BAY CITY MASONIC LODGE NO. 865 A.F.&A.M

In 1902, eight years after Bay City was founded, there were some twenty Masons living in the area. They came from diverse sections of the country; no two Masons were from the same Lodge. At that time there was only one other Masonic Lodge in Matagorda County; Tres Palacios Lodge No 411 (Now called Blessing Lodge #411 was situated some twenty miles from Bay City on the Tres Palacios River.

A petition for the dispensation to form a Lodge in Bay City was presented to the Most Worshipful Grand Master (M.W.G.M.) William Clark, in April, 1902, and was signed by the following Master Masons: C. F. Baker, Jr., J. W. Brown, John T. Sargent, Dr. James Byars, T. F. Carr, R. W. Fullwood, John A. Green, James M. Hamby, W. P. Johnson, W. H. Glenn, Isadore Marks, E. F. Higgins, Dr. A. S. Morton, Dr. E. E. Scott, Theodore Schaedel, John Sutherland, J. M. Moore, and W. C. Carpenter.

On April 13, 1902, the Grand Master issued his dispensation authorizing the said brethren to organize a lodge and confer the degrees of the Blue Lodge at Bay City, known as Bay City Lodge No. 865 A.F. & A.M. The petition was endorsed by Tres Palacios Lodge No. 411. The following officers were named: W. C. Carpenter, worshipful master; Isadore Marks, senior warden; A. S. Morton, junior warden; V. L. LeTulle, treasurer;

C. F. Baker, tiler; and E. F. Higgins, secretary.

Shortly after the granting of the dispensation, the lodge was instituted by D.D.G.M. J. J. Davis of Galveston. Records as to the exact date were lost in the 1909 tropical storm which severely damaged the Masonic building. The charter was dated December 4, 1902.

The 23 charter members were Dr. E. E. Scott, A. C. Fox, W. P. Johnson, Ernest Zuch, Isadore Marks, J. W. Brown, R. W. Fullwood, Dr. A. S. Morton, V. L. LeTulle, J. M. Moore, John A. Green, C. F. Baker, T. F. Carr, J. M. Sims, J. M. Hamby, John Sutherland, J. T. Sargent, Theodore Schaedel, James Byars, W. H. Glenn, E. F. Higgins, M. N. Cain, and W. C. Carpenter.

The first lodge meetings were held on the second floor of a two-story wooden building, which housed a saloon on the first floor. W. C. Carpenter wrote of the location, Pardon the allusion, there was not elevator connecting the two places." In January, 1907, the Masons moved into their own building, away from the saloon environment. C. F. Baker was architect for the $7,000 brick building. This new building, situated on Seventh Street, was dedicated February 2, 1907, with John P. Bell, Grand Master, presiding. Visitors from Wharton, Blessing, Weimer, Jefferson, Bellville, and Dallas attended the ceremonies.

The members of Masonic Lodge No 865 have met regularly through the years, and they have conducted many Masonic funerals and appeared in public in regalia for special occasions. In 1909, under proper dispensation, the lodge laid the cornerstone of the First Methodist Church in Bay City with William Walker, worshipful master, presiding. In 1914 the Lodge laid the cornerstone for the First Baptist Church with Thomas H. Lewis, worshipful master, conducting the ceremonies.

The lodge has prospered all these years with the exception of the depression in the 1930's. There was one year during which the lodge was in arrears with the Grand Lodge for not paying assessments.

the Masonic Lodge moved from the two-story brick building on Seventh Street to a new building in the 1600 block of Avenue F.

Hurricane Carla caused much damage to the lodge building in 1961. The building was repaired; however, a move was begun to erect a new Temple. The lodge sold the old building, and with donations from Bay City Chapter No 315, Bay City Council No. 251, Bay City Commandery No. 74, and Bay City Chapter No. 380 Order of the Eastern Star; the lodge moved into its present building, situated at 3301 Avenue F, free of debt.

By 1919 the membership had grown from 23 to 159, and in 1971 there were 380 members.

(This history was taken from the Matagorda County Historical Society . Copyright 1986 International Standard Book Number: 0-918464)