MASONRY

Masonry in Richardson

Masonry in Richardson, Texas has existed since the chartering of Richardson Lodge No. 457 in 1876, up to the present time with the exception of years of 1892 to 1924 when there was not an active Lodge in Richardson. During this 32 year period the Masons of Richardson affiliated with other Lodges in and around Richardson, or simply went suspended. In 1924 a group of Richardson Masons petitioned the Grand lodge Of Texas, to form a new Lodge. This new Lodge was chartered in December of 1924, with the name of Richardson Lodge No. 1214. ¹

The first lodge of Richardson was Richardson Lodge No. 457 AF & AM. chartered 10 June 1876. The meetings were held on the first Saturday after the full moon every month at 2:00 p.m. The location was the second floor of the White and Stratton store. ²

In the first year, there were twenty members, and the officers were:

J. H. Fender – Worshipful Master, the first doctor in Richardson.

C. W. Skiles – Senior Warden, a farmer.

J. F. Rowland – Junior Warden, a farmer and member of the school board.

R. B. Howe – Secretary, a farmer. ³

Richardson was located just east of what is now Restland Cemetery in northeastern Dallas County. The original town was only one or two buildings and named Breckenridge, after the Vice President of the United States from 1857 to 1861. ⁴

When the Houston & Texas Central Railroad came to North Texas, it bypassed Breckenridge. So the town moved to its present location and was renamed after E. H. Richardson who built the railroad. The town was about four blocks east to west and four blocks north to south. It was laid out much as it is today with many of the same street names. ⁵

A roster of members of Richardson Lodge No. 457 reads as the list of founders of the City of Richardson.⁶ During the fifteen years the first lodge existed, James H. Fender served as Worshipful Master twelve times, Senior Warden twice, and Junior Warden once. W. M. Sebastian served as Worshipful Master twice and as Senior Deacon three times.⁷

The lodge ceased to exist on 15 May 1892 at about 3:00 a.m.. The building was struck by lightning from a severe electrical storm. Three buildings were lost during the storm, the White and Stratton Store, Dr. J. C. McMahan’s Storehouse and Drug Store and W. T. McKamy’s General Merchandising Store, which also included the Post Office. The Masonic Lodge lost all it owned including all the regalia, jewels, lodge minutes and Tiler’s registers. ⁸

Many of the town settlers were from the East and brought with them their memberships in the lodges from whence they came. Many of them affiliated with two of the lodges that were working in the area, Plano Lodge No. 235 AF & AM and White Rock Lodge No. 234 AF & AM. both of which were chartered on 15 June 1859. Both of these lodges met on the Saturday evening on or before the full moon, and were thus called “moon lodges.” Many of the present-day lodges in Texas were originally moon lodges. As travel became easier with the invention of lighting on the roads and highways, Lodges changed their by-laws, allowing meetings during the day or evening during the week. ⁹

Richardson Lodge No. 457 was formed in 1876 by Masons who lived in the area that desired to be more involved in their community. Several Postmasters and many postal employees were members as were farmers and merchants from the area.¹⁰

From 1876 to 1892, Richardson Lodge No. 457 initiated sixteen new members, conferred seven Fellowcraft degrees and raised six Master Masons. They had seventeen transfers from other lodges in the area. Six members from White Rock Lodge No. 234 and eleven members from Plano Lodge No. 235 affiliated with Richardson Lodge No. 457. They also sustained nine demits, one expulsion for un-Masonic behavior, three suspensions for non-payment of dues and rejected two men for membership and reinstated one member. There were six deaths of members. The degree fees set by the Grand Lodge was $1.00 for each of the first three degrees; the Grand Lodge Assessment was $0.60. ¹¹

Masonry ceased in Richardson when the Lodge burned on 15 May 1892 and all of the Lodge records were lost. Most of the members went suspended or moved to other lodges in the area. In 1923 a group of Masons who lived in the area in and around the city of Richardson petitioned the Grand Lodge of Texas for the formation of a lodge in Richardson, Texas. Many of them held memberships in lodges in the immediate area such as Plano Lodge No. 768, St. John’s Lodge No. 51 in McKinney, Garland Lodge No. 441, and Wiley Manning Lodge No. 702 in Pike. The authority to open a lodge under dispensation was granted by M.W. Gus A. Brandt, Grand Master of Masons in Texas on 28 February 1924. ¹²

A petition for a charter was sent to the Grand Master on 1 December 1924, and named

C. B. Reddick as Worshipful Master,

C. F. Hudgins as Senior Warden and

J. E. Jackson as Junior Warden. ¹³

Twenty-nine additional brothers signed the request. The Grand Lodge of Texas granted a charter to Richardson Lodge to be numbered No.1214 on 5 December 1924. ¹⁴

Richardson Lodge No. 1214 has had a very active membership in the community, as did the first lodge, No. 457. J. F Rowland, J. A. Stansell, C. H. Brewett, H. W. Green, S. P. Harben, G.. C. Huffines were all trustees of the school board. ¹⁵

Brother J. J. Pearce was elected Richardson School Superintendent in 1946 and served until 1976. In 1946, when he took the reins, there were 351 students and 16 teachers, with an annual budget of $300,000.00 and the property value was $81,000,000.00. In 1976 when he retired there were 37,000 students, 1881 teachers, 49 buildings, a planetarium and a TV station. Besides Brother Pearce, a number of teachers in recent years have been members of the Lodge. Past Master James B. Palmer, George Dailey, Richard Gilman and James S. McConnell were the most recent. ¹⁶

Richardson Lodge No. 1214 originally met on the second floor of Harben’s Printing Plant, which was located at 117 Main Street, in Richardson. At this time, the Lodge shared the second floor with the telephone exchange, which was located in the southwest corner of the building. This printing plant was the major industry in Richardson at the time. The building still stands today and is occupied by a private company with their offices on the second floor. The cement slab that supported the gasoline engine to run the presses is still in back of the building. On 10 April 1926, the Lodge laid the cornerstone for the building, but it was apparently covered up by a new building constructed on the corner adjoining the cornerstone. ¹⁷

Every Mason in the Richardson community was a charter member and all paid $50.00 to help defray the cost of jewels, secretary supplies and aprons. ¹⁸

In February 1933, the Worshipful Master appointed a committee to see if they could buy the building where the Odd Fellows Lodge met, which was in bank building located at 111 Main Street. They took up a collection among the brothers, in both cash and promises, for $710.00 to repair the building and bought it for $350.00. They held their first meeting in the new lodge room on 7 May 1933. ¹⁹

Both the Lodge and the bank owned half of this building. At the rear was an outside metal stairway to the second floor. The Lodge met there from 1933 to 1966 when it was moved to its present location on Lockwood. ²⁰

The Lodge on Main Street had no restrooms, but the businesses in the area built a block and brick restroom behind the building. It was split between women and men and the doors were locked at all times. This restroom was for the use of customers and patrons of the businesses that shared the expense of building it. This building still stands today. ²¹

In 1964, the Lodge voted to begin looking for a new building. The stairs of the old building were in need of repair as was the lodge room. The older brothers had a hard time climbing those stairs. ²²

The Lodge originally considered three lots on the southwest corner of Dorothy and Main (Beltline) facing Main Street. They drew up the plans for a 5,500 square foot building at a cost of about $58,000.00. They had an appraisal on the old building of $11,000.00 plus one-half interest in the land. ²³

In 1964, the city of Richardson advertised for bids on the Richardson Community Center on Lockwood. The Lodge building committee looked at the building. They stated that the Lodge could obtain the property and then modify it to meet their needs. The Lodge could save themselves about $20,000.00. A motion was made that the Lodge ask the members to donate $125.00 toward a building fund. As of August 1964, the building fund amounted to $22,457.62. The Lodge put in a bid of $36,269.09. ²⁴

The old building was re-appraised for $7,000.00 and the Odd Fellows made an offer of $5,500.00, which the Lodge voted to accept. They sold the old building including one-half of the interest in the land to the Odd Fellows lodge. ²⁵

Then they obtained a loan from the Community National Bank (owners of the first floor of the building) at 111 Main, for $17,500.00 for 20 years. They let a contract with Nolan Foster Construction for $11,903.00 to remodel the building. This included adding 30 feet to the east end of the new building and bricking up the windows and doors. Partitions were built for the separation of the lodgeroom from the dining hall by a small office for the secretary along with the anteroom and preparation rooms. It also included installing a suspended ceiling in the lodge room at a total cost of $50.00. ²⁶

The Lodge members built the storage cabinets for the Rainbow, O.E.S. and DeMolay in what originally was the east end of the kitchen and cut the original kitchen in half.

The new building was dedicated on 22 June 1965, with R.W. J. D. Tommey, Grand Senior Warden acting as Grand Master. Many of the past and future Worshipful Masters of the Lodge took part in the ceremony. A representation of the Grand Lodge was opened on 22 June 1965. The dedication of the building was authorized by M.W. Carroll Hinsley, Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Texas. Conducting the Representation of the Grand Lodge was R.W. J. D. Tommey, Grand Senior Warden. ²⁷

Once the dedication of Richardson Lodge’s new home was completed, the Representation of the Grand Lodge of Texas was closed. The cornerstone that was placed in the southeast corner of the building was not placed with any ceremony, but just set in place as the brick wall was already built. It is the author’s opinion that the reason for placing the cornerstone in the southeast corner was that the building already existed, and therefore, a northeast cornerstone would be inappropriate. The southeast location placed the cornerstone where it would be more easily seen by those approaching the building. No records can be found to verify the reasons. ²⁸

The Lodge then made an agreement with the Methodist Church across the street, providing that the church could pave and stripe the parking lot and maintain it and then could use it for parking on Sundays and other times when needed. This was done and the agreement is still in effect today. ²⁹

In 1985, the Lodge voted to add an addition to the building. This had been discussed for many years. The addition was to square up the northwest corner of the building and the foyer. The Lodge made a motion to pay for the addition by donations. Frank Todd was appointed as Building Superintendent after he had completed the floor plans. He also went before the City of Richardson, as the building was known to the City as the “Community Center” and therefore, had never been zoned. Todd succeeded in getting the Lodge property zoned as “non-profit”. After the drawings were completed, the Lodge voted to do as much of the work as possible with their own labor. It was dedicated in December of 1985, at which time the mortgage was burned.³⁰

The Masonic signet with the date founded was located on the front façade of the original building on Main Street. In 1989, Senior Warden Frank Todd was able to obtain permission from Team Bank at I-75 and Campbell Road to remove the signet. The signet was removed on Thanksgiving weekend 1989. With the assistance of Brothers Joseph Patterson, Lloyd and Jeff Hock, and Frank Todd’s daughter Denise, each piece of the signet was removed and marked to facilitate reassembly. The signet was reassembled and placed it in the foyer of the present building in December 1990. With the assistance of R.W. Leonard Harvey, PG.M., it was unveiled at the stated meeting in December 1990 and the 65^th anniversary of the Lodge.³¹

In 1989, the Lodge sold each chair in the lodge room for $100.00. The money raised was used to replace the carpet, which was 24 years old. At the same time a traverse rod was installed in the east that held a drape that, when opened, shows the O.E.S. Star; when closed the star is covered. ³²

There is a display cabinet in the Lodge anteroom donated by Past Master Norm Chase. There is also a corner cabinet with Masonic jars, with both cabinet and jars donated by affiliated Past Master Chuck Bukin. The display was changed in 2008 to honor Bates LeGrand by displaying his Masonic regalia. ³³

In 1987, Richardson Lodge was afforded the opportunity to level the cornerstone of the St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church on Beltline Road in Richardson. The Masonic members of the church purchased the cornerstone. Buff Buffington and Bob Wilson started this effort. Jack Korbuly P.M., A.B. Knape, W.M., along with R.W. Leonard Harvey, Grand Senior Warden of the Grand Lodge of Texas, joined the effort. On 13 September 1987, a representation of the Grand Lodge was opened at Richardson Lodge. They then adjourned to the church, where M.W. John E (Jack) Kelly, Grand Master, laid the cornerstone with Grand Lodge Ceremony. The Masons sat as a group, each wearing his apron. A number of the Past Masters of Richardson Lodge participated including

Bates LeGrand, P.M. as Grand Chaplain

Gene McDaniel, P.M. as Grand Senior Steward

Bob Fikes, P.M. as Grand Junior Steward

David Dibrell, P.M. as Grand Pursuivant ³⁴

The Mirabeau B. Lamar Award program was implemented by the Grand Lodge in 1989. Each year since then, Richardson Lodge has presented four Lamar Medals to deserving seniors, one from each of the high schools in the Richardson Independent School District: Richardson H.S., Lake Highlands H.S., Berkner H.S., and Pearce H.S. Currently, each medal recipient receives a five-hundred dollar scholarship along with his or her Lamar Medal. An additional Lamar Medal was presented in 1991. In 1991 the medal was presented to Berkner High School Assistant Principal and boys’ counselor Joe Roseborogh. In 2008, the medal was presented to the Teachers and Staff of Big Springs Elementary School in recognition of its nomination as one of the top 25 schools in Texas for the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) award. The NCLB award is presented to exemplary schools by the United States Department of Education. Big Spring Elementary was the only school in the Richardson Independent School District to receive this award in 2008.

Brother Jess Harben was elected Mayor in 1931 and T. J. Jackson was elected Mayor in 1937. When the Police Department was organized in 1955, it had members of the Richardson Lodge including J. W. Golden. There were fewer police officers in the Lodge than firemen. According to Chief J. W. Golden, “The reason was because the firemen had so many good cooks.” ³⁵

A number of members worked at Collins Radio, which later became Rockwell International, including Past Master Bill Lindsay. The Lodge also has had members who worked for and retired from Texas Instruments. These two electronic firms were the backbone of industry in the city of Richardson. ³⁶

The Lodge has had members from all walks of life. Past Master Bates LeGrand – Master Plumber; Past Master Jim Tresenriter – Maintenance Supervisor, Braniff Airways; Past Master Herb Hooker – Flight Engineer, American Airlines; Buddy Strickland – Director of Parks & Recreation, City of Richardson. Diversity of occupations has always been important to this Lodge and to all of Masonry. ³⁷

Many brothers have been dentists, engineers, warehouse managers, accountants, barbers and hair stylists. These members have come from many different states – Minnesota, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Mississippi as well as from North Texas from Plano Lodge No. 768, St. Johns No. 51 in McKinney, Garland No. 441 and Pike No. 702 in Pike, Texas. ³⁸

When Richardson No. 1214 was chartered in 1925, the Grand Lodge of Texas had 128,880 members and there were 4,411,341 members worldwide in 29,675 Masonic Lodges. ³⁹

Over the years, Richardson Lodge No. 1214 has had only a few Secretaries, Treasurers and Tilers. These are listed in Exhibit 1. ⁴⁰

Richardson Masonic Lodge No.1214 has been rewarded seven times by having one of its members being asked to serve as District Deputy Grand Masters

Estes Reynolds, P.M. 1966

Robert Fikes, P.M. 1972

Delmar Wallace, P.M. 1975

David Dibrell, P.M. 1990

Larry Fairchild, P.M. 1995

Dick Davies, P.M. 2001

Don Ramsey, P.M. 2005 ⁴¹

The Lodge has had only one Past Master who became an elected member of the Grand Lodge line, R.W. David B. Dibrell, who was elected and served as Grand Master for the year 2001. ⁴²

Richardson Lodge continues to have many active members in both the York and Scottish Rite bodies. They work in many of the degrees as well as being officers of both rites. The lodge has been active in the formation and membership of both the local Shrine Club and local Scottish Rite Club. Many Lodge members have been active in the Order of Eastern Star. After founding of the Eastern Star Chapter in 1947, there have been twelve Past Masters of Richardson Lodge No. 1214 that have also served as Worthy Patrons of Richardson O.E.S. Chapter # 921. ⁴³

Richardson has the distinct honor of having among its membership the founding member of the Knights of Mecca Shrine Degree Team. The Knights of Mecca is a unit of Hella Shrine composed of Shriners who are Past Masters. Delmar E. Wallace, P.M. obtained the by-laws and information from a unit in Atlanta, Georgia. He brought it back to Dallas and founded this unit in 1973 and was the first president. ⁴⁴

The Lodge also has a Past Master of the Texas Lodge of Research – Charles I. Bukin. Four members became full members of the Lodge of Research – Charles I. Bukin, David B. Dibrell, Frank W. Amadon III and Bates LeGrand. ⁴⁵

In 1997, R.W. David Dibrell was instrumental in the moving Knox Lodge No. 851 from Munday, Texas to Richardson. The Lodge kept its charter and was renamed Knox-Corinthian Lodge No. 851. It became a daylight lodge and met quarterly at the Richardson Lodge building. Other meetings are held at a local hotel for lunch and fellowship. Its main purpose was a fellowship lodge and a daylight lodge that met on the north side of Dallas. It adopted the “Coats for Kids” program, which buys winter coats for underprivileged children in an elementary school. They plan on adding a school each year from the town in which the Worshipful Master resides. In 2002, Knox-Corinthian Lodge moved its meeting place to downtown Dallas. ⁴⁶

Also in 1997, Washington Lodge No. 1117, which met in Masonic Temple in downtown Dallas, applied to Richardson Lodge to move its meeting location to Richardson. They would use Richardson No. 1214’s lodge room and dining hall and build a separate building on the property to use as an office. Richardson No. 1214 approved this. Washington Lodge then received permission from the Grand Lodge of Texas and proceeded to build a small building just west of the original Richardson Lodge building. They initially used the Richardson No. 1214 dining hall and when the building was complete they moved all of their records to the new building. ⁴⁷

In 2003, R.W. David Dibrell was instrumental in reviving Eagle Lodge No. 41. The Lodge replaced Knox-Corinthian Lodge, which had moved its meeting location to the Scottish Rite Temple in downtown Dallas. Eagle Lodge meets the last Tuesday of each month, with Stated Meetings on the four fifth Tuesdays of the year, at Richardson Lodge. On Non-Stated Meeting Tuesdays, the Lodge meets at local restaurants for lunch. ⁴⁸

The Richardson Lodge building is in use five nights a week: Richardson Rainbow Assembly No.291 meets the first and third Monday; Richardson Order of the Eastern Star Chapter No. 921 meets on the second and fourth Monday; Richardson Lodge No. 1214 meets every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., with stated meetings on the first Tuesday of the month; Richardson Order of DeMolay meets every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.; Washington Masonic Lodge No. 1117 meets every Thursday at 7:30 p.m., with stated meetings the first Thursday of the month; York Rite Chapter and Council meet on the third Friday at 7:00 p.m.

Thus concludes the history of Masonry in Richardson, Texas, and the legacy of Richardson Lodge No. 457 and Richardson Lodge No. 1214. Masonry in Richardson has had a long tradition, from 1876 to 1892 and then after a thirty-two year hiatus, it is once again a vibrant part of the present-day Richardson, Texas. Richardson Lodge No. 1214 has been instrumental in the growth of Richardson. The Lodge is active in the support of the City of Richardson as well as the Richardson Independent School District. The Lodge has participated in the Richardson Christmas Parade and always managed to receive an award. It has participated in the Great Fountain Festival and has held many blood drives. The Feed the Firemen and Policemen breakfasts are held twice each year. Richardson Lodge has recognized four local seniors with Lamar Awards for having overcome adversity but persevering to graduate and to go on and further their education. Masonry is alive, well, and growing along with the City of Richardson, Texas. And so may ever, ever be!

EXHIBITS

Exhibit 1 Lodge Secretaries, Treasurers and Tilers

28 Secretaries:

E.W. Huffines, serving nine terms

R.L. Files, serving six terms

L.F. Meyer, serving five terms

D. Schieferstein, serving five terms

Jefferson Davis, two and one-half terms

Neil Roberts, one-half term

Frank Amadon, III, currently serving his thirteenth term

16 Treasurers:

B.A. Grainer, serving twenty-three terms

B. Lawson, serving nine terms

T.N. Harris, serving nine terms

George Williams, serving five terms

William Arwood, serving two terms

Tom Dearing, serving nine terms

40 Tilers

P.O. Rippy, Jr., Serving sixteen terms

Tony Scott, serving five terms

Carl T. Williams, serving ten terms

PAST MASTERS in RICHARDSON MASONIC LODGE

19UD-24 Charley B. Reddick *

1924-25 Charley B. Reddick *

1925-26 Carl F. Hudgins *

1926-27 James E. Jackson *

1927-28 Henry W. Clark *

1928-29 Elmer L. Dabney *

1929-30 Homer W. Wallis *

1930-31 Thomas N. Harris *

1931-32 Grover C. Huffines *

1932-33 C. G.rady Smith *

1933-34 Randolph D. Wallis *

1934-35 Virgil F. Blewett *

1935-36 John F. Clark *

1936-37 Walter L. Fender *

1937-38 Maurice M. Meyer *

1938-39 Elmer L. Dabney *

1939-40 Bruce J. Green *

1940-41 Leonard A. Huffines *

1941-42 Randolph D. Wallis *

1942-43 Jimmy S. Groves *

1943-44 Cecil L. Jones *

1944-45 Samuel A. Sauls *

1945-46 Charles E. Terry *

1946-47 Tom C. Bruce *

1947-48 Robert M. Crouch *

1948-49 Lee M. Wallace *

1949-50 P. G. Harris *

1950-51 Lester F. Meyer *

1951-52 Robert E. Smith *

1952-53 H. G. Presley *

1953-54 H. L. McKinney *

1954-55 Cecil Carr *

1955-56 William F. Millican, Jr. *

1956-57 C. F. Kerr *

1957-58 J. W. Moss *

1958-59 Cleon Thomasson *

1959-60 William D. Kimbrough *

1960-61 Estes Reynolds *

1961-62 Richard Russell *

1962-63 Delmar E. Wallace

1963-64 Roger Pond, Jr. *

1964-65 Norris W. McGrew

1965-66 Robert L. Fikes*

1966-67 I. Shelby Davenport

1967-68 James H. Douglas *

1968-69 Clayton E. Browne *

1969-70 J. D. Murray *

1970-71 W. O. Maddox *

1971-72 Willie C. Younger

1972-73 Ervin L. Stiles

1973-74 Robert E. Moon

1974-75 James L. Tresenriter *

1975-76 Ellis P. Clark *

1976-77 Bill Lindsay *

1977-78 Elwood E. Cowardin *

1978-79 Peter A. Norman (Demitted)

1979-80 David B. Dibrell

1980-81 Charles R. Kindle*

1981-82 Bates LeGrand *

1982-83 Herbert C. Hooker

1983-84 James B. Palmer

1984-85 Jack Korbuly

1985-86 Gene McDaniel

1986-87 Norman W. Chase *

1987-88 A.B. Knape *

1988-89 K. Arthur Drescher

1989-90 D.R. Schieferstein, Jr.

1990-91 Franklin H Todd

1991-92 Larry T. Fairchild

1992-93 Scott L. Jenkins

1993-94 John B. Hill *

1994-95 Richard E. Davies, Sr.

1995-96 John J. ChavarriA. Jr.*.

1996-97 Royal Hines

1997-98 Carl M. “Skip” Williams

1998-99 Henry R. Urquhart

1999-2000 Richard A. Page, Sr.

2000-01 Howard V. Kennedy

2001-02 Donald W. Ramsey

2002-03 S. Craig Brazeal

2003-04 Jeffrey A. Davis

2004-05 Chris A. Tackett

2005-06 Bryant D. Shaw

2006-07 Mitchell D. Duplechan

2007-08 Daniel T. Hill

2008-09 Corey Keese

2009-10 Billy Gene Iker
Affiliated Past Masters

Harold Collins

Dwight Stevens

Bill Ramsey

Robert T. Harm*

Charles Bukin

William Irving

Pete Hersom

Frank Amadon III

Richard Gilman

Ed Kirkpatrick

Roger Radcliffe

Ron G. Blackmore

Ben R. Gray, Jr.

Dan D. Turner

Ron Sheppard

James Strickland

* Deceased

NOTES

1. Proceedings, Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M., 1895, 246.

2. Proceedings, Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M., 1876, 143.

3, Ibid. 297.

4. Earl Harbin, History of Richardson - The Harbin Family.

5. “A History of Richardson.” Richardson Historical Society, 1973, 24.

6. Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M. Annual Returns, 1877.

7. Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M. Annual Returns, 1878.

8. Dallas Morning News, May 16, 1892, 8.

9. Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M. Annual Returns, 1879.

10. Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M. Annual Returns, 1924.

11. Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M. Annual Returns, 1925.

12. Proceedings, Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M. 1924, 44.

13. Ibid. 834

14. Richardson Echo, 5 April 1924, Vol. XIII, No.32, 1.

15. Interview with Dorothy Putman, lifetime resident of Richardson, 6 May 1998.

16. Man With a Vision – J.J. Pearce, 8^th Grade Essay, Sonny McConnell (Daughter of Jim McConnell), 1989.

17. Minutes of Richardson Masonic Lodge, 10 April 1926.

18. Interview with Dorothy Putnam, 9 June 1991.

19. Richardson Lodge Minutes, 7 March 1933.

20. Interview with Dorothy Putman, 9 June 1991.

21. Interview with Billye Meyer, 15 August 1991.

22. Interview with Delmar E. Wallace, 22 August 1991.

23. Richardson Lodge Minutes, September 1964.

24. Richardson Lodge Minutes, May 1964.

25. Ibid.

26. Richardson Lodge Minutes, August 1964.

27. Richardson Lodge Minutes. June 1965.

28. Interview with Irv Stiles and Robert Moon, February 1998.

29. Interview with Charles Bukin, 7 June 1998.

30. Richardson Lodge Minutes, April 1985.

31. Richardson Lodge Minutes, February 1989.

32. Richardson Lodge Minutes, October 1997.

33. Richardson Lodge Minutes, September 1987.

34. Interview with David Dibrell. October 2002.

35. Telephone interview with J.W. Golden & Roy Matheny, 7 July 1997.

36. Interview with Dorothy Putman, lifetime resident of Richardson, 7 June 1998.

37. Interview with Richard Russell of Richardson Masonic Lodge No.1214 in 1996.

38. Interview with the Frank Amadon of Richardson Masonic Lodge No.1214 in 1999.

39. Proceedings, Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M. 1925, 358.

40. Listing of Officers, 14^th M.W.S. Directory.

41. Listing of Past Deputy District Grand Masters, 14^th M.W.S. Directory.

42. Proceedings, Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M. 2000, 386.

43. Interviews with Founding Members of Richardson O.E.S # 921 and Copy of Past Matrons Patron List.

44. David B. Dibrell, History of the Knights of Mecca, unpublished work.

45. David B. Dibrell, Transaction Texas Lodge of Research Volume XXX Pages 118 – 124; “Victor C.& Martha M. Whitfield - Pioneers of Texas Rainbow;” Bates LeGrand, Transaction Texas Lodge of Research Volume XXXI Pages114 - 120 “Circumambulation Mediations;” Charles Bukin, Transaction Texas Lodge of Research Volume XXXV Pages 106 – 129;“ Masonic Flasks: Pieces of History;” Frank W. Amadon III, Transaction Texas Lodge of Research Volume XL Pages 86 - 118 “History Of Eagle Masonic Lodge No. 41."

46. Richardson Lodge Minutes, June 1997.

47. Richardson Lodge Minutes, February 2003.