John Clark was born at Bath, Maine, on the 29th of July, 1797. On account of ill health, at an early age, he made the trip to Europe, and on his return engaged in business in his native state, where he remained until 1830, when he removed to Michigan, where he has since resided, making his home at East China, in the County of St. Clair, where he resided until his death.

He early adopted as his religious faith the tenets of the Baptist Church, of which he lived and died a faithful member. As a citizen, he was first and foremost in all good works, enjoying the confidence of the people, whom he had served in both branches of our State Legislature and in the conventions which formed our first and present State Constitutions, in every position to which he was called doing his whole duty with unbending fidelity. But it is more particularly with his Masonic life that we have to do, for here we knew and appreciated him.

At the age of 23 he joined our Order, and received his first lessons from the great teacher of Masonry, Bro. Thomas Smith Webb, and often at our annual re-unions, our venerable frater would refer to those teachings and their good and lasting impressions. He was a zealous student of our mystic art, seeing in all its sublime symbols lessons to guide in the journey of life, but it was the Templar branches. of Masonry that most attracted his attention, and the furtherance of which was the great object of his life; it was his special study, and the practice of its rites and ceremonies his greatest pleasure.

We are unable to give his Knightly history further back than at the first Annual Conclave in June, 1858, of our Grand Commandery. He was a petitioner for a Commandery at St. Clair, which petition was granted, and he was chosen first Commander, which position in that, and subsequently in "John Clark Commandery," he held to the time of his death. At this Annual Conclave he was elected Grand Junior Warden; in 1859, Grand Captain General; in 1860, Grand Generalissimo; in 1861, Deputy Grand Commander, and in 1862 he was elected Grand Commander. He was present at every Annual Conclave of the Grand Commandery, taking an active part in all its transactions, and it was his frequent boast that next to his God and family he loved and worshiped Templar Masonry.

ADMINISTRATION OF J. EASTMAN JOHNSON.

GRAND MASTER 1863.

The subject of this sketch was born at Alstead, New Hampshire, in 1805. He was educated at Union College; taught in Kinderhook Academy; studied law and was admitted to the bar at Buffalo, New York, in 1833. He moved to St. Joseph County, Michigan, in 1836. Served as Prosecuting Attorney of said county six years, and as Judge of Probate twelve years. He was regent of the University of Michigan twelve years and Presidential Elector in 1834. Mainly through his efforts and influence, the law authorizing the incorporation of Mutual Fire Insurance Companies in this state was enacted, and he was largely instrumental in organizing at least two Insurance Companies now in successful operation.

As a Mason he was no less prominent and efficient. A pioneer in civilization, he was also one of the advance guards of Freemasonry. We have no record of his initiation into Masonry, but from the records of Mt. Hermon Lodge, No. 24, of Centreville, Michigan, we learn that he was Secretary of the first assemblage of Master Masons ever held in that part of the state. The records, which are in the handwriting of Brother Johnson, recite that "a meeting of Master Masons was held in Odd Fellows' hall in Centreville, April 10th, 1843, for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety and expendiency of procuring the organization and establishment of a Lodge of Master Masons at Centreville, St. Joseph County, Michigan." Brother Johnson served as Secretary of Mt. Hermon Lodge two years. Oct. 7, 1857, he dimitted from Mt. Hermon Lodge for the purpose of organizing a new Lodge at White Pigeon in said county, where he then resided. He

served as W. M. of White Pigeon Lodge, No. 104, until 1860, when he was elected Judge of Probate and removed to Centreville, the county seat. At the annual meeting of this Grand Lodge in 1863, he was elected Most Worshipful Grand Master and served the craft with distinguished ability one year. As we can find no record of Brother Johnson having received the symbolic degrees of Masonry, so we can find no record of the place where, nor time when he received the Mark Master Mason's degree, but at the first meeting of Centreville Chapter No. 11, of Royal Arch Masons, held at Centreville, Michigan, November 30, 1852, he presented his petition, which recites that "The subscriber respectfully represents that he is a Mark Master Mason, etc.," from which we infer that he received the first four degrees of Masonry while still a young man in the State of New York and prior to the "Morgan, anti-masonic excitement."

Brother Johnson, together with Past Grand Master S. C. Coffinbury and Brother Louis A. Leland (all now deceased) were exalted to the degree of Royal Arch Mason in said Centreville Chapter, January 4, 1853. He was elected and served as High Priest of the Chapter for the year 1867, and remained an active member until June 6, 1881, when he withdrew for the purpose of joining the Chapter at Niles. He served 15 years as Grand Secretary and Chairman of the Committee on foreign correspondence of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Michigan.

He received the orders of Christian Knighthood in Detroit Commandery, No. 1, at Detroit, Michigan, and the 33d or highest degree of the Scottish rite in the Supreme Council for the Northern Jurisdiction of the United States. In 1844 he was united in marriage to Charity Bacon whose parents then resided in Hillsdale, Michigan. She proved to be a worthy companion of a most worthy man. One child only blessed their union, Mrs. Caroline Coleman, who now resides near Boston, Mass. He died at his home in Niles, March 14th, 1883. His funeral was held in Trinity church (of which he was Sr. Warden) in that city, March 18, and after the solemn ceremonies of our order at the grave, he was laid at rest in the state of his adoption where he had won so much honorable renown.

side.

His wife, who survived him but a short time, now sleeps by his
In many respects Brother Johnson was a model man. As hus-

band and father, he was devoted, affectionate and indulgent. As a citizen loyal and true. As a neighbor and friend, kind, generous and accommodating, rendering to every man his just due without distinc

tion.

As a public officer in the discharge of the various duties entrusted to his care, methodical, energetic and faithful. As a Christian Knight, courteous and gentle as becomes a Christian gentleman, but brave and courageous in the defence of what he believed to be right. His character was singularly free from what are denominated the small vices, and so far as his most intimate friends and associates could observe, he never by word or deed gave expression to an impure thought, and we think you will search the annals of this Grand Lodge in vain to find an example embodying more of Masonic virtues or less of human frailties. As Grand Secretary and Chairman of Committee on Foreign Correspondence in the Grand Chapter, his scholarly attainments were conspicuously prominent, and he was recognized as a leader among the Grand Secretaries of his time. His executive ability was more particularly manifested while discharging the duties of Grand Master, and by his dignified and courteous bearing while occupying that exalted position, he endeared himself to those who are now the older members of this Grand Lodge. Of him it may well be said that in youth he occupied his mind in the attainment of useful knowledge; in manhood, he applied his knowledge to the discharge of his various duties to God, his neighbor and himself; and in old age he enjoyed the happy reflections consequent on a well spent life and died in the hope of a glorious immortality. Truly his whole life was characterized by a desire for knowledge and a sincere wish of being servicable to his fellow creatures, and we point with pride to his character and hold it up before our fraternity as an example for their imitation.

During the year 1863 Grand Master Johnson gave dispensations for the formation of eight new lodges located at Bedford, Burk's Corners in Macomb County, Saranac, Hudson, Essex, Farmington, Redford, Dryden and Cooper.

The brethren of Jonesville, with great enterprise and public spirit, built a beautiful and commodious lodge room in the year 1863, and it was dedicated on December 29th, by Grand Master Johnson, and the occasion was made one of great importance to the members of Lafayette Lodge, and to the citizens of Jonesville.