Clay Center Lodge #134 A.: F.: & A.: M.:

History Of The Clay Center lodge #134 A.: F.: & A.: M.:

The Grand Lodge of Kansas was Chartered March 17, 1856, five years before Kansas became a State.

The Ancient Order of Free and Accepted Masons, which is the oldest organization, is one of the few organazation of civilization, carrying wherever civilization leads their fraternizing influence value. As the Christian carries his religion, so does the traveling pioneer that carries his harmonizing principles and influence of his order in his wanderings and to his distant frontier home. Here the pioneers plant the seeds of their order which grow and spread to the good and advancement of the new country

Bethany Chapter No. 38, R. A. M - Organized in March, 1880. First officers: M. M. Miller, High Priest; W. H. Mize, K.; H. H. Taylor, S.; J. B. Hall, C. of H.; U. H. Emick, C. of G.; W. S. Beatty, P. S.; A. H. Neal, G. M., 3rd V.; E. H. Russell, G. M. 2nd V.; W. Roberts, G. M., 1st V.; A. J. Gabhart, Tyler. Membership in October 1882 about twenty-five.

Valley Lodge of Perfection No. 4, A. & C., Scottish Rite. - Was instituted June 25, 1880, with the following officers: M. M. Miller, V. M.; H. M. Frazier, S. W.; C. W. Lindner, J. W.; W. W. Walton, Orator; H. H. Taylor, A.; J. A. Moss, Sec.; Wm. Sharpe, Treas.; J. W. Miller, E.; S. Langworthy, A. E.; W. S. Beatty, M. of C.; U. H. Emick, C. of G.; W. P. Gates, Tyler. Membership in October, 1882, about fifteen.

.Foot note taken from http://www.kancoll.org/books/cutler/clay/clay-co-p3.html

KANSAS COLLECTION BOOKS

Clay Center Lodge No. 134, A., F. & A. M - Instituted April 1, 1872. It is now a large and flourishing society. First officers: C. M. Kellog, W. M.; J. W. Smith, S. W.; F. M. Coffell, J. W.; J. B. McLaughlin, Treas.; M. M. Miller, Sec,; J. W. Johnston, S. D.; A. J. Pinkerton, J. D.
The Clay Center Lodge #134 A .: F.: & A.: M.: was organized under a letter of dispensation on July 19 1872. They met over the Gollober and Kuhnle's store at the corner of Fourth Street and Lincoln Avenue.
The Clay Center Lodge #134 A .: F.: & A .: M .: received it's Grand Lodge charter on October 16,1873. They met at Taylor's Hall that was located on the North side of Lincoln Avenue between Fourth and Fifth Street.
December 5th 1873 a rental contract was made with the Clay Center Lodge #134 and the No.115, I.O.O.F. to use the same hall until the completion of the Masonic Temple in 1913 The lease was only 3 years in which they moved to Col. Miller Building on the north side of the court house square.
January 1903 the lodge purchased what was known as Dunable Property on the north side of Lincoln Avenue between Fourth and Fifth Street and moved into it in January 1904.
March 5, 1912 a motion was made to build a Masonic Temple on the Dunable property they already owned. The lodge moved temporary to G.A.R. hall on the north side of the courthouse square.
The corner stone of the lodge was laid on September 28 1912 on Lincoln Avenue in Clay Center Kansas.
December 1912 the lodge moved into the new I.O.O.F. Hall and remained there till the completion of the lodge in March 1913.

On October 13, 1948 the lodge observered its 75th anniversary under the charter. This was held in the city Hall auditorium for the public.

About midnight on March 3, 1971 a fire of undetermined origin was discovered in the building and during the early morning of March 4, 1971 the temple and all it contents was destroyed. All that remained was the shell of standing walls and remaining ruins in the basement.

Several new sites were considered. But due to excessive land price and high building cost in the downtown fire zone area. It was necessary to find another site. The site of 7th and Franklin Street was purchased and the new lodge was thus built.

On July 1, 1972 the cornerstone ceremonies ere conducted by M.W. Grand Lodge of A.F.&A.M of Kansas. While the new lodge was being built, the lodge met at the Wakefield Lodge #396 A.F.&A.M. The Chapter and Commandery met in the former First National Bank Building.

The lodge was rebuilt at the present location at 2317 7th street.