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History
of Masonry in Texas
On 11 February 1828, Stephen
F. Austin called a meeting of Masons at San Felipe de Austin
for the purpose of petitioning the York Grand Lodge of Mexico
for a charter to form a lodge. Although the petition reached
Matamoros, and was to be forwarded to Mexico City, nothing
more was heard of it. By 1828 the ruling faction in Mexico
City feared that the liberal elements in Texas might attempt
to gain independence, and being aware of the political philosophies
of English-speaking Freemasons, the Mexican government outlawed
Freemasonry on 25 October of that year. The following year,
Austin called another meeting of Masons who, in an attempt
to alleviate the fears of the Mexican government, decided
it was "impolitic and imprudent, at this time, to form
Masonic lodges in Texas.
In March 1835, five Master Masons
met "in a little grove of peach or laurel" at the
town of Brazoria, "near a place known as General John
Austin's," and resolved to petition Grand Master John
H. Holland of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana asking for a dispensation
to form a lodge in Texas. Foremost among these five Masons
was Anson Jones who would later serve as Grand Master, and
as President of the Republic of Texas.
That charter, creating Holland
Lodge No. 36, was issued and signed on 27 January 1836. It
was given to John M. Allen of Louisiana Lodge No. 32 to carry
to Texas. Allen had been recruiting volunteers for the Texas
Army in New Orleans.
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