimer was born 8 Dec 1843, probably in Springfield, Pennsylvania. 
• He is listed in the 1860 U.S. Census as a resident of Wakeman, Ohio, with his mother and siblings. 
• In 1861, he enlisted in Co. B, 3rd Ohio Cavalry, and served nearly through the duration of the Civil War. 
• Upon returning home, he immediately turned to farming. He also attended Byrant & Stratton Commercial College in Oberlin, Ohio in 1866. 
• Clues 1 & 2: He has the ability to be in the GAR and a fraternity related to his school. 
• Later that same year, he moved to Cleveland and began working as a sales representative. 
• Mortimer Lawrence married Helen Irene Mattison in December, 1866; Ohio. 
• Early 1867, he began work in the newspaper industry. He continued to work in the publication field the remainder of his life. In December of 1872, he took over the Ohio Farmer as editor and proprietor. They continue publication today. 
• Clue 3: This time is essential in his life! Being in the city and no longer farming means he had access to many more organizations. It is likely he was an active member of a society during these years. Additionally, there is a chance he could have been affiliated with a group involved in the publication or newspaper industries. 
• In 1887, Mortimer and his family relocated to Denver, Colorado, where he became involved in the banking business. They lived in a affluent area of the city. 
• Clue 4: Transfer to a new location = transfer to a new organization.
• July 1894, Denver hosted the Imperial Shrine convention, a subsidiary of the Masonic Lodge. Per the organizations' website, "At this first Denver Shrine meeting, Mortimer J. Lawrence suggested the name, EL JEBEL, which is Arabic for "The Mountain."' The charter for the 39th Shrine Temple was issued to El Jebel Shrine on June 25, 1888.(1)
• Clue 5: Does it get any better? Here is a direct link, from the society itself, to our subject. Still worthy of further investigation, because I want more! 
• By 1900, the family was back in Cleveland. His banking business was not successful, so he went back to the Ohio Farmer. 
• 1910 - New York City. Further research is needed to closely examine this part of his life. 
• 1920 - Mortimer and Helen had retired to Florida. 
• 1922; Mortimer passes away at the home of his daughter in Washington D.C. on the 30th of November. 

This last twelve years of his life is an open book, and a great deal more research needs to be done. However, you can immediately see the action items here, provided by the clues within our timeline, in regards to his fraternal activity. It seems obvious that the first step should be to contact the Denver El Jebel Shrine to determine if they are willing to share additional information on Mortimer, his role in the organization and his life in Denver. Assuming they have the information on file, they should also be able to tell us if he transferred from another lodge or not, and more importantly, which Masonic Lodge he was a member of. 

(Remember, to be involved in these sub-organizations, the individual must first be an active member in good standing of the parent organization. So we're really looking for information on two different groups: the Shriners and the Masons.)

Note, this is an active research process for me. I have not yet engaged the Shriners or the Masons on Mortimer's involvement. Of course, I chose him intentionally to use as my example; I might as well get some work done on my own family while writing this series, no?  I will be contacting the state level organization of both organizations this weekend. When I know something, you will too! 

Here is my plan, based on the timeline of Mortimer J. Lawrence. I do have more information on his life than what I have included here in this post; only the essential points have been included, in order to prevent this post from becoming a novel. 

1. Contact the El Jebel Shriners and the Masonic Lodge of Denver to inquire on any available information on Mortimer Lawrence. 
2. Research his Army unit from the Civil War to learn of the possibility of his involvement in the G.A.R. 
3. Contact the college, if possible, in Ohio to determine if any records still exist. There may be some background work required, in order to determine what happened to the institution. 
4. Search newspapers from Cleveland to see if I can find him listed as a member of a lodge.
5. We have contacted the Ohio Farmer in the past, but never with this intent. My inquiry here would be specifically to see if they ever published information on local lodges. 
6. Our family collection does include several letters from Mortimer, to his niece, Carrie Brown. Those are just begging to be transcribed and investigated in detail. They may or may not include specific mention of his fraternal activities, but I am sure they do include other information that will be helpful to this particular facet of his life. 

You may be thinking, "but you can do X, and Y, and Z, too! Why is your list so short?" Well, yes, that's true. I could take the time to be much more specific, and I have other ideas as to how to learn more about Mortimer's fraternal life, but I also have to be realistic in what I have time to do, and how much I can commit to this particular project. I will start with the above list, I will remain fluid and open to new ideas, and I will adapt as I go. 

(1) El Jebel Shriners. "The HIstory of EL JEBEL SHRINE." Copyright 2013,  http://www.eljebelshrine.org/history/. 

Overwhelming Need to Change my Plans

Cornerstone in the Museum of Western Colorado
Image: Jen Baldwin, 2013

I spent this past weekend visiting my parents to celebrate my Mom's birthday. (Happy birthday, Momma!) We had an enjoyable weekend with them, and my sister and her family. We decided to take a family expedition to the Western Museum of Colorado to check out their new display, "Distant Treasures in the Mist."

My parents had seen it advertised, it just opened, and we thought it looked interesting. Keep in mind, we have a group of six adults, two twelve year old's, a nine year old, and one four year old. Isn't it wonderful that all of the kiddos were excited to go to the museum?

I digress. 

Having a completely different blog post scheduled to be published this week already in my drafts, I was not expecting to be quite as captivated as I was. However, plans soon change, don't they? I found myself overwhelmed by the need to change my plans. And here's why:

Nearly through the fascinating display of early Spanish influence on western Colorado and the surrounding area, I came across a photo of this item. The museum labeled this piece as a "Decorative sword cover fragment" from a "Masonic Knight's Templar." Found by the Clark family near a stone structure in the Kannah Creek valley. All this particular display had was images of the piece, but I was still captivated. If it ever indicated that the museum had possession of this remarkable piece of history, I missed it. I studied this for some time, finally turning the corner and moving on through the remainder of the exhibit.

As per usual while in a museum, I got separated from the group and wound my way through the rest of the facility on my own. Everyone else had been there at least once, except me, so they graciously allowed me the time and freedom to soak it all in. I was excited to see the pistol belonging to Alfred Packer (convicted of cannibalism in the 1800s in Colorado, but eventually given a full pardon), a replica school house and mining display. What hit me next, though, hit me full in the face.

The actual scabbard portion was there! Right there! 

Forgive me, these are not the best photographs. I could have spent the rest of the day right there in that spot, examining this piece of fraternal history, and all its lovely detail. Made entirely of brass, the engravings were exceptionally well preserved, and such intricate detail! It truly is a piece of art.

The research of the Western Investigations Team (WIT) found that it dates from the 1850s, and may have been from a military unit from that period. The scabbard piece was found with a 19th century muffin-style military button. The site, Kannah Creek, was a common source of fresh water, and certainly a camp site for early survey and military expeditions.

Distinguishable on the scabbard are the traditional image of Emperor Constantine, staring at the cross in the sun, the inverted triangle in the sun, a coat of arms, and a cross with a crown. The last represents the Knight's Templar degree in York Rite masonry. It was originally found in 1961, and had gone missing for forty-five years! It was recovered in 2006 and returned to the museum. The stone structure mentioned above may also be Masonic remnants, but that is yet to be determined.

For me, this was a very exciting find. I was thrilled to discover such a unique and interesting piece of fraternal history right in my own backyard, and on permanent display at a museum down the street from my parents house. (Which means, I can go see it often!)  It may not have been the direction I had planned to go this week, but it certainly has captured my attention and has opened yet another door to walk through. What was fraternal life like for those early explorers, missionaries, and military units? Did they remain engaged in their society or simply walk away from it all?