Burlington Lodge #28 History

Revised: June 3, 2018

• Welcome to Fox River Lodge Number 28 Ancient Free and Accepted Masons where Dispensation was granted on January 29, 1849

  • Primitive Indian Territory (Fox, Sac, and Potawatomi Tribes)

  • 14 Years earlier in 1835 was the first jackknife claim on Burlington

  • Names of this Area were Drovers Forks, Foxville, and then Burlington

  • Note: The Word Ancient was Dropped many Years Later by the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin and changed to Free and Accepted Masons

• Caleb Barns was appointed the first Master of this Lodge by Deputy Grand Master Franklin Whittaker

  • Was a Lawyer

  • Perhaps the First Banker in Burlington and Built Meinhardt Bank in 1848

  • Helped found and operate the Burlington Liberty Association for the purpose of aiding escaped slaves in 1844

• First Lodge Meeting was on Monday - February 5, 1849 held in rooms over Gills Saloon at 2 pm

  • Also known as Founder’s Day for UW Madison, when it held their first class

  • There were 13 Charter Members: Brothers Truex, George W. French, James Catton, Andrew Sawyer, William Adams, and G.J. Miller. Also with Phinias Wright, Benjamin Wright, C.P. Barns, James McPherson, U.P. Mowall, Joseph Roaker, and J.B. Carver

• Second Meeting was on Wednesday - February 21, 1849, where Brothers John Acker and William Towner were the first to officially be voted upon and also the first to be passed on all three Degrees in Masonry that very day by our Lodge.

• Fox River Lodge #28 was granted its Charter on December 15, 1849

  • This will make us 169 years old in 2018

  • However we did not receive it in our hands until September 1851

• Some Local Information

  • In 1848 we only had a Stagecoach line

  • The first railroad was not built until 1855

  • The first farm house was only built five years before the founding of our Lodge

  • The first successful school was established in 1855

  • Burlington was not incorporated into a village until 1886

  • Farm Hands were paid $13 a month, Eggs were 5 cents a dozen and Butter was 7 cents a pound

• It only cost $20 to join the Lodge in 1849 and the Yearly Dues were $1.75

  • Today it is $220 and Yearly Dues of $88, which is cheaper overall today in comparison

•  In 1852 our Name was changed to Burlington Lodge #28 by Grand Lodge Resolution

  • Oshkosh had a Lodge Named Fox River Lodge #27

  • There are only 19 earlier dispensations active that are older than ours today

• In 1854, our Lodge was invited to attend the Cornerstone Ceremonies of the Chicago Masonic Temple, which used to be the largest building in the world until 1899

• How our Lodge Grew

  • In 1862 there were only 16 members

  • In 1872 there were only 44 members

  •  In 1898 there were 48 Members

  •  In 1904 Spring Prairie Lodge gave up its Charter and citizens from Lyons and Spring Prairie were brought into our Lodge

  •  In 1910 our Membership hit 100 Members

• Historical Notes

  • Lodge Meetings were held on Friday Evenings until the middle 1900’s when it switched to Thursday’s

    There was always a Dinner with the Ladies beforehand, then the Men met as a Lodge following dinner

    The Ladies played cards, socialized, and in the beginning the Lodge was the premier social organization in this community

•  Places our Lodge met before this Building

  • Started above Gills Saloon

  • Second Floor of the Meindhardt Bank Building

  • The Schwaller Building

  • Second Floor of what was Sheldon’s Hardware Store

  • Above John Itzin’s Harness Shop

  • Third Floor of the Ebbers’ Store

  • The Gill Building where our Lodge Celebrated their 50th Anniversary in 1899

  • Rooms in the Hueper Block Building where we celebrated our 75th Anniversary in 1924

• Our Current Lodge Building

  • After the 75th Anniversary a desire for our own building arose

  • Many years of effort of buying and selling several business lots, one was even the old City Hall

  • We purchased the C.G. Foltz Property and the Cornerstone Ceremony by Grand Master Frank Jenks and Staff was done on November 9, 1929

  • J.W. Peters was the Master during the building construction and dedication of this building

    •  Other Last Names like Karcher, Rein, Hoffman, Jung, Davies, Wehmhoff, and Uebele are just a few of the many that made sure this building was in shape

    • Now defunct organizations like the Masonic Dramatic Club, Burlington Square Club, H.G.O.S. Girls Club, and the Temple Club

• The building was completed and occupied on June 1, 1930

  • Morrell Cadwell was the first Master Mason raised in this building on June 18, 1930

• Our Building was Officially Dedicated on Wednesday – November 5, 1930 at 3 pm with a Banquet in the dining room downstairs at 6:30 pm following

• Organizations in this Building during the Dedication in 1930

  • Burlington Lodge #28 with 185 Members

  • Burlington York Rite Chapter #91 (Chartered February 12, 1917) with 193 Members

  • Burlington Chapter #153, Order of Eastern Star (Chartered March 15, 1905) with 272 Members

  • Burlington Commandery #50 Knights Templar (Chartered November 5, 1928) with 53 Members

  • Sir Galahad Chapter, Order of DeMolay (for boys) (Chartered May 19, 1923) with 73 Members (The First Chapter Chartered  in WI and the Oldest Still Active Today)

•  Organizations that came well after

  • Burlington York Rite Council #45 (Chartered September 18, 1954)

  • Bethel #76 Jobs Daughters (for girls) (Chartered November 21, 1967)

  • Tri-County Shrine Club (Shriners from the Racine, Kenosha, and Walworth County Areas)

• Since 1930

  • In 1949 we celebrated 100 years

  • In 1950 we started a Brotherhood Dinner with the Burlington Knights of Columbus which still meets yearly to this day with also a Golf Outing usually in June as well

  • In 1950, we also attended the largest assembly of Masons in the World at the Milwaukee Auditorium

  • In 1955, only 25 years in, we restored our Lodge with updated Carpeting, Bubblers, Attic Insulation, Roofing and Kitchen Cabinets

  • In 1957, John Schuette donated the Holy Bible which we still use to this day

  • In 1961, Past Master Charles W. Diener bequeathed money to pay off the building debt and the Brothers Symbolically burned the mortgage

  • In 1966 Burlington Lodge #28 became the first Lodge in 122 years of Masonry in Wisconsin to have a Public Installation of Officers

  • In 1981 a Fund was setup for two $500 Scholarships for Burlington Area High School Students

    •  We currently now give three $1000 Local Area Scholarships away in Honor of these Masons

      • John Schuette – Burlington High School

      • Walt Kuebler – Burlington Catholic Central

      • Don Krueger – Waterford High School

  • In 1983 the Perpetual Membership Fund was created to keep this Lodge going far past when our Brothers have departed

  • In 1989, the Burlington Holding Company was dissolved and Temple Management formed for the financing of our Lodge Currently, now known as Lodge Trustees

• The 1990’s

  •  In June of 1990, Governor Tommy Thompson was made a Master Mason and our Lodge was there

  • In 1991 our Lodge Donated to the Burlington Veterans Memorial Monument in Echo Park

  • In 1993, we celebrated 150 years of Masonry in Oshkosh as well as the “Lodge in the Woods” Celebration was started at the Noble Farm

  • In 1995, our century old By-Laws were updated

  • In 1995, we took part in the Lincoln Memorial Restoration work on Kane Street

  • In 1996, Waterford Temple Lodge #96 consolidated with Burlington Lodge #28

    • Waterford Lodge used to be where the new Waterford Public Library is today

    • This was the second Time Waterford participated with Burlington Lodge

      • Waterford shared our Lodge for two to three years following their Building Fire in 1948 that destroyed their Lodge Original Building

  • Waterford Lodge History

    • Chartered June 9, 1858

    • First Meetings held on Second Floor of the Chapman Building (Corner of Main and River Streets)

    • Moved to the Palmer Building, Bryant Building, and then to the Temple in 1948

    • First Worshipful Master was Samuel E. Chapman

    • Distinguished Members:

      • Colonel Hans Christian Heg

        • Appointed by Governor Randall of Wisconsin and died after being wounded in a Civil War battle

      • Don Krueger - Past Grand Master of Wisconsin (1969)

        • Regalia hangs on our Wall in the Board Room

        • Scholarship bearing his name for Waterford High School

    • 138 Years as a Masonic Lodge

  • Restoration Part 2

    • In 1998 through 2000, through the generosity of our Members we renovated the 70 year old Building Kitchen, Lodge Room, Bathrooms, Boardrooms as well replaced all the Windows

    • In 1998 we also celebrated 150 years of the Wisconsin Statehood by providing supplies and labor for the restoration of a Civil War monument in the Burlington Cemetery

  • Other Important Charitable Mention

    • Burlington Lodge sponsored most of the first Defibulators with the Burlington Fire/Rescue, Surround Area Schools, and Churches

• Today

  • We continue to work hard to maintain and preserve the History and Legacy of our Building and Fraternity

    • In 2014, we were listed on the Historic Kane Street Registry

  • We have over 250 people today who are involved with our Masonic Family

    • If you are interested all you have to do is ask us. Thank you.