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RICHMOND LODGE, NO. 57, A. F. AND A. M.

The first meeting, looking to the organization of this lodge, was held July 16, 1842. The date of dispensation, or by whom instituted, was not reported, and we have been unable to ascertain. Its charter is dated October 12, 1842; and the names of the charter members are as follows: Charles R. Morehead, Sinclair Miller, David Bullock, Caleb Tompkins, John Jackson, William Hudgins, James H. Smith, Charles V. Hern, Austin A. King, J. C. Richardson, and Wm. Berry. Of the above named charter members, only the last named is now (April, 1881), living.

Among the first officers were the following, viz: Charles R. Morehead, W. M.; David Bullock, S. W.; and Sinclair Miller, J. W.

The present officers are: W. A. Holman, W. M.; George W. Trigg, S. W.; William Fitch, J. W.; W. W. Ewing, secretary; S. R. Crispin, treasurer; J. W. Smith, S. D.; W. A. Williams, J. D., and John G. Ballard, tiler.

R. B. Kice, of this lodge, is district deputy grand master, and also district lecturer.

The members of this lodge owned a well furnished and commodious hall, which, together with all their books, jewels, regalia, furniture, etc., was destroyed by a cyclone, June 1, 1878.

Since the organization of Richmond lodge, over 600 persons have become members thereof.

CYRUS ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER, NO. 36, RICHMOND, MISSOURI. This chapter was instituted by James Clowdsley; organized September 14, 1867, and a charter granted October 14, 1868.

The following are the names of the charter members: John F. Houston, David Snowden, J. H. Anderson, R. B. Kice, B. F. Gray, John T. Quirk, M. H. Allison, D. P. Proctor, William D. Albright, and D. D. Gant.

Names of first officers: John F. Houston, H. P.; David Snowden, E. K.; J. H. Anderson, E. S.; R. B. Kice, C. H.; B. F. Gray, P. S.

Names of present officers: Lewis Slaughter, H. P.; S. R. Crispin, E. K.; A. A. McCuistion, E. S.; R. B. Kice, C. H.; J. W. Smith, P. S.; J. C. Brown, secretary.

The number of present membership is fifty, and the chapter is in a flourishing condition.

The Hon. John F. Houston, who was a member of this chapter, was elected grand master of the grand lodge of Missouri, for the years 1864, '65 and '66. He died of paralysis in St. Louis, December 7, 1870. His remains are interred in the new cemetery at Richmond. Over his grave the Masons of Missouri have erected a costly and beautiful monument.

Mr. Houston was a man of broad charity, great heart, and untarnished character, and dying, left a name to go down to posterity, pure and spotless and bright, and revered by all who knew him living, or read his history, now that he is dead.

HARDIN LODGE, NO. 322, A. F. AND A. M.,

was instituted by James E. Drake, W. M., of Wakanda Lodge, No. 52, D. G. L. Dispensation to establish this lodge was granted July 21, 1869, and its charter bears date October 12, of the same year. William R. Hunt, W. C. Riffe, S. R. Crispin, D. W. Trigg, L. C. Rhinehart, A. L. Bailey, James E. Johnston and Robert Livingston are the charter members.

The following persons were the first officers: Robert Livingston, W. M.; William R. Hunt, S. W.; W. C. Riffe, J. W.; S. R. Crispin, treasurer; D. W. Trigg, secretary; L. C. Rhinehart, S. D.; A. L. Bailey, J. D.; James E. Johnston, tiler.

Names of present officers: G. P. Long, W. M.; R. V. Seward, S. W.; A. A. Thompson, J. W.; A. N. Barrett, treasurer; W. J. Roach, secretary; John Tobin, S. D.; P. C. Smallwood, J. D.; W. R. Meador and G. B. Hinman, stewards; J. B. Proctor, tiler.

This lodge is in a prosperous and healthy condition, morally and financially, and has a membership of thirty-seven.

MYRTLE LODGE NO. 338, A. F. AND A. M.

This lodge is located at Millville, and was instituted by Elias Parrott, D. D. G. M. Date of dispensation, October 12, 1869; date of charter, October 13, 1870.

Following is a complete list of the charter members: Joseph F. Duvall, R. S. Thomson, William M. McCuistion, Caleb Witcher, Silas Keith, A. A. McCuistion, George W. McCuistion, George W. Lozier, J. M. Carter, John Harrison, S. L. McCuistion, Ambrose Young, John Schooler, S. S. Young, Kedar Wall, J. G. Williams, William Burnett, and A. R. Campbell.

The names of the first officers are as follows: Joseph F. Duvall, W. M.; R. S. Thomson, S. W.; William McCuistion, J. W.; Kedar Wall, treasurer; A. A. McCuistion, secretary; J. M. Carter, S. D.; S. S. Young, J. D.; S. L. McCuistion, tiler.

The lodge is officered at present (1881), as follows: J. M. Carter, W. M.; G. W. McCuistion, S. W.; J. F. Duvall, J. W.; Kedar Wall, treasurer; S. S. Young, secretary; R. C. Craven, S. D.; J. P. Grimes, J. D.; R. W. Fletcher, tiler; W. R. Pettus, chaplain; J. N. Graves and George W. Lozier, stewards.

The number of present membership is forty-eight.

The members of this lodge erected in 1869 a very handsome frame

hall, at a cost of $1,800. This building, together with the furniture, jewels, regalia, etc., belonging to the lodge, was destroyed by fire March 12, 1878. The insurance of $1,000 was realized, and the hall was rebuilt the same year, and dedicated May 3, 1879.

BEE HIVE LODGE, NO. 393, a. F. AND A. M.

This lodge, located in the town of Lawson, Polk township, was instituted by Dr. R. B. Kice, of Richmond. Dispensation was granted December 8, 1870, and its charter is dated October 13, 1871.

The charter members were: Robert H. Finch, W. C. Halstead, A. C. Peterman, B. F. Elston, Francis Brock, W. H. Stockard, James Whitsett, R. J. Clark, R. S. Morrow, Alexander Taggart, W. W. Smith, G. W. James, John Crowley, Jere Whitsett, W. C. James, Joel Eastin, D. B. Palmer, Milton Piercy, and others.

The first officers were: Robert H. Finch, W. M.; W. C. Halstead, S. W.; Allen C. Peterman, J. W.; John Crowley, treasurer; R. J. Clark, secretary; G. W. Montgomery, S. D.; James Morrow, J. D.; Francis Brock, tiler.

The present (1881) officers are: W. M. Allison, W. M.; James Morrow, S. W.; J. T. Hurt, J. W.; J. C. Weakly, secretary; Joseph Rippey, treasurer; J. H. Whitsett, tiler.

Bee Hive Lodge has, at present, forty-seven members, and owns a commodious frame hall, built in 1870, at a cost of two thousand dollars. ADA LODGE, NO. 444, A. F. AND A. M.

For the facts concerning this lodge, we are indebted to Captain R. H. McWhorter, its secretary-an obliging gentleman, who called at our office, in Richmond, to impart the information desired.

Ada Lodge building, a handsome frame, erected in 1872, at a cost of $1,000, is in the town of Orrick, Camden township.

The lodge was instituted by Honorable Samuel J. Owens, grand master of grand lodge of Missouri. Dispensation was granted February 24, 1872, and its charter is dated the 16th of the following October.

The following persons were the charter members: J. W. Bain, J. J. Seth, E. M. Endsley, J. F. Pigg, M. G. Taylor, Joel T. Petty, Z. D. Ralph, and W. H. Campbell.

The first officers were: J. W. Bain, W. M.; M. G. Taylor, S. W.; J. J. Seth, J. W.; E. M. Endsley, treasurer; W. H. Campbell, secretary; J. F. Pigg, S. D.; Z. D. Ralph, J. D.; J. H. Petty, tiler.

The present officers are: M. G. Taylor, W. M.; H. C. Purdue, S. W.; T. K. Kirkpatrick, J. W.; A. D. Brasher, treasurer; R. H. McWhorter, secretary; T. J. Leak, S. D.; Rial Creason, J. D.; N. B. Pigg and Absalom Cruse, stewards, and J. G. Herring, tiler.

Ada Lodge has forty members, and is in a flourishing condition, free from debt, with $300 in the treasury.

RICHMOND LODGE, NO. 208, I. O. O. F.

This lodge was instituted by G. W. McKeon, of Lexington, Missouri. A dispensation was granted in January, 1869, and its charter is dated May of the same year. The following are the names of the charter members: W. W. Orrick, J. T. Child, J. W. Harrison, C. S. W. Taylor, Joseph Robb, F. M. Ball, William Carlyle, John Q. Word and William Crouch.

The following persons constituted the first officers, viz: W. W. Orrick, N. G.; John Q. Word, V. G.; William Carlyle, treasurer; J. T. Child, secretary.

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Names of present officers: J. W. Harrison, N. G.; H. P. Grow, V. G.; John C. Bales, treasurer; B. Wigginton, secretary.

The lodge at present, April, 1881, has thirty-six members. It is in good working order, and all the members take a lively interest in its prosperity.

LODGE NO. 205, I. O. G. T., MILLVILLE.

Instituted by John Y. Nesbit. Chartered March 20, 1879.

Names of charter members: J. M. Carter, Mrs. J. L. Head, J. L. Meffert, J. P. Grimes, Ida B. Carter, Jere Wilson, Lizzie Carter, Allen Thomson, Patty Bullock, C. C. Schooler, Dora Fowler, Susan Grimes, Edward Bullock, Edward Boliver, E. M. Carter, and others.

First officers: J. M. Carter, W. C. T.; Mrs. J. L. Head, W. V. T.; J. L. Meffert, chaplain; J. P. Grimes, secretary.

NEWSPAPERS OF RAY COUNTY, AND EXTRACTS. Colonel James W. Black was the founder of the first newspaper published in Ray county. It was called the Richmond Herald, and the first issue thereof was presented to the public, Wednesday, March 17, 1852.It was an attractive twenty-eight column sheet, form seventeen by twentytwo inches, published weekly.

The following little poem, written by "Ada" (Miss Pauline J. De Masters), is inserted, because appropriate and for its own sake:

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HERALD! bright messenger, welcome art thou,

Truth, purity, shine on thy beautiful brow;
We bid thee God-speed in this fair land of ours;

We list to thy voice in our loneliest hours.

Bright hopes are awakened and sweet dreams inspired,
The muse is invoked and our dull hearts are fired,
As we hearken the sound of thy silvery tone—
Where thou art a visitor, none are alone.

HERALD! thou star of first magnitude bright,
Thy beams will illumine the dark brow of night;
We see thee arising in beauty and power,
Amid thy competitors proudly to tower.

On the wild western border is a banner unfurled,
And bravely it floats o'er a wondering world:
Truth, beauty and wisdom are strongly combined
On that banner where virtue and love are entwined.

Then, HERALD, arise, let thy proud voice be heard,
As the heart-thrilling tones of our "Liberty bird,"
Careering all brightly toward the blue skies,

And bathing his pinions in sunlight's deep dyes.
I see thee! I see thee! in beauty and power,

Breathing peace o'er each wild-wood and beautiful bower;
"Onward and upward," and holy and free,

Ever bright and untarnished thy future shall be.

Col. Black continued at the head of the Herald, as editor and proprietor, till September, 1852, when he sold it to John B. Stoops and Frank Stutzman.

In the spring of 1853, Stoops & Stutzman sold the paper to Rober Miller, Esq., of Clay county, Missouri. Thomas Smith became the publisher and the name of the paper was changed to the Richmond Mirror. In 1857 it was sold by Robert Miller to Messrs. John Gwinne and John W. Griffin. The latter gentleman became the sole proprietor in 1858, and continued the publication of the Mirror until 1859, when it was sold, and consolidated with the Richmond Bulletin, a newspaper published only a short time in the year 1859, in Richmond, by Edward L. King, Esq.

Taking the name of the Northwest Conservator, it was published by Richard M. Hubbell & Co., till 1861. In that year it was sold to Christopher T. Garner, who conducted the paper till 1864, when it was sold to Hawkins & O'Gorman. In 1865, O'Gorman sold his interest in the paper to Richard M. Hubbell, and the firm name of the proprietors became Hawkins & Hubbell.

In 1866, Hawkins & Hubbell sold the Northwest Conservator to Col. Jacob T. Child, who substituted "Richmond" for "Northwest," and the name of the paper became the Richmond Conservator, and under that name it is still-April, 1881-edited, owned and operated by Col. Child, who has greatly improved the paper by the addition to his office of a new power press, modern machinery for job work, and a large amount of type, fixtures, etc. His printing establishment is one of the best equipped and appointed of any of its class in the state. The paper is democratic in politics; is ably and impartially edited, and to the prosperity, amusement, and instruction of the people of Ray county, the Richmond Conservator is a sine qua non.

The first number of the Missouri Freeman was published in Richmond,

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