HomeMy WebLinkAboutBRAZOS COUNTY ODD FELLOWSBRAZOS COUNTY GRAND UNITED ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS
Compiled by Bill Page
Few folks realize the "mother lodge" of the African American Independent
Order of Odd Fellows was located in Bryan.
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The Official History and Manual of the Grand United Order of Odd
Fellows in America: page 150: 1879 ... January 13, the Mother Lodge of
Texas, was granted its dispensation title: Rose of Sharon, 1915, Bryan,
Texas. On the same date, Oleander Lodge, 1921, at Galveston, Texas, was
authorized. The order spread like wild fire in Texas ...
The cornerstone of the African M.E. Church will be laid on Saturday
next at 2 o'clock p.m. by the colored Odd Fellow's lodge of this city.
Galveston Daily News, 16 February 1879, p.3, col.1
Bryan, Feb. 11 – The Odd Fellows, colored, of Bryan are building a
neat hall, and will have it completed in a month’s time. Dallas
Morning News, 12 February 1885, p.3
Bryan, Brazos Co., Tex., Aug. 7 –The Grand United Order of Odd
Fellows, colored, convened here to-day with about 118 delegates, and
will be in session until Friday. Mayor Adams was on the programme for
the address of welcome. The response was made by C.M. Ferguson of
Paris. R.S. Lewis delivered the address of welcome in behalf of the
Rose of Sharon lodge, response by David Abner of Seguin. The officers
are: David Abner of Seguin, district grand master; H.J. McAdoo of
Brenham, deputy district grand master; C.M. Ferguson of Paris, district
grand secretary; J.R. Nelson of Terrell, district grand treasurer; H.C.
Bell of Athens, T.B. Harris of Belton and J.W. Ray of Dallas, executive
committee. Galveston Daily News, 8 August 1894, p.1
Bryan, Brazos Co., Tex., Aug. 10 – The grand lodge of United Odd
Fellows is still in session. A general parade was given this afternoon,
the delegates and officers appearing in full regalia, led by a colored
brass band, which came down for the occasion from Waco. The procession
passed up Main Street and out to the park, where addresses were made.
The grand annual banquet is in progress to-night. The delegates will
leave to-morrow. Everybody seems exhausted after the grand
demonstration here yesterday. The News was in great demand to-day on
account of the comprehensiveness of its report.
Galveston Daily News, 11 August 1894, p.5
Bryan, Brazos Co., Tex., Aug. 11 – The last two days of the district
grand lodge, United Order of Odd Fellows, were the most interesting of
the session. A telegram was received from San Antonio conveying the
information that ex-Director James Martin, Jr. was no more. Speeches
eulogizing the deceased brother were made by District Master David
Abner, Jr., Deputy District Master H.J. McAdoo, H.G. Goree, T.H. Jones,
C.M. Ferguson and S.S. Irving. L. M. Terrell of lodge no. 2144 moved
that the grand master be authorized to tender the sympathy of the grand
lodge to the widow of the deceased brother. Carried. Some important
amendments were made to the laws of the relief fund bureau, the
endowment department of the order. The report of the committee on
insurance showed that the property owned by the Odd Fellows of the state
is covered by an insurance of $19,500, which is a trifle less than
one-fifth of the whole value of the property in the state. The district
grand master made his annual report, which was listened to with marked
attention. It showed the lodges generally to be in a prosperous
condition and teemed with many timely suggestions, evidencing the fact
that the grand master has been alert to the interest of the order, and
as a result more men have joined this year than any six previous years.
The report was well received, and referred to the committee on executive
officers’ reports. The deputy district grand master next submitted
his annual report. The report was referred to the proper committee.
The district grand secretary submitted his annual report, and, upon
motion, it was received and referred to the proper committee. The
report showed that $459.25 has been collected on taxes to grand lodge
this year, which is in excess of last year to the amount of $43.77. The
election of annual officers resulted as follows: District grand master,
D. Abner, Seguin; deputy district grand master, H.C. Bell, Athens;
district grand secretary, C.M. Ferguson; Paris: district grand
treasurer, J.R. Nelson, Terrell; district grand warden, H.G. Goree,
Atlanta; district grand chaplain, J.R. Gilliland, Milford; district
grand marshal, F.T. Thompson, Chappell Hill; D.W. Walton, Denison:
member of executive committee: also, T.B. Harris, Belton, Thos. H.
Jones, Houston. Palestine was elected as the next place of meeting.
The grand officers were installed at night at the high school building.
The B.M.C., the general congress of the order, convenes at Boston,
Mass., on the first Tuesday in October next. W.H. Hubert of Houston was
chosen chairman of the transportation committee. The parade yesterday
was a fine affair. There were about 200 Odd Fellows in the procession
on foot and about thirty in carriages. The Waco cornet band headed the
procession. The outlook for the Odd Fellows in Texas was never so
bright as now. The district grand order adjourned to meet at Palestine
on the first Tuesday in August, 1895. Galveston Daily News, 12 August
1894, p.7
The colored Odd Fellows held a meeting Wednesday night and gave Mrs.
Will Calhoun $100 endowment on the life of her husband. Bryan Morning
Eagle, 14 October 1898, p.3,col.3
The District Grand Lodge of colored Odd Fellows meets in Bryan this
morning at 10 o’clock at the colored school building for a four days
session. This meeting will be the twenty-sixth annual session. M.M.
Haynes is master of ceremonies. H.C. Bell is district grand master.
(weekly) Bryan Eagle, 3 August 1905, p.2, col.2
“The district grand lodge meetings of colored Odd Fellows and
Household of Ruth ...,” Bryan Daily Eagle, 5 August 1905, p.3, col.4
The district grand lodge of colored Odd Fellows, District Grand Master
C.H. Bell of Denton presiding, devoted yesterday to routine work at the
colored school building. Committees were appointed and the reports of
grand officers heard. Among those in attendance on the meeting are C.M.
Ferguson, M.M. Rogers, E.L. Blackshear of Prairie View Normal, H.A.
Wells of San Antonio, G.W. Guest, J.P. Starks. The Grand Household of
Ruth is also in session, with David Abner, Jr. of Seguin, presiding.
(weekly) Bryan Eagle, 10 August 1905, p.5, col.1
“Fifty Years of Odd Fellowship in Texas,” Houston Informer, 9 March
1929, p.8, col.2. “The first Texas lodge ... was organized at Bryan
...”
Several of the tombstones of folks buried in the African American
section of Bryan City Cemetery were members of the Odd Fellows,
including:
Amy Jones – the Household of Ruth (Odd Fellows) and the S.M.T.’s
Jim McDonald – obituary says he was a member of Rose of Sharon Lodge
(Odd Fellows)
Zack Talley – Odd Fellows
Cornelius Wilson – Rose of Sharon Lodge (Odd Fellows)
The following people had tombstones with the following symbol: the
letters (f l t) inside three circles. This symbol was used by the Odd
Fellows; it stands for friendship, love and truth
Laura Calvin
Dee Goosby
Jim Green
Walter C. King
Felix Thornton