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At the meeting of the Grand Lodge in January, 1845, the dispensation of Evergreen Lodge was continued until the June meeting of that year, at which time a charter was granted and the Lodge numbered nine.

On the 24th day of the same month, St. John's Day, Brother Ebenezer Hall, then Deputy Grand Master, visited this Lodge and installed its officers, and from this time Evergreen Lodge, No. 9 was a fully equipped Lodge and in full fellowship with the Grand Lodge. For twenty years it continued to meet in the hall rented of Brother Brown, and in 1875 removed into another one rented from H. Whiting & Son, where it has continued to meet for the last twenty years.

The career of Evergreen Lodge was mainly an uneventful one until some time during the year 1887, when some internal dissensions began to manifest themselves. Complaints were made to Grand Master R. C. Hatheway, by several of the members, and after investigating the matter, he thought the proper course to pursue was to arrest the charter of the Lodge, which he accordingly did, and for a time this old Lodge was defunct. He at once gave a dispensation to a part of the old members and a new Lodge was formed.

At the next meeting of the Grand Lodge, in January, 1888, this matter came before the Grand Lodge, and after a thorough investigation and an exhaustive report from the Committee on Lodges, the new dispensation was revoked and the original charter was restored to the Lodge.

By this action Evergreen Lodge was restored to her former place on the roll of the Grand Lodge, and it has ever since been a harmonious and successful Lodge. Some of its members have achieved prominence in the state and nation. Among others, Brother J. R. Whiting was elected to congress and served his district with honor and ability for three terms.

Since this Lodge was organized two hundred and fifty-nine persons have received masonic light therein; two hundred and forty-three have been raised, one hundred and fifty-three received by affiliation and fifty-five of its members have died. The membership on January first, 1895, was eighty.

The following named brethren have served as Worshipful Master during the existence of this Lodge: Israel Carleton, Abram Bean, Simeon B. Brown, Joseph T. Copeland, William Cook, True P. Tucker, Andrew J. Cummings, George L. Cornell, David D. O'Dell, Joseph Stitt, Albert L. Padfield, Josiah H. Smith, James S. Harrington, Thomas J. Millikin, Eber Heman Deyoe, and William E. Hennessey.

ST. JOSEPH VALLEY LODGE, NO. 4,

NILES.

While the brethren of eastern Michigan were laboring to build up the recently organized Grand Lodge, those in the southwestern part of the state were working on a different line, and for what seemed to be good reasons and for the best interests of the fraternity, were organizing a Lodge under the authority of another Grand Lodge. In the early part of the year 1842, the brethren residing in the vicinity of the village of Niles, after fully discussing the matter, resolved upon the formation of a Lodge at that place. Application was made to the Grand Lodge of New York for a dispensation, and on the 8th day of June, 1842, the very day when the Michigan Grand Lodge was holding its second annual meeting, the dispensation was granted them by the Deputy Grand Master of New York, Brother William Willis. At this time General Morgan Lewis was Grand Master, but being nearly ninety years of age, the active duties of his office were largely performed by the Deputy Grand Master. This dispensation read as follows:

DISPENSATION.

By the RIGHT WORSHIPFUL DEPUTY GRAND MASTER of the RIGHT WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE of the STATE OF NEW YORK.

WHEREAS, it has been represented to me by petition, duly recommended, that a constitutional number of brethren are desirous of forming a new Lodge in the Town of Viles, in the County of Berrien, State of Michigan,

NOW THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM WILLIS, Deputy Grand Master aforesaid, Do by these presents appoint and authorize our Worthy Brother ROBERT E. WARD, to be MASTER, our Worthy Brother AUSTIN STOCKING to be Senior Warden; and our Worthy Brother JOHN F. PORTER to be Junior Warden, of a LODGE of MASTER MASONS to be formed and held at Niles aforesaid, by the name of St. Joseph Valley Lodge; and the said Master and Wardens are authorized and empowered to assemble upon proper and lawful occasions, and to make Masons, admit members, and to do and perform all and every such acts and things appertaining to the Craft as have been and ought to be done for the honor and advantage. thereof: and for so doing, this shall be their sufficient dispensation for six months from the date hereof, conforming, in all their proceedings, to the Constitution and general regulations of the Grand Lodge; otherwise the powers hereby granted are to cease and be of no further effect.

By the Deputy Grand Master

Given under my hand and seal at the City of New
York, this eighth day of June, A. D. 1842.
WM. WILLIS,

JAMES HERRING,

Grand Secretary.

Dy. Grand Master.

On the sixteenth of July, 1842, pursuant to a call issued by the Worshipful Master named in the dispensation, the following named. brethren assembled and were enrolled as members of this new Lodge:

R. E. Ward,

A. W. Harrison,

J. F. Porter,

Wm. H. McOmber,

Uriel Enos,

Ezekiel Redding,

J. R. Ridge,
Dougherty,
Andrew Wood,
Ephraim Huntley,
C. J. Ingersol,
Frederick Howe,

Jacob Beeson.

There were also present as visitors, eight brethren from St. Joseph Lodge of South Bend, Indiana, ten miles distant, and Brother Jacob. Silver, of Cass County, Michigan.

At this meeting, the Lodge was organized and the following officers installed:

Worshipful Master,

Senior Warden

Junior Warden,

Senior Deacon,

Robert E. Ward,
A. W. Harrison,
John F. Porter,
Uriel Enos,

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The name recorded, "Julius Brown," probably should have read "Jonathan Brown," who certainly became a member at about that time and was made Secretary six months later.

After the Lodge was regularly organized, the fee for the three degrees was fixed at fifteen dollars, payable in all cases, with the petition. Committees were appointed to secure hall and furniture and to prepare a code of By-Laws, and the meetings were appointed for every fourth Saturday at sunset. The first petition received by this Lodge was that of George R. L. Baker, it being presented at this first meeting.

An emergent communication was held three weeks later, August fifth, and the petition of Rufus W. Landon was received. Thus commenced the Masonic history of a brother who became one of the most prominent Masons of Michigan; whose record in Lodge and Grand Lodge was a long and honorable one, but which, alas, was eclipsed in the evening of his life, by acts, undoubtedly caused more by the force of circumstances than from any unworthy motive, but which dimmed. the lustre of an otherwise fair fame. May we remember him for his many virtues and his long years of faithful and zealous labors, and cover the errors of his declining years with the mantle of Masonic Charity. By-Laws were discussed from time to time, but not finally adopted until October 22d.

September 10th, Brother R. E. Ward sent a communication to the Lodge, resigning the office of Worshipful Master and withdrawing from the Lodge. His resignation was accepted and the Senior Warden performed the duties of Master for the remainder of the year.

On October 5th, 1842, the Michigan Grand Lodge, which was organized the preceding year, endeavored to make St. Joseph Valley Lodge unite with that body, and the following resolution was adopted:

Resolved, That the Grand Secretary be instructed to send to the Secretary of the said Lodge of Niles, a copy of the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Michigan and request them to surrender their dispensation and come under the jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge, and that a Committee consisting of Bros. Wm. Jones, Levi Cook

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and Jeremiah Moors be appointed to personally confer with said Lodge and remonstrate with them on the course they are now pursuing, and request them to submit to this jurisdiction; and that the said committee have power to report to the Grand Master, if, in their opinion, it should become necessary to call a special communication of the Grand Lodge in January next.

Nothing was effected by this effort to change the allegiance of St. Joseph Valley Lodge from New York to its own state, and at the meeting of the Lodge held on November first, the following was adopted:

Resolved, That the Secretary be requested to authorize and apply in behalf of this Lodge for a renewal of the dispensation heretofore granted to it, by the Grand Lodge of the State of New York, for the period of twelve months, and to transmit the proceedings of this Lodge and a copy of its By-Laws for the inspection of the Grand Lodge, and also that the W. M. of this Lodge be authorized to draw his warrant on the Treasurer for such amount of money due to the Grand Lodge as may be in the Treasury and it may be necessary to remit to the said Grand Lodge, and to remit the same to the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge.

In the following month, a renewal of the dispensation was received from the Deputy Grand Master Wm. Willis, of the New York Grand Lodge, of which the following is a copy:

BE IT KNOWN: That I, WILLIAM WILLIS, Deputy Grand Master of Masons of the State of New York, having granted a dispensation for a Lodge to be held at Niles, in the State of Michigan, to be known by the distinctive name or title of St. Joseph Valley Lodge, for the period of six months from the eighth day of June, A. L., 5842; and having received from said Lodge a report of their acts and doings under said dispensation, which exhibits a laudable zeal for Masonry on the part of the members of said Lodge. And although some things have been done not in accordance with the Constitution and Regulations of the Grand Lodge, yet there appears an earnest desire to do right, and I have full confidence to believe that the said Lodge will hereafter, on receiving instructions, avoid all irregularities. I have therefore granted, and do hereby grant a renewal of said dispensation, with all its powers and privileges, for the period of six months from this date, with the additional power and authority to select officers for the period, at the regular meeting in the present month; the said officers to act as the agents of the Grand Lodge during the time of their appointment, with the same powers as though they were severally named in the dispensation, but without the privileges of warranted officers. And I do hereby strictly enjoin upon each and every officer and member of St. Joseph Valley Lodge to conform to and support the Constitution of Masonry, and the Rules and Regulations of the Grand Lodge of the State of New York; to be watchful and careful of the portal of the institution intrusted to their care, that no improper candidate or visitor be permitted to enter; to beware of and discourage all dissensions, discord and strife; and to cultivate peace, friendship, brotherly-love, char

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