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Good Templar’s Lodge
1865
11 14 FOUNDING OF
1972
-- -- CITY DIRECTORY
1972
The First Strawberry Festival of the season will be
given by the Good Templars, at their hall, in Cole’s block on Friday evening
the 14th inst. Very extensive arrangements having been made for a
pleasant and bountiful entertainment, we hope there will be a large attendance,
as we are sure all present will have a delightful time. Let us all
cheerfully give the good cause a helping hand and thus push it onward. WD
1979
11 19 THE FOURTEENTH ANNIVERSARY
We publish with much pleasure the following
interesting and well written sketch of Watertown Good
Templar’s Lodge, written by Miss Anna Shellcox, and read by her at the
Fourteenth Anniversary of the lodge, held last Friday evening, at Good
Templar’s Hall:
Watertown lodge No. 314 I.O.G.T., was organized by Miss
M. Emery in the M. E. church, November 14th, 1865, with a charter membership of
seventy-eight; among whom were Mr. and Mrs. C. P.Southwell.Mr. and Mrs. A .R. Moore,
Mrs. J. H. Sleeper, Mr. and Mrs. J. Hamlin, Rev. Mr. Grumley, Mrs. E. S.
Grumley, Mrs. C. H. Pryor, Milton Blanchard, Amelia Straw and Mr. and Mrs. W.
T. Moak. They met again on the evening
of November 17th, and the following officers were installed by Miss M. Emery.
W. C. T.—R. W. Seaman.
W. V. T.—Mrs. C. H. Pryor.
W. R. S.—T. B, Fowler.
W. F. S. — W. T. Moak.
W. T.—-Mrs. W. T. Moak.
W. C. —Rev. E. S. Grumley.
W. M.— Frank Hall.
W. G.—Emma Ford.
W. S.—Milton Blanchard,
W. A. S.—Mary Dennison,
W. D. M.—lda Cady.
W. R. 11. S.—E. L. Park.
W. L. H. S.—Amelia Straw.
P. W. C. T.—B W. Milam.
At the next regular meeting held November 24th, Otis
Hall, W. Jones and J. Reed were elected as trustees of the lodge, and the
Worthy Chief Templar appointed a finance committee, consisting of A. R. Moore,
J. F. Fuller and J. Hamlin. The meetings
continued to be held weekly in the M. E. Church until December 15th, 1565, when
they removed to Maldaner’s hall, and in August 1866 to J. W. Cole’s hall.
The rise of the Lodge was gradual; the books, at the
end of the first year, showing a membership in good standing of
ninety-six. In the beginning of the year
1860 the lodge attained its highest membership, under Lodge Deputy, H. S. Orton,
who labored faithfully for the cause of temperance in this city for about three
years, and until he removed from among us.
At this time we numbered 197 members, and paid a Grand Lodge tax of $25
per quarter.
After a few years of prosperity came a reaction. The membership gradually dwindled lower and
lower, and outsiders, as well as many of the members, predicted a shipwreck, so
to speak. Full one third of the few
remaining, fearing to be in the bark when it should sink, sought refuge in
unconditional withdrawals, leaving the faithful few to battle alone on the
tempestuous sea of adversity. During the
fall and winter of 1874 they numbered twenty five.
Scarcely enough attended the meetings to fill offices,
and for two quarters they were unable to pay the Grand Lodge tax. But still those noble, brave Good Templars
never thought of giving up their dear old charter. Week after week they met, and devised all
possible plans to keep their camp-fire from being extinguished.
Finally, their efforts were crowned with success. The lodge began to revive. New members came in, and many of the old ones
came back, when they saw it had braved the storm, and was no longer a sinking
craft.
Among those who battled so faithfully to preserve our
charter, were Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Rundlett, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Price, Mr. and
Mrs. Frank Eaton, Mr. and Mrs. N. A. Carpenter, Mr. and Mrs. James Forncrook.
Mrs. Kendall, and Mrs. Robbins.
When I say all honor to these faithful members, I but
echo the sentiment of every Good Templar.
On February 18th, 1876, about the time when the lodge began to show
unmistakable signs of returning prosperity, we took up quarters in the hall we
now occupy. From that time until now has
been an era of steady growth in our lodge.
We now number 150 members and our surroundings bespeak of prosperity to
all. The records of this lodge show an aggregate membership of 930, on which we
have paid a Grand Lodge tax of upward of $550.
The total loss has been 780 —116 of whom were suspended for non-payment
of dues, 187 have withdrawn from the order, 94 withdrew by card, 3 have died
and 50 been expelled for violating their obligation.
From among those hundreds of persons who have taken
our solemn pledge and obligation, very many have left our city and made for
themselves new homes in the further west, and elsewhere, many of whom are known
to have been the means instituting lodges in their new homes, and who are still
doing their utmost to swell the great wave of sentiment which is now so
perceptibly and universally felt; in favor of our reform.
Of the large number who have been suspended for
non-payment of dues, many are yet in our midst, keeping their pledge in so far
as personal abstinence is concerned, but (I would like to suggest to them)
violating daily, that portion of our obligation wherein we promised lifelong
fidelity to the order of Good Templars.
If one of these hear me tonight my exhortation to them
is “Wanderers! return. We will gladly
welcome you home! Of the number who have
been expelled for violation of pledge some have, passed to a drunkard’s grave,
and others still are following on. Oh!
Would some power might be given to us whereby we could reclaim all such and
restore them to our circle of unity,” never to go from it again “until death do
us sever."
Of the money we have paid into the Grand Lodge
treasury during these years, it may be safely said that it has helped the
mission [in] many waste places, and to make many sad hearts, happy, and many
dark homes bright with the Sunlight of total abstinence.
Of those remaining with us — their smiling faces and
joyous hearts tonight, on our Anniversary day, speak louder than words, of
their thankfulness that they have been kept steadfast. That we who comprise the membership in good
standing of Watertown Lodge No. 314 at this time are a jolly set, we will try
to convince you, before the evening’s festivities shall close.
The Watertown
News, 19 Nov 1879
History of
Watertown, Wisconsin