 |
 Seal of the Grand Lodge of Michigan | |
| Formation | 24 Jun 1826 |
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| Location |
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| Coordinates | 43°23′24″N84°40′00″W / 43.389892°N 84.666753°W |
Region | Michigan |
| Website | michiganmasons.org |
| Part of a series on |
| Freemasonry |
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The Grand Lodge of Michigan of Free and Accepted Masons, commonly known as Grand Lodge of Michigan, in tandem with the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Michigan govern the practice of regular Freemasonry in the state of Michigan.
The earliest documented Lodge west of the Allegheny Mountains was warranted in Detroit on April 27, 1764, by George Harison, Provincial Grand Master of the Provincial Grand Lodge of New York, with Lt. John Christie of the 2nd Battalion, 60th Royal American Foot Regiment as Worshipful Master. By 1772, there were at least three Lodges functioning at Detroit: Lodge No. 1 and two Irish Military Lodges, Nos. 299 and 378, warranted to Masons of the 10th Regiment, then stationed at Detroit. The next three Lodges warranted for work in Michigan were also started by members of the visiting military. These were Harmony Lodge in Detroit, St. John's Lodge No. 15 on the island of Mackinac and Zion Lodge No. 10 (now No. 1) warranted in 1794 for work in Detroit. [1]
In September 1817 Zion Lodge provided much needed support for the newly created University of Michigan. The idea first took shape in the minds of Augustus Woodward, a Mason and the first Judge of the Territorial Supreme Court; the Reverend John Monteith, a Presbyterian clergyman and Father Gabriel Richard, a Roman Catholic Priest. On September 15, Zion Lodge met and subscribed the sum of $250 in aid of the University of Michigan, payable in the sum of $50 per year. Of the total amount subscribed to start the University two-thirds came from Zion Lodge and its members. [2]
The members of Zion Lodge sponsored and supported additional Lodges in Upper Canada and Michigan including Detroit Lodge No. 337 (now No. 2), Oakland Lodge No. 343 in Pontiac, Menomenie Lodge No. 374 in Green Bay (then a part of the Territory) and Monroe Lodge No. 375 in Monroe. These five Lodges laid plans for a Grand Lodge in the Territory to handle the growing plans for Masonry in the area, and on 24 June 1826 a Grand Lodge for the Territory of Michigan was established in Detroit. There are 274 Lodges in the State of Michigan at the present time. [3]
List of past and current grand masters of the Grand Lodge of Michigan
| Grand Master | Year(s) Served | Death |
|---|---|---|
| Lewis Cass | 1826-1829 | June 17, 1866 |
| Leonard Weed | 1842 | June 30, 1848 |
| John Mullet | 1843-1845 | January 15, 1862 |
| Ebenezer Hall | 1846 | July 2, 1865 |
| E. Smith Lee | 1847-1848 | April 12, 1857 |
| Jeremiah Moors | 1849-1850 | July 6, 1854 |
| Henry T. Backus | 1851 –1853 | July 13, 1877 |
| George W. Peck | 1854-1855 | June 30, 1905 |
| George C. Monroe | 1856 | August 16, 1883 |
| Levi Cook | 1857 | December 2, 1866 |
| William M. Fenton | 1858 | November 12, 1871 |
| J. Adams Allen | 1859 | August 15, 1890 |
| William L. Greenly | 1860 | November 29, 1883 |
| Horace S. Roberts | 1861 | August 30, 1862 |
| Francis Darrow | 1862 | April 11, 1873 |
| J. Eastman Johnson | 1863 | March 14, 1883 |
| Lovell Moore | 1864 | November 24, 1882 |
| William T. Mitchell | 1865 | February 6, 1916 |
| Salathiel C. Coffinbury | 1866-1868 | September 20, 1889 |
| Abram T. Metcalf | 1869-1870 | October 8, 1916 |
| John W. Champlin | 1871 | July 24, 1901 |
| Henry Chamberlain | 1872 | February 9, 1907 |
| Hugh McCurdy | 1873 | July 16, 1908 |
| William L. Webber | 1874 | October 15, 1901 |
| George H. Durand | 1875 | July 8, 1903 |
| Matthew H. Maynard | 1876 | December 27, 1907 |
| William Dunham | 1877 | June 30, 1905 |
| John W. Finch | 1878 | April 4, 1906 |
| Daniel Striker | 1879 | April 12, 1898 |
| John W. McGrath | 1880 | December 9, 1905 |
| Oliver L. Spaulding | 1881 | July 30, 1922 |
| Alanson Partridge | 1882 | July 7, 1900 |
| Charles Fritz-Roy Bellows | 1883 | April 16, 1907 |
| Arthur M. Clark | 1884 | October 26, 1903 |
| James H. Farnum | 1885 | January 19, 1917 |
| Michael Shoemaker | 1886 | November 10, 1895 |
| Rufus C. Hatheway | 1887 | December 9, 1896 |
| William B. Wilson | 1888 | January 24, 1911 |
| W Irving Babcock | 1889 | March 31, 1908 |
| John S. Cross | 1890 | September 18, 1899 |
| John Q. Look | 1891 | October 22, 1920 |
| William P. Innes | 1892 | August 2, 1893 |
| George E. Dowling | 1893 | March 30, 1896 |
| William H. Philips | 1894 | February 13, 1906 |
| Edwin L. Bowering | 1895 | October 26, 1900 |
| John J. Carton | 1896 | August 26, 1934 |
| Lou B. Winsor | 1897 | November 8, 1936 |
| James Bradley | 1898 | February 6, 1914 |
| Frank T. Lodge | 1899 | December 10, 1930 |
| Lucien E. Wood | 1900 | June 5, 1916 |
| Frank O. Gilbert | 1901 | November 26, 1929 |
| Neal McMillan | 1902 | December 11, 1920 |
| Roscoe W. Broughton | 1903 | July 5, 1930 |
| Fletcher E. Turrell | 1904 | July 2, 1935 |
| John Rowson | 1905 | April 26, 1927 |
| Charles L. Stevens | 1906 | January 30, 1907 |
| Charles E. Sweet | 1907 | July 11, 1913 |
| Herbert Montague | 1908 | June 15, 1931 |
| Arthur M. Hume | 1909 | February 14, 1955 |
| G. Roscoe Swift | 1910 | July 12, 1944 |
| James E. Dillon | 1911 | December 24, 1927 |
| James H. Thompson | 1912 | December 19, 1943 |
| Francis D. Clark | 1913 | September 7, 1913 |
| William M. Perrett | 1914 | August 28, 1930 |
| George L. Lusk | 1915 | January 6, 1942 |
| John H. Hawks | 1916 | November 12, 1952 |
| Louis H. Fead | 1917 | February 4, 1943 |
| Hugh A. McPherson | 1918 | September 20, 1945 |
| Charles B. Eddy | 1919 | October 10, 1938 |
| Ira A. Beck | 1920 | August 19, 1947 |
| Robert P. Anderson | 1921 | May 14, 1932 |
| Clark W. MacKenzie | 1922 | February 11, 1967 |
| Charles A. Durand | 1923 | November 13, 1945 |
| Ben J. Henderson | 1924 | January 16, 1949 |
| Arthur J. Fox | 1925 | October 1, 1940 |
| Charles A. Donaldson | 1926 | September 10, 1951 |
| George W. Graves | 1927 | October 29, 1937 |
| F. Homer Newton | 1928 | April 18, 1966 |
| Roscoe O. Bonisteel | 1929 | February 25, 1972 |
| George B. Dolliver | 1930 | January 18, 1961 |
| Albert J. Young | 1931 | October 18, 1947 |
| Louis E. Anderson | 1932 | September 9, 1954 |
| George A. Ferguson | 1933 | September 22, 1959 |
| Frank S. Gould | 1934 | March 26, 1951 |
| Harvey A. Sherman | 1935 | October 10, 1949 |
| Neil E. Reid | 1936 | May 4, 1956 |
| William H. Parker | 1937 | February 2, 1955 |
| Wirt I. Savery | 1938 | January 24, 1939 |
| Francis B. Lambie | 1939 | August 5, 1962 |
| Charles T. Sherman | 1940 | July 12, 1970 |
| Dewey H. Hesse | 1941 | November 22, 1974 |
| Orie E. Brown | 1942 | June 19, 1955 |
| Albert A. Hughes | 1943 | January 21, 1949 |
| J. Kenneth Lyons | 1944 | October 29, 1948 |
| Roscoe J. Burch | 1945 | November 29, 1970 |
| Paul O. Strawhecker | 1946 | March 13, 1970 |
| Clarence A. Hooper | 1947 | March 28, 1983 |
| Hazen P. Cole | 1948 | October 26, 1954 |
| Hugh J. Johnston | 1949 | May 16, 1966 |
| Morgan J. Smead | 1950 | April 3, 1962 |
| Guy C. Powell | 1951 | August 28, 1980 |
| French C. Shell | 1952 | July 2, 1968 |
| Horace B. Whyte | 1953 | December 2, 1967 |
| Howard L. Taylor | 1954 | October 19, 1988 |
| Henry R. Ruusi | 1955 | November 17, 1995 |
| Francis M. Dodge | 1956 | May 1, 1993 |
| Raymond M. Douglas | 1957 | August 30, 1980 |
| Joseph L. Hunter | 1958 | November 12, 1979 |
| Rex P. Sackett | 1959 | August 20, 1983 |
| W. Wallace Kent | 1960 | May 28, 1973 |
| Willard Saur | 1961 | June 7, 1984 |
| Glenn L. Alt | 1962 | December 17, 1971 |
| Newton S. Bacon | 1963 | December 7, 1987 |
| C. Fuller Dorr | 1964 | January 26, 1997 |
| Percy H. Williams | 1965 | April 30, 1992 |
| Robert A. Hockstad | 1966 | January 16, 2011 |
| Ivan E. Addis | 1967 | September 21, 1972 |
| Milo E. Underhill | 1968 | May 16, 1995 |
| William H. Harmon | 1969 | October 22, 1977 |
| Charles Solmo | 1970 | October 20, 1973 |
| Raymond A. McPhee | 1971 | June 9, 2006 |
| Robert E. Lake | 1972 | March 15, 1986 |
| Wilfred E. Adams | 1973 | November 28, 1980 |
| Royce E. Curlis | 1974 | June 1, 1997 |
| John G. Polzin | 1975 | May 22, 2017 |
| Vincent A. Vatter | 1976 | August 9, 2000 |
| Ronald Schwartz | 1977 | September 29, 2010 |
| Holm A. Swenson | 1978 | April 14, 1985 |
| Charles S. Moulthrop Jr. | 1979 | May 15, 2013 |
| Robert N. Osborne | 1980 | June 14, 2008 |
| Carl C. Worfel | 1981 | January 21, 1998 |
| Robert W. Sanborn | 1982 | February 26, 2019 |
| Russell C. Wells | 1983 | December 6, 2020 |
| Henry A. Wilson | 1984 | N/A |
| Richard H. Sands | 1985 | January 22, 2024 |
| Ernest Hoffman, Jr. | 1986 | January 31, 2004 |
| Donald P. Heming | 1987 | July 23, 2002 |
| Kenneth Bolton | 1988 | N/A |
| Thomas C. Cross | 1989 | August 21, 2005 |
| Wayne E. Turton | 1990 | October 30, 2023 |
| William Skrepnek | 1991 | March 3, 2012 |
| Leonard R. Noechel | 1992 | February 5, 2002 |
| W. Don Baugher | 1993 | N/A |
| Donald L. Reno | 1994 | March 15, 2000 |
| Dale C. Edwards | 1995 | March 4, 2007 |
| Donald J. Van Kirk | 1996 | March 12, 2019 |
| Robert W. Stevens | 1997 | N/A |
| Douglas F. Hegyi | 1998 | August 18, 2023 |
| David H. Flucke | 1999 | May 27, 2018 |
| Robert P. Conley | 2000 | N/A |
| Paul N. Cross | 2001 | N/A |
| David R. Bedwell | 2002 | July 17, 2016 |
| Lary R. Smith | 2003 | N/A |
| Robert G. Helmic | 2004 | N/A |
| Richard P. Ruhland | 2005 | N/A |
| Walter F. Wheeler | 2006 | N/A |
| Ira S. Slaven | 2007 | August 17, 2023 |
| Michael J. Jungel | 2008 | N/A |
| Donald L. Carman | 2009 | N/A |
| Frank T. Praria | 2010 | N/A |
| Frederick E. Kaiser Jr. | 2011 | N/A |
| Dean A. Barr | 2012 | N/A |
| Raymond C. Lemons | 2013 | N/A |
| William E. LeVeque | 2014 | N/A |
| Richard D. Wisley | 2015 | November 3, 2023 |
| William R. Finkel | 2016 | N/A |
| Joshua M. Woodwyk | 2017 | N/A |
| David M. Hill | 2018 | N/A |
| Mark A. Manning | 2019 | N/A |
| Craig H. Maison | 2020 | N/A |
| Larry A. Inscho | 2021 | N/A |
| Leonard K. Davis | 2022 | N/A |
| Larry L. Judson | 2023 | N/A |
| Eugene E. Abbaticchio | 2024 | N/A |
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 14th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities and clients. Many Freemasons trace the roots of the craft further back in history, accepting the Knights Templar as the conduit between the ancient mysteries and the beginnings of operative and speculative Freemasonry. Modern Freemasonry broadly consists of two main recognition groups: Regular Freemasonry, which insists that a volume of scripture be open in a working lodge, that every member professes belief in a Supreme Being, that no women be admitted, and that the discussion of religion and politics do not take place within the lodge; and Continental Freemasonry, which consists of the jurisdictions that have removed some, or all, of these restrictions.
A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered by a Grand Lodge, but is subject to its direction only in enforcing the published constitution of the jurisdiction. By exception the three surviving lodges that formed the world's first known grand lodge in London have the unique privilege to operate as time immemorial, i.e., without such warrant; only one other lodge operates without a warrant – the Grand Stewards' Lodge in London, although it is not also entitled to the "time immemorial" title. A Freemason is generally entitled to visit any lodge in any jurisdiction in amity with his own. In some jurisdictions this privilege is restricted to Master Masons. He is first usually required to check, and certify, the regularity of the relationship of the Lodge – and be able to satisfy that Lodge of his regularity of membership. Freemasons gather together as a Lodge to work the three basic Degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason.
The history of Freemasonry encompasses the origins, evolution and defining events of the fraternal organisation known as Freemasonry. It covers three phases. Firstly, the emergence of organised lodges of operative masons during the Middle Ages, then the admission of lay members as "accepted" or "speculative" masons, and finally the evolution of purely speculative lodges, and the emergence of Grand Lodges to govern them. The watershed in this process is generally taken to be the formation of the first Grand Lodge in London in 1717. The two difficulties facing historians are the paucity of written material, even down to the 19th century, and the misinformation generated by masons and non-masons alike from the earliest years.
The Swedish Rite is a variation or Rite of Freemasonry that is common in Scandinavian countries and to a limited extent in Germany. It is different from other branches of Freemasonry in that, rather than having the three self-contained foundation degrees and seemingly-endless side degrees and appendant bodies, it has an integrated system with ten degrees. It is also different in that, rather than moving through the offices or 'chairs', progress in the Swedish Rite is based on moving through the ten degrees. A fundamental difference is the Swedish Rite's position on religious affiliation: Anglo/American 'Regular' Masonry requires a belief in any theistic religion and Continental 'Liberal' Masonry does not require belief in any religion, whereas Swedish Masonry is specifically Christian, and requires a Christian trinitarian belief in all its members. Nonetheless, the main Swedish Rite constitutions are all recognised as regular by the United Grand Lodge of England, and stand in full amity.
The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the governing Masonic lodge for the majority of freemasons in England, Wales, and the Commonwealth of Nations. Claiming descent from the Masonic Grand Lodge formed 24 June 1717 at the Goose & Gridiron Tavern in London, it is considered to be the oldest Masonic Grand Lodge in the world, together with the Grand Lodge of Scotland, and the Grand Lodge of Ireland.
Prince Hall Freemasonry is a branch of North American Freemasonry for African Americans founded by Prince Hall on September 29, 1784. There are two main branches of Prince Hall Freemasonry: the independent State Prince Hall Grand Lodges, most of which are recognized by State grand lodges, and those under the jurisdiction of the National Grand Lodge. Prince Hall Freemasonry is the oldest and largest predominantly African-American fraternity in the United States.
The Grand Lodge of Ireland is the second most senior Grand Lodge of Freemasons in the world, and the oldest in continuous existence. Since no specific record of its foundation exists, 1725 is the year celebrated in Grand Lodge anniversaries, as the oldest reference to Grand Lodge of Ireland comes from the Dublin Weekly Journal of 26 June 1725. This describes a meeting of the Grand Lodge to install the new Grand Master, The 1st Earl of Rosse, on 24 June. The Grand Lodge has regular Masonic jurisdiction over 13 Provincial Grand Lodges covering all the Freemasons of the island of Ireland, and another 11 provinces worldwide.
The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, commonly referred to as the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and abbreviated GLMA, is the main governing body of Freemasonry within Massachusetts, and maintains Lodges in other jurisdictions overseas, namely Panama, Chile, the People's Republic of China, and Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba.
The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, officially The Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdictions Thereunto Belonging, sometimes referred to as Freemasons of Pennsylvania, is the premier masonic organization in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Grand Lodge claims to be the oldest in the United States, and the third-oldest in the world after England and Ireland, having been originally established as the Provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in 1731. This claim is disputed by both the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and the Grand Lodge of Virginia.
Freemasonry in Sweden was introduced by the Swedish Order of Freemasons, founded in 1735 as the oldest still active Swedish fraternal order, working the Swedish Rite of Freemasonry. It is under royal patronage of the King of Sweden and closely associated with the Lutheran Church of Sweden. It is a jurisdiction that admits Christian men only, and is recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England as a Regular Masonic jurisdiction, being the only Regular Grand Lodge that admits a 34th informal Masonic Degree. Its total membership is about 16,500.
This is a chronology of the formation of "regular" or "mainstream" Masonic Grand Lodges in North America, descending from the Premier Grand Lodge of England or its rival, the Antient Grand Lodge of England. A Grand Lodge is the governing body that supervises "Craft" Freemasonry in a particular jurisdiction or geographical area.
Provincial Grand Master, sometimes called District Grand Master or Metropolitan Grand Master, is a fraternal office held by the head of a Provincial Grand Lodge, who is directly appointed by the organisation's Grand Master.
A Research lodge is a particular type of Masonic lodge which is devoted to Masonic research. It is a lodge, and as such has a charter from some Grand Lodge. However, it does not confer degrees, and restricts membership to Master Masons of some jurisdiction in amity with the jurisdiction that the research lodge is in. Related to research lodges are Masonic research societies, which serve the same purpose but function fundamentally differently. There are research lodges in most countries where Freemasonry exists.
The United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory is the main governing body of Freemasonry within the Australian state of New South Wales that also wholly encloses the Australian Capital Territory containing the national capital city, Canberra. It originated from the union in 1888 of the earlier 1849 provincial Grand Lodge under the United Grand Lodge of England and other district and provincial Grand Lodges of the Grand Lodge of Ireland and the Grand Lodge of Scotland.
The Grand Lodge of Ohio, formally known as the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio, is the governing body of the largest group of Masonic lodges in Ohio. The Grand Lodge of Ohio follows the Anglo-American tradition of Freemasonry that is common in the United States. In 2023, the Grand Lodge reported a total membership of 75,000 Master Masons.
The Grand Lodge of New Jersey Free & Accepted Masons is the official governing body of New Jersey Masonic Lodges as recognized by other Grand Jurisdictions throughout the world. As early as 1730, New Jersey was one of the first states with active Freemasonry. The Grand Lodge of NJ was formally established in 1787. The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of State of New Jersey and The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of New Jersey recognize each other as Masonic Grand Lodges.
Freemasonry in Germany started in several places during the second quarter of the Eighteenth century. After the extinction of the Rite of Strict Observance, which had a wide following and claimed Templar origins for its higher degrees, the several Grand Lodges in Germany defied all attempts at unification, although a largely ineffectual central organisation came into being with the unification of Germany. During the 1920s Freemasons were harassed alongside Jews by those taken in by the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and blamed for the German surrender of 1918. This culminated with the suppression of Freemasonry by the Nazis in 1935, with many Masons in Germany and occupied countries being executed or sent to concentration camps. Freemasonry returned to Germany after World War Two. A single central body now represents five "regular" Grand Lodges. Liberal, women's, and mixed lodges also exist.
African Lodge, No. 459 was the founding lodge of Prince Hall Freemasonry. It is the lodge from which all modern Prince Hall Lodges trace their descent.
Freemasonry in the United States is the history of Freemasonry as it was introduced from Britain and continues as a major secret society to the present day. It is a fraternal order that brings men together to gain friendship and opportunity for advancement and community progress. It has been nonpolitical except for a period around 1820 when it came under heavy attack in the Northeast. That attack reduced membership, but it recovered and grew after 1850. Growth ended in the late 20th century and membership has declined.
Zion Lodge No. 1 of Free and Accepted Masons, commonly known as Zion No. 1, is a Masonic lodge, or Blue Lodge, that confers the three degrees of Freemasonry, specifically: Entered Apprentice (EA), Fellowcraft (FC), and Master Masons (MM).
