Keep Looking

This past weekend, my Aunt from Alabama traveled to Colorado for a visit. My parents, my sister and her family, myself and my family, and our Aunt, all gathered in Leadville, Colorado to create some fall memories. While there, I wanted to get back to the Evergreen Cemetery to correct a mistake I made a few years ago: insufficient headstone photos. 

Thomas Perkins was born in England, and I first discovered his headstone about five years ago. The story is a bit long, so bear with me. 

Thomas Perkins was the first husband of Mary Isabelle Daniel. Mary was born in 1868 in Cornwall, England, and is the mother of three children. She arrived in America and appears to have traveled almost directly to Colorado. Although still unclear where the marriage between them took place, they ended up in Leadville, which is the highest incorporated town in the United States, sitting just above 12,000 feet in elevation. In the late 1800s, it was a booming city, and was even considered for the Colorado state capitol at one point. The town was the epicenter of the various mineral rushes in Colorado through the late 1800s and through the 1900s. 

After Thomas died in 1900, Mary continued on in Leadville for a few years. She ran a boarding house on East 5th Street, just three blocks from where my sister lives today. For whatever reason, in 1910, she and her children traveled to Springview, Keya Paha County, Nebraska, where she married my great grand uncle, Dick Heerten. Technically, she responded to his ad in "Lonely Hearts" magazine, or so the family story goes, and they were married within minutes of her stepping off the train. They then headed out to his farm, where they raised her three children, and life appears to have progressed fairly smoothly for the couple. 

What does all this have to do with Evergreen Cemetery? 

The thing is, our family never knew about Mary and her first husband until just a couple of years ago when I managed to dig it up from the black hole of history where family stories go to die. I put the pieces together and when I finally realized the truth of the story, my family was a little more than surprised. Not only has this particular line (the Heerten's) never before had any connection with Colorado, it was absolutely crazy to us that Mary and Thomas lived in Leadville. The town where my sister and her family had moved to about twelve years ago. A town that none of us had ever heard of before that point, and a town that has since captivated us a bit with its history. 

As this story started to unravel, I went to Evergreen Cemetery in Leadville and found the headstone of Thomas Perkins. I was unsure of his birth date, and his actual death date, and was really hoping there would be more information there. With no images available online that I could identify (at the time, at least; after I found the memorial, I created a place for him on FindAGrave.com), I really felt I needed to see the headstone. And I'm glad I did. 

Headstone of Thomas Perkins, Evergreen Cemetery.
Leadville, Lake County, Colorado
Copyright Jen Baldwin, 2014.

I was excited to find his marker, and several other's with the surname Perkins. I took the time to document all of the stones in the plot, and got the close up of course of the iinscriptionon Thomas' stone. 

Headstone of Thomas Perkins, Evergreen Cemetery.
Leadville, Lake County, Colorado
Copyright Jen Baldwin, 2014.

My mistake came when I walked away without a clear image of the two symbols on his marker. Although relatively common, they are significant enough that I knew I needed to confirm them, leaving no doubt as to their meaning. If you are familiar, you may immediately recognize them. This is what I was determined to correct this past weekend, and I did just that when I visited the site again, accompanied by my husband and my Dad. (Great experience, to walk a cemetery with the two men in this world I love the most.)

Copyright Jen Baldwin, 2014

Copyright Jen Baldwin, 2014

You may know them, you may not. The top one is a bit harder to see, but it is the anchor and shield of the Association of United Workmen. The initials, A.O.U.W. are often inscribed across the symbol, as seen here.  The lower symbol is an Elk inside a shield, representing the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks. Both were prominent organizations in Leadville history. 

The Elks is a great one for me, as I already know the lodge is still active, and my sister has friends who are members. I have an "in" for any future research I may want to do. The A.O.U.W. may be a little more challenging, however, as the Leadville lodge has since gone defunct, and in fact, the organization as a whole has evolved into a life insurance company. The great part for me was as we walked over to the next plot, and I found this: 

A.O.U.W. Headstone, Evergreen Cemetery
Leadville, Lake County, Colorado
Copyright Jen Baldwin, 2014

I do not know if this person is affiliated in my research of Thomas Perkins in any way, but I'm grateful for them, nonetheless. Why? Because the Lodge for the A.O.U.W. is identified on their marker! "Excelsior Lodge No. 5" is inscribed along the top edge, with the A.O.U.W. symbol on the front angle. Although more ornate than the version on the Perkins stone, there is no doubt that this is the same organization. YES, there could have been more than one lodge in Leadville. NO, there is no guarantee that this was also Thomas Perkins' lodge, but it is a place to start. I almost missed it; I almost just walked on by. But for whatever reason, I didn't. I looked down and paused. I took a second look. 

And that is why I say, keep looking.  You never know what is going to be right under your feet. 

The Lodges of Central City

Two weeks ago, my family and I explored Central City, Blackhawk and surrounding areas in Gilpin County, Colorado. We had a great day, which included several cemeteries (you can read about the Masonic Cemetery here). As promised, this is a second post from that same trip, this time highlighting the many Lodge buildings still standing in Central City.


One thing I have definitely learned when exploring these communities and looking for signs of fraternal life is to look UP. So many of the buildings are now used as store fronts, restaurants and art galleries, often the only sign left is the markings on the side of the building. In this case, it was also important to look down, as the town had set signs around explaining the various buildings.


All photos ©Jen Baldwin, 2014.

B.P.O. Elks, Lodge NO. 557

B.P.O. Elks Lodge No. 557

Front door to the B.P.O.E. The building appears to currently be vacant.

Historic marker sign for the Masonic Lodge

Masonic Lodge

Masonic Lodge - the tallest building, tan.

Look up! The information I want is right there in the window.
Masonic Hall est. 1864.

A.O.U.W. painted advertisement on the side.
I missed this the first time from street level, it wasn't until I crossed the street that I saw it.

A.O.U.W. building in its entirety.

Front of the A.O.U.W. building.

Insignia built into the front of the A.O.U.W. building.

Historical marker on street level.

I.O.O.F. Building. Again, look up! I missed this from one side of the street,
identified it when we crossed to the other side.

I.O.O.F. full facade.

Brick Knights of Pythias building is the left structure.

Seemingly empty, the KofP building in Central City, Colorado. 

Haymakers

Now that the excitement of RootsTech has died down a bit, and my life is slowly getting back to normal, I wanted to take some time to get back to my ongoing effort to understand fraternal societies and their role in genealogical research. In late 2013 and January of 2014, I focused more on the process of investigating my own family members and their involvement in these organizations. I did make some progress, but I also want to understand the scope and variety of the numerous other societies that existed (or exist, as some are still alive today).


My interest is focused primarily on those that were created and flourished in the United States, but I certainly am not intending to limit myself to just one country. In the coming posts, I hope to simply expose some of the more unheard of groups and do a bit of digging to see what I can come up with.

Today, I start with the Haymakers. 

This name has actually been associated with two organizations: the National Haymakers' Association and the Ancient and Honorable Order of Haymakers. 


According to Axelrod (1), the first was organized in 1879 as the friendship society of the Improved Order of Red Men. Although most likely defunct now, as late as 1980, they had 10,000 registered members, and was headquartered in Pennsylvania. It consisted of traditional fraternal icons, such as meeting places called Haylofts, and various officers. The titles these roles held are somewhat creative, with the secretary referred to as the Collector of Straws, and the treasurer known as the Keeper of Bundles.


The second organization was actually completely fictitious! Apparently stemming from a made-up example used in a speech by President Warren G. Harding, it was mistaken by some historians to be a reference to an actual organization. Now that is a piece of history to enjoy, and one for your next trivia game!


I made an attempt to locate a transcript of that speech, but was unable to do so. It was given on 5 June 1923, just two months before President Harding passed away. As a side note, during this effort, I did come across this website that includes the more significant speeches from all the U.S. Presidents, the Miller Center at the University of Virginia. This excerpt from the speech was located at: http://www.fbaptistc.org/warrengamalielharding.html:

"I wish somehow we could have fraternity among nations, as it is taught in America among men....the ideals of brotherhood recited in the Golden Rule, and the righteous fellow-relationship which every man knows his God approves."

There seems to be little online for further investigation into the National Hamakers' Association:

• Wikipedia
• Haymakers entry on the Phoenix Masonry Site (which is a great resource for numerous organizations)

Note that the Phoenix Masonry page has a "call to action," if you know more about this organization, there is an individual listed there who would like to talk to you. 

1) Alan Axelrod. The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders. Checkmark Books, New York, New York, 1997.

Elsie the Rebekah

Recently I received a few more pieces of my own family history. As the designated family archivist, my collection of photographs, ephemera and other heirlooms is already quite large, but these pieces I found especially interesting.


Out of the envelope came two certificates relating to my Grandmother, Elsie (Tober) Brown; her religious life, two certificates relating to her fraternal life, and two published texts from her organization, the Rainbow Rebekah Lodge No. 31, I.O.O.F., in Orting, Washington. The texts are small, pocket size pieces, and I am sure that I will blog about them soon. The certificates, however, were the prizes in this collection.


Rainbow Rebekah Lodge No. 31, I.O.O.F.


I have known for years that my great-grandfather, William Warner Brown, was a member of the Odd Fellow’s lodge in Orting. However, it has just been recently that I learned that his son, Harley (my grandfather), and my own father were both involved in fraternal societies as well. (How dare he keep that secret from me!??!? Humph.)  In conversation with family, it was a treat to learn that these documents existed.


The first piece is dated 21 Dec 1938, and it is the letter indicating that she had been elected to membership in the organization. Presented on letterhead, it simply asks that Elsie attend a specific meeting to receive the Rebekah Degree. One of the pieces I like about this document is the letterhead itself; it provides the information of when the meetings occur and where. Using this, I can pinpoint with minimal doubt how my Grandmother spent her evening on 27 Dec 1938, and where. This is quite early in her married life, and approximately 18 months before her eldest child – my father – was born. It also provides the names of the current Noble Grand and the Secretary.

Letter of invitation to Elise Brown, "Mrs. Harley Brown"
Personal collection of author.

The second carries the official seal, but is a duplicate, as indicated on the form itself. It is perforated along the top edge, and is pre-printed, “DUPLICATE – To be retained by the Past Noble Grand.” I feel it is safe to guess that the original was the top half of the page, broken by the perforation.

Certificate of Past Noble Grand, Elsie Brown
Personal collection of author.

“Certificate of Past Noble Grand
Hall of Rainbow Rebekah Lodge No. 31 I.O.O.F. Jan. 20, 1941
To the Rebekah Assembly I.O.O.F. of Washington:
You are hereby respectfully informed that our worth SisterElsie Brown has performed the services requiredto constitute her a Past Noble Grand in Rainbow
Rebekah Lodge No. 31 I.O.O.F., her term of service as Noble Grand havingexpired on the 31 day of December 1941
Yours in F., L. and T.,
(Signed) Esther L. Whitley, Secretary”

Initiate to Past Noble Grand in Four Years


These two documents together create an interesting timeline, do they not? She was initiated as a member on 27 Dec 1938. Her service as a Noble Grand ended on 31 Dec 1941, almost four years to the day!


Now I want to know… what requirements are there of a Noble Grand? What is that job, exactly?


There is still much to learn, and I am grateful to my family for entrusting me with these documents. I have a feeling I will be learning a great deal about the Rebekah organization very soon!

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.

Way out in the middle of nowhere...

Way out in the middle of nowhere is where my 2x great grandfather, Eilert Heerten, decided to settle. 

Homesteading in Keya Paha County, Nebraska, the property is nearly in South Dakota. The last time I was there... well, let's just say I couldn't yet read, write or cross the street by myself.

The red point on the map represents Springview, Nebraska; the
closest town.
Google Maps

A recent discovery on this particular family (and an exciting one!) started me thinking... was Eilert involved in any fraternal societies? If so, how? Where?

One benefit I have as the researcher is the surname I'm working with: Heerten. Find a Heerten in the U.S., and I'm related. Pretty much guaranteed. Not "I just met them online because we're researching a mutual 6th great grandfather" related; but the "oh, yes, I talked to her last week and her daughter just got a trophy for gymnastics" related. Eilert came to the U.S. with his brother, Sweeney, and as far as we know, they were the only two of their generation to do so. Everyone else stayed home in Germany. And so, if you find a Heerten in the U.S., I'm related.

The second benefit I have is that I know exactly where Eilert and his family settled. I can say this with such certainty because their direct descendants are still working that land. He became a naturalized citizen in Menard County, Illinois, and finalized his homestead in June, 1890.

These two points allow me to be fairly easily intimately familiar with the family tree once more, at just a glance. It's been a while since I actively searched on this line, but a quick refresh was all I needed to get going again. I started by taking a second look at the family headstones, nearly all located in the Ainsworth Cemetery in Brown County, Nebraska. With a new focus on fraternal organizations, I was specifically looking for any symbols or markings that may indicate involvement in any organization. A quick run through the images, and... nothing. Not a single standard symbol from any member of the family, in the Heerten line or a collateral line.

I have looked before for city directories or even state directories that might include this area. It is so remote, though, and has such a low population, I have never been able to locate any. I did a quick search, and once again came up empty.

My next move was to try the Grand Lodge of Nebraska (Masonic). Simply because they are the largest of the fraternal societies, I felt it more likely that there would be a Masonic lodge in the area than any of the others. I found this list, which made me realize that the Masonic mission is still very much alive in the State of Nebraska. From this list, however, I was not able to determine those that might be closest to the Heerten's.

Stop and Evaluate: What do I need? 

As I try to find an answer, I realize that I am more likely to find useful information if I reach out to a couple of folks first:

• A good state map of Nebraska would be very helpful. I have requested one via the Nebraska Tourism Commission. 
• I have reviewed the History section of the Springview, Nebraska website. It would be unlikely for them to mention anything specifically about fraternal societies, but I read it to be sure anyway. I followed up with an email, asking about the general history of societies in the area. 
• Knowing that Eilert and Sweeney immigrated from Germany, it would be beneficial to look at the general populous, to determine if they were in a community that was heavily influenced one way or another. Were their neighbors also German? Or did they originate from another country? Finding a general sense of the heritage of the community may help me narrow down exactly what it is I am searching for; which organizations would have formed naturally in this area? 

The current population of Springview is less than 300 people. I guess if I exhaust all online resources, I'll just have to drive out there and start asking around! 

What am I left with? 

Essentially, just another course of research that is in "pending" status. I am still waiting to hear back from organizations in the Denver area on another family member, and now I am waiting for resources from northern Nebraska. (Not to leave out the very southern edge of South Dakota, certainly!) Hopefully I will have an update on at least one - if not both! - soon after the start of the new year. 

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?

Nearly Ready

The pin of the 2013 Grand Master,
Dana A. Speaks.
The Grand Lodge of Colorado.
©Ancestral Journey, 2013.

For the past three weeks or so, I've been focusing my blogging efforts on learning more about Fraternal Societies. It started with simply recognizing my curiosity of the subject, and then allowing myself the time and freedom to take on such a project. I hope that you have enjoyed the posts so far, and have learned along with me.


I’m nearly ready to start focusing on individual organizations, tactics for researching those groups and what there is to gain from a genealogical stand point by doing all of this. I have one last organizational type piece to compile, and that is my wish list. There are countless texts available on fraternal societies, and even more on secret societies (everybody loves a good conspiracy, right?). I have accumulated a dream library that I will someday own, but a good chunk of this is simply on my goal list for now.

What I already have…

I have two texts that I refer to constantly in my research on societies.

1. Alan Axelrod. The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies & Fraternal Orders. Checkmark Books, New York, NY, 1997. [There is a newer version available, but this is what I have on my desk.]
2. Tara E. Atterberry, Project Editor. Encyclopedia of Associations: An Associations Unlimited Reference, Vol’s 1, 2 and 3. Gale, Cengage Learning, Farmington Hills, Michigan, 2011. [These texts are reference materials. They are available digitally, I just happened to get the entire set for $3 from my local library, so I went for it.]

I have also found that my dictionary, a copy of the Bible, and these last two published references have proven helpful:

• Jerome Francis Beattie, President and Editor. The Hereditary Register of the United States of America. The Hereditary Register Publications, Inc., Phoenix, Arizona, 1977. [Again, an older version, and again, a library steal at the cost of $1.]  This text has allowed me to identify and gain familiarity with some of the more obscure organizations, such as Son of a Witch. It provides just a bit more information than those listed above.

• W. Ellwood Post. Saints, Signs & Symbols. Morehouse Publishing, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1974. This small reference book has given me the ability to identify “hard to find” symbols from documents and grave markers. Although not intended by the author to be a genealogical resource, it has proven helpful on several occasions.

Why a Bible? Well, a great number of these organizations have Christian influence; so you will find references to particular passages or other religious imagery or stories used often.

What I would love to have….

• Charles William Heckethorn. The Secret Societies of All Ages and Countries, Vol’s 1 & 2. Nabu Press, 2010.
• Michael R. Poll. Masonic Words and Phrases. Cornerstone Book Publishers, 2005.
• Dina C. Carson. Colorado’s Territorial Masons: An Annotated Index of the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Colorado, 1861-1876. Iron Gate Publishing, 2013. [Hey! I know the author!]
• Lee E. Bishop. American Society Medals: An Identification Guide. Bishop & Elliott Publications, 1998.
• Victoria Solt Dennis. Discovering Friendly and Fraternal Societies: Their Badges and Regalia. Shire Discovering, 2008.

What is the objective behind listing all of this? I actually have a couple of goals here. The first is to define which texts are truly my priorities. My Amazon wish list is pretty big in this category, so for my own purposes, I need to narrow down my choices and really focus on collecting the most helpful and valuable research tools that I can, rather than just buying whatever pops up at the next used book sale at the library. (Although, to be honest, I’ll probably continue to buy randomly from the library, it’s a great use of my pocket change, and it supports the library! What could be better?)

Secondly, I do believe it is important to identify the tools of your research as much as possible before truly diving into said research. This list will allow me to place requests through inter-library loan and determine a more concrete timeline for the work I am planning and the posts here on my blog that will go along with that.

Any family member that may be reading this, go ahead and print out this list… its nearly Christmas, after all. <grin>

And for those researchers that are joining me on this journey of self-education, I ask you: what is your dream list of fraternal related materials? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Benevolent, Friendly or Both?

 

Which one was it?

Two of the common terms used to describe a particular kind of fraternal society are benevolent and friendly. What were these organizations, how did they differ from other fraternal groups (or did they?), and are they really two different things? 
Let's start with a definition; according to dictionary.com: 

• Benevolent: adj. 1: marked by or disposed to doing good. 2: organized for the purpose of doing good. 3: marked by or suggestive of goodwill. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benevolent)
• Friendly: adj. 1: acting like a friend : kind and helpful. 2: having or showing the feelings that friends have for each other. 3: showing support or approval.

But that doesn't really help us much. How do we put these two terms into context? 

Let's try using a source that was created around the study of fraternal societies to begin with:  The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders.¹  This text describes a Friendly society as one that is British in origin, and act primarily as financial mutual aid organizations. The term “Friendly,” is used largely in Britain, and the history of friendly societies intertwines with Acts of Parliament in relation to insurance and general welfare programs provided by the government.

Benevolent organizations are those that are “set up to do good, rather than merely to be enjoyable.” The concept described in this text is similar to the definition seen above.²
 

Keep. It. Simple.

What is the difference between Benevolent and Friendly? It would seem there are two significant points:

1. Friendly societies help their members financially, versus just helping their members.
2. Friendly societies originate in England, and the term seems to have stayed there predominantly, while benevolent was used more in the United States. Simplified? The geography is the difference.

One last point to make here, which I thought to be rather telling.

“Some people distinguish between societies that help only their own members (benevolent or friendly societies) and societies that help other people (charitable or service societies), but this is not a very helpful distinction.”³

Even though the overall statement seems to be dismissing this common belief, the fact that the author puts benevolent and friendly together is an indication of how similar the two terms are. I believe we can safely say that the differences are minor, however, they are blatant enough to know that the two words are not interchangeable, and must be used intentionally when in discussion on fraternal societies.  Once again, where you are in the world makes a difference in how you research, and what you research!
 

For more information….

Wikipedia lists "some common" friendly societies, and the collection ranges from the AARP to the I.O.O.F. to the Royal Liver Assurance. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendly_society#List_of_some_friendly_societies)


Selly Sell: I wrote a Legacy QuickGuide on researching Fraternal Societies. You can find it here.
 
 

¹ Alan Axelrod. The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders. Checkmark Books, New York, NY, 1997, p.98-99.
² Ibid, p xi, Introduction.
³ Ibid, p xi, Introduction.