"From Whence Came You ..."
Freemasonry is a very old society, just how old, no one really knows. We can trace its evolution at least as far back as the mid-14th century to the London Mason's Company, the first trade guild of British operative masons. The earliest written records date to about 1390 AD, but beyond that, only legend.
These Masonic forebears of ours were builders, but they were not only hewers of stone and raisers of walls, but also architects, designers and engineers. They developed and perfected the Gothic school of architecture, and many of their beautiful cathedrals still stand in Europe and England, monuments to their skill in the builders' arts and sciences.
The earliest Masonic lodges were groups of these craftsmen who had been assembled to work on these structures, which required many years to complete. They worked and lived with their families on the site, until work was finished. The early Masonic Hall or Temple was often a sort of "lean-to" type of temporary structure built against the wall of the building under construction, and in which they ate, worked and conducted their business.
Early in the 17th century, a practice sprung up in some of the Mason's lodges, of accepting into their society, members of the nobility or distinguished members of the community. With the Protestant reformation, cathedral building declined to a great extent. The honorary or "accepted" masons gradually became more numerous as the number of operative masons grew smaller. Over the years, the old operative masonry evolved from an association of builders into the moral and philosophical fraternity we call "speculative" masonry today. It still uses the working tools and follows many of the customs and practices of the builders, but in a symbolic sense.
In 1717, four old masons lodges in London, met and formed the first Grand lodge, and in doing so, laid the groundwork for the type of organization in use to this day. 1717 is generally considered to be the point at which masonry became speculative in nature.
In the years that followed, Masonry's popularity grew, and many new lodges were chartered. Grand Lodges were formed in Scotland and Ireland, and a second one in England. As might be expected, Masonry spread to the American colonies. Masons from the old countries migrated there, and a practice followed by the Grand Lodges of England, Scotland and Ireland, of chartering lodges in regiments of the British army, helped to bring Masonry to America as these regiments were brought over for extended service in the colonies.
The Grand Lodge of England established a Provincial Grand Lodge in Boston in 1733, which proceeded to charter a number of lodges in the New England colonies. One of these was at Falmouth in the District of Maine, which is now Portland Lodge No. 1, chartered in 1769. Scotland later established a Provincial Grand Lodge in Boston, from which Warren Lodge No. 2 of Machias received its charter in 1778.
The Revolutionary War brought about the establishment of independent Grand Lodges in the American States. Maine, then being a District of Massachusetts, became a part of that Grand Lodge. In the years following the close of the War, numerous lodges were formed, and by 1820 when Maine became a separate State, there were 31 lodges within its boundaries.
These lodges met and formed the Grand Lodge of Maine in 1820, and elected Governor William King as its first Grand Master. For the next few years, it prospered greatly, chartering 27 new lodges by 1828.
Then came the so-called "Morgan Affair" in which one William Morgan disappeared from Batavia, New York and was claimed by those opposed to Masonry, to have been murdered by the Masons for revealing its secrets. Manipulated by politicians, it caused a wide spread anti-masonic hysteria which dealt Masonry a blow from which it did not recover for years. Persecution of Masons was the rule of the day, and Maine Masons suffered along with those of sister jurisdictions. It was not until the mid-1840's that the furor died down and Masonry could resume its progress.
Maine was able to make up for the bad years however, and between 1848 and 1859, thirty eight new lodges were chartered, and we find Eureka No. 84 among six which received their charters in 1856.
Prologue
"The Time-One hundred twenty five years ago when Eureka Lodge first appeared upon the scene, the newspapers were filled with the news of the Crimean War and the heavy casualties suffered by the Allies at Sevastopol. The California gold rush was still on, and passage to the west coast via Nicaragua was being advertised. Santa Ana's abdication was rumored and riots were going on in Mexico City. A new state to be called Michigan was considered likely to be formed soon, and the Rockland Courier contained front page stories about the slavery question in Kansas and Nebraska. Also featured was a report of a battle at Sand Hills between U.S. troops and a party of Sioux Indians who had massacred Major Grattan's command and murdered the mail party.
Nearer home, a petition to form a new county had been sent to the Maine legislature, with the Town of St. George as one of its signatories. Thomaston was expected to launch 9000 tons of shipping in 1855, and it was noted that during the last 40 years, Maine had constructed over 3/8 of all U.S. vessels launched. There were reports that there was a great scarcity of experienced seamen in New York and other ports. While normal wages were $20 per month, the men were insisting on large advances on their pay, and then often desert, so that shipowners have actually to pay on the average of about $60 per month for these men. A new steamer service was offered from Rockland to Boston and Lowell, Mass. for $1.00 per head. Competition was offered by the steamer Boston of the "Outside Line'', the steamer Daniel Webster of the "Inside Line", and by the steamers Penobscot and Kennebec.
...and Place"
The Town of St. George lies on the extreme southern part of Knox County in mid-coast Maine. It embraces the larger part of a long and broad peninsula formed by the St. George (Georges) River on the west and the Atlantic ocean on the east. The Town is bounded on the north by South Thomaston. Area is 11,026 acres, and includes Hupper's, Mosquito, Clark, Burnt, Allen's, Metinic, Whitehead and other islands which form part of the Town. Formerly a part of Cushing, St. George was set off and incorporated in 1803. The surface of the Town is quite uneven, but there are no high hills or deep valleys. The woods are chiefly spruce and the soil largely clay loam.
The population was 2217 in 1850, and by 1860, was approximately 2700. The Town of St. George includes the villages of Port Clyde, Turkey (now Glenmere), Martinsville, Tenants Harbor, Spruce Head, Clark Island and St. George, known locally as Wiley's Corner.
The "Chronicles of St. George" notes that "from approximately 1830 to 1890, the building of sailing vessels was an important industry in the Town, principally in Tenants Harbor...In all, about 70 vessels were built in the Town, and St. George vessels and seamen were to be found on all the seas...The 1855 tax list shows 12 brigs, 10 barques, 55 schooners, and four ships of over 1000 tons. The census shows 90 Master Mariners and 225 seamen".
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