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1896

St. Ann’s Court of Lady Foresters have been organized in Waukon with the following officers:
Chief Ranger—Mrs. J. W. Cain.
Vice Chief Ranger—Mrs. J. M. Murray.
Rec. Sec’y—Mary A. Quinn.
Fin. Sec’y—Mrs. J. F. Dougherty.
Treasurer—Mrs. J. M. Collins.
Past C. R.—Mrs. W. S. Hart.
Trustees—Mesdames Geo. Schrody, E. McGeough, J. Hall.
Outside Sentinel—Mrs. Wm. Rilely.
Inside Sentinel—Mrs. M. D. Ryan.
S. C.—Mrs. M. Heiser.
J. C.—Lizzie McCabe.

~source: Allamakee Journal and Lansing Mirror, February 11, 1931; in the 'Looking Backward' to 1896 column
~transcribed by Ann Krumme for Allamakee co. IAGenWeb

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1926

Postville's Fraternities Officers & Meetings
Few towns of its size have more active fraternities than has Postville, which is indicative of the fact that the people who make up this town and community are friendly folks. Fraternity stands for friendliness, brotherhood, sisterhood, helpfullness; and if there is anything more than another of which this old world stands sore in need it is more of that spirit of brotherhood which is the foundation of every fraternity.

The teachings of all societies are good and he who endeavors to live up to them, no matter how far short of it he may come, cannot help being a better man and a more useful citizen. They in nowise supplant the church, but rather should draw their membership closer to it. We therefore take pleasure in presenting herewith a list of the officers of Postville's several active fraternities and the meeting night of each, as follows:

Brotherly Love Lodge, No. 204 A.F. & A.M. Postville W.M. - Peter Service S.W. - E.E. McMartin J.W. - I.P. Hinman Treasurer - L.O. Beucher Secretary - A.C. Webster S.D. - Elmer L. Meyer J.D. - Victor Williams S.S. - E.E. Owen J.S. - Roland J. Brandt Tyler - Hugh Shepherd Meets - First Tuesday each month		Oak Camp No 328 M.W.A. Postville Venerable Consul - W.J. Hanks Worthy Advisor - Bert E. Tuttle Banker - A.L. Peterson Clerk - A.J. Phillips Escort - C.A. Ammons Watchman - Wm. Weihe Sentry - Hugh Shepherd Physician - Dr. A.A. Schmidt Manager - Warner Harris Meets - 2nd and 4th Wednesdays
Noble Lodge No. 51 A.O.U.W. Postville P.M.W. - Bert E. Tuttle Master Workman - A.A. Schmidt Foreman - James A. Fisher Overseer - Fred J. Thoma Guide - J.P. Ellis Recorder - Wm. Shepherd Financier - H.H. Douglass Treasurer - J.M. Thoma Inside Watch - John L. Gregg Outside Watch - Dick Weighner Med. Exam - Dr. A.A. Schmidt Meets - 2nd and 4th Thursdays		Unity Chapter No 62 R.A.M. Postville High Priest - R.F. Topliff King - Fred J. Miller Scribe - R.M. Hecker Captain of Host - R.C. Huebner Principal Sojourner - H. Miller Third Vail - W.G. Bulman Second Vail - Arbe Behrens First Vail - John F. Palas Sentinel - A.S. Burdick Treasurer - A.L. Peterson Secretary - A.C. Webster Meets - 1st Thursday each month
O.E.S. Postville Chapter, No. 288 is now twenty-eight years old as their charge was given them October 26, 1898. The charter members were Mrs. Carrie Cornell, Mrs. Etta Crosby, Mrs. May Douglass, Mrs. Flynn, Mrs. Ida Hart, Mrs. Mary Hecker, Mrs. Mary McNeil, Mrs. Hattie Prior, Mrs. Ella Hawkins, Mrs. Mary Holter, Mrs. Belle Orr, Mrs. Sophia Perry, Mrs. Etta Perry, Mrs. Mary Stiles, Mrs. Anna Staadt, Mrs. Mary Rollison, Mrs. Eva Tuller, Mrs. Mate Welzel, Mrs. Sarah Wallis, Mrs. E. Webster and James Perry. Mrs. Carrie Cornell was the first worthy matron and James Perry the first worthy patron.

~source: Postville Herald, January 21, 1926 & April 1, 1926
~transcribed by S. Ferrall for Allamakee co. IAGenWeb

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BROTHERLY LOVE NO. 204
CHARTERED BY THE GRAND LODGE OF IOWA AF&FM June 5, 1867

LODGE EXPLAINED TO PUBLIC AT OPEN HOUSE IN POSTVILLE

An Open House was held at the Postville Masonic Hall Sunday afternoon. All lodges in the state were requested to host such an event. The purpose was to open the doors to the general public so that tours of the premises could be conducted. Visitors were shown through the hall and the dining area and explanations were offered. They were invited to ask questions about the working of the Lodge and members explained the role of Masonry in the community.

It was explained that some of the decorative chairs used by officers had been acquired when the Ossian, Iowa Lodge merged with the Postville group. The seating on either side of the hall been procured from a Decorah, Iowa theater. Lights from the extinct Monona, Iowa Lodge adorn the hall. In the usual fashion for an Open House, visitors came, toured the building, had coffee and bars and went on their way. Such was the case when Pam and June Ackerman from Carksville, Iowa noticed the activity and stopped to see what was going on. They signed the register, looked the place over and continued on their way.

Lee Voshell and his wife from Wadena, Iowa attended the event, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Willet Miller of Clermont, Iowa Lodge. Visitors noted the extensive display of symbols which are a Masonic trademark. In particular, the letter “G” in the center of their emblems, indicating God is the center of their lives. The visitors learned about the Masonic scholarship program which is extended to high school students each year, and has proved to be very beneficial to many students. The intention is to enrich this endowment considerably. Other charitable donations have been made to the Ronald McDonald House near the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa, which provides housing for the parents of critically ill children. Generation Gifts were given to assist in the renovation of the Statue of Liberty in New York City, New York.

HISTORY

Brotherly Love Lodge No. 204 was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Iowa AF& FM on June 5, 1867 and at that time it became a regularly constituted lodge. On January 1, 1867, after having been duly recommended by Union Band Lodge No. 66, which had just been moved from Moneek to Frankville, Iowa, Grand Master Charles Peck gave a dispensation to G. F. Webster, Worthy Master, Alex Bishop, Samuel Courson, Junior Warden and 9 others who were permitted to form a lodge at Postville, Iowa. While the group was working under the dispensation, the membership doubled to 18, thus making it large enough to have a charter. After the lodge was reviewed it was ordered that the charter be official and the name of Brotherly Love No. 204 be assigned.

Charter members at that time included:

OFFICERS: Glenn F. Webster Alex Bishop S.W. Courson Abraham Hart Albert Dresser W.F. Dresser J. Coykendall

FELLOWCRAFTS: Nathan Clough L.D.B. Hawkins MASTER MASONS: A. Amos James Perry C. I. Bishop John Shaw J. P. Cooper D. Wagner D.H. Fisher A. W. McDonald J. W. Patterson J. H. Penny

ENTERED APPRENTICES: Leni Calendar J.B. Reed E. J. Stevenson E. J. Topliff Joseph Watson

Of these charter members, L.D. B. Hawkins was the first to receive his 50-year certificate in 1917.

FIRST HALL

The first Masonic Hall was located at or about 139 West Military Street which is now an abandoned road or alley, thought to have been part of the old Military Road, which would have been the rear part of the old Ellis Blacksmith Shop. Later the Lodge met in the hall which is now 137 Lawler Street until a fire in 1887 took out most of the buildings in that block. Consequently, most of the records were destroyed. Later a duplicate charter was issued and the Lodge met in the upper story of the Douglass building now occupied by Livingood's Corner Clothier and Barber Shop. The Lodge was given permission to borrow $300 to replace the furnishings for the hall. As was the usual procedure, the building was heated with wood stoves, so it was the duty of the Tyler to carry up wood and build the fires on meeting nights.

The growth in membership followed the precedent set by the Masonic Lodge in the state of Iowa. In 1917, there was a membership of 100. After the close of World War I the return of veterans from the service caused a boom in membership and by 1924, there were 141 members. However, during the Depression years, there were many dropouts and the roll dropped to 100 once more. In April 1962 a consolidation offer was made with Arcturus Lodge 237 at Ossian, Iowa which had an enrollment of 20. It added to the membership but also increased the average age of members as Ossian had admitted few new members for several years.

STATE OFFICERS

W. W. Perry, a member of the Postville Lodge, became a Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin. In 1924 Ray Douglass qualified as a Masonic Instructor and later became District Lecturer. Later he was elected Grand Master in Iowa in 1955.

After the death of Ray Douglass, the building was sold to Rodney Livingood. The meeting place for the Lodge had to be moved. The group bought an old Methodist Church located on Tilden Street which was no longer in use except as an Odd Fellows Hall. This church was dismantled in 1976. All labor in connection with the demolition was donated by the Lodge members who worked on the project whenever they had time. Lumber was carefully removed for later use. A new structure was built by the carpentry class from Area I Vocational School in Calmar, Iowa, with the help of students from the plumbing and electrician courses. During the fall of 1976, the students came forenoons, five days a week, accompanied by their instructor. Very little material had to be purchased and the approximate cost of the building amounted to about $30,000. Dimensions of the building were 32 x 64 feet with a dining area of 32 x48. The cornerstone laying was done on the afternoon of July 9, 1977.

~Postville Herald, September 30, 1987
~contributed by Connie Ellis

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