Our History & Past Masters
According to written records, the first evidence of a Masonic Lodge to appear in Mt. Pulaski was on January 21, 1850. It was not until later in that year, October 31, that the Lodge became constituted and Mt. Pulaski Lodge No.87's first officers were duly installed. Those first elected officers were as follows: Worshipful Master, D.P. Bunn; Senior Warden, R. Braucher; Junior Warden, R. Carlisle; Secretary, John Jenkins; Treasurer, A. Edmonds.
In 1851, the minute book reveals that although many petitions were being received, it was not until 1852 that the Lodge actively pursued the possible acquisition of a building. The Lodge's Building Committee reported on May 3, 1852, that they requested an estimate for a two story building that included an accommodation for a school room. It appears they did not purchase the building since the records later show that the Lodge was still paying rent at sixty dollars a year until 1862 when it was voted to move to the George Mayer Hall where the rent decreased to thirty-two dollars a year.
The Lodge decided to build a new hall in 1864. Brother Schafer invited the Lodge to share the costs for building a structure that would house both the Lodge and Schafer's blacksmith shop at an estimated cost of $779.62. The Schafer and Lodge deed was filed with the County Clerk and on June 24, 1865, the new hall was dedicated. During this time the nation was deep into the Civil War and the Lodge voted that all Brethren in the Army would be exempt from payments of dues.
It was August of 1876, that the Brethren discussed the possibility of forming a Chapter and by October the Grand Lodge had set the fee at $25.00. At that time, degree fees consisted of $6.00 for Entered Apprentice and $5.00 for each of the following, Fellowcraft and Master Mason degrees. The additional dollar charged to the Entered Apprentice was given to the Lodge's Tyler.
In April of 1869, W. Schafer decided to close his blacksmith business which was located under the Lodge and received $50.00 compensation. A proposal to sell the Lodge’s building failed in March of 1871. This was the year of the Great Chicago Fire in which the Lodge responded by sending $50.00 to Brother Masons who suffered from that great tragedy.
An invitation was accepted by the Lodge to attend the laying of the cornerstone for Chicago’s new post office in June of 1874. Invitations to the event were also extended to lodges in the surrounding area; Chestnut, Latham,Warrensburg, Illiopolis and Elkhart.
The hall that the Lodge had owned was sold in 1876 for $600.00. It was then decided that the Lodge should rent rooms above the William and C.E. Schafer store for $75.00 each six months. In 1882, the Lodge purchased a building and lot from William A. Schafer for the amount of $3,800.00 of which the Blue Lodge paid one third.
Around this time dues were $2.00 a year. An organ was purchased for $75.00 and the first electric lights amounted to a bill of $8.00; costing 25 cents per light per month. Although the use of tobacco was prohibited in the lodge room, the minutes show that the lodge had occasionally spent $1.00 on cigars and had at one point purchased spittoons. The first time that a phone bill had been paid was recorded in May 1902 for the amount of $4.00.
The Lodge acquired some properties from 1909 -1919. These consisted of one third of a bank building located on the east side of the Mt. Pulaski square (where it currently resides), one third of the Vonderlieth Building, and the Jenner Hotel, which was located south of the square behind the National Bank. It was also during this period that the Lodge sold it's interest in the Masonic building to C.F. Schafer for $4,000.00.
The Lodge considered selling the Jenner Hotel for no less than $6,000.00 in May of 1924; however, in December of 1935, the minutes tell that it was still property of the Lodge.
The Tyler’s duties increased in 1936, as well as his pay, as he was expected to build fires, keep the rooms clean and to drain the water pipes in the winter for the payment of $10.00 a month. The three marble slabs now found on the Worshipful Masters, Senior Warden and Junior Wardens pedestals were donated in September 5, 1940, by Brother Ed Goddard. The Brothers of the Lodge voted in February of 1944 to dedicate a plaque to those members that had served or were still serving in World War II.
As the men returned to Mt. Pulaski from their duties in World War II, the Lodge saw a sharp increase in petitions. From 1945-1946, twenty-one men petitioned the Lodge. Two years later the Lodge continued to see an influx of candidates as an additional twelve petitioned in 1948.
The Cornland Lodge became affiliated with the Mt. Pulaski Lodge No. 87 inFebruary of 1982.
*Accounts of Mt. Pulaski Lodge No. 87’s history are based on the research and writings of Brethren J. Lee Hild and Eugene Downing*
Our Past Masters
2008 - Steven R. Bailey
2007 - Lowell D. Burton
2006 - Lowell D. Burton
2005 - Barry Leach
2004 - Barry Leach
2003 - Gregory Holmes
2002 - Lowell D. Burton
2001 - Lowell D. Burton
2000 - Lowell D. Burton
1999 - Loren Holmes
1998 - T. Kinahan Rule
1997 - William Evans
1996 - Tom A. Stephens
1995 - James P. Hildebrand
1994 - Gregory Holmes
1993 - George I. Walton
1992 - Walter Gene Butler
1991 - Walter Gene Butler
1990 - Michael Patridge
1989 - Charles E. Holmes
1988 - Charles E. Holmes
1987 - Charles E. Holmes
1986 - Robert F. Fuiten
1985 - Roger Hamlin
1984 - Dennis Patterson
1983 - Richard C. Zatteau
1982 - Russell G. Fuiten
1981 - John Garlits
1980 - George Blue
1979 - Frank Turley
1978 - Willian E. Evans
1977 - Mardll Bellatti
1976 - Kermit Volle
1975 - Frank Pope Jr.
1974 - Lowell Molt
1973 - Steven K Volle
1972 - Roy Dean Downing
1971 - Lawrence O. Montgomery
1970 - Jack L. Kraft
1969 - Merle D. Key Jr.
1968 - Paul B. McCubbin
1967 - J. Lee Hild
1966 - D. Sheldon Copeland
1965 - Joseph England
1964 - Joseph W. Lucas
1963 - William J. Matthews
1962 - Donald C. Copeland
1961 - John C. Bowers
1960 - J. Dalen Shellhammer
1959 - Charles E. Holmes
1958 - Charles E. Holmes
1957 - J.C. Goddard
1956 - Theodre Aderman
1955 - Dean Cullen
1954 - Jese Letterly
1953 -Wilford Ryan
1952 - Orville F. Downing
1951 - Dean Devore
1950 - R.M. Priddy
1949 - Alva C. Brown
1948 - Orville Koehler
1947 - Orville Koehler
1946 - B.F. Holmes
1945 - F.H. Meyrick
1944 - Royal L. Carter
1943 - Ellis C. Downing
1942 - E.M. Volle
1941 - William L. Meyrick
1940 - John R. Curtis
1939 - John R. Curtis
1938 - C.E. Holmes
1937 - Morrell Deibert
1936 - E. L. Rothwell
1935 - Edward Farwater Goddard
1934 - A.W. Schaffenacker
1933 - A.W. Schaffenacker
1932 - E.K. Rothwell
1931 - F.W. Reinders
1930 - H.G. Tomlinson
1929 - W.E. Griffin
1928 - Ennis A. Downing
1927 - W.L. Harper
1926 - Claude W. Upp
1925 - G.E. Howsman
1924 - John B. Lercher
1923 - W.A. Maxheimer
1922 - E.V. Wyrd
1921 - E.A. Downing
1920 - G.E. Howsman
1919 - George J. Smith
1918 - Claude W. Upp
1917 - Claude W. Upp
1916 - Claude W. Upp
1915 - G.A. Volle
1914 - R.D. Clark
1913 - R.D. Clark
1912 - R.D. Clark
1911 - J.M. Rothwell
1910 - J.M. Rothwell
1909 - H.W. Shafer
1908 - R.D. Clark
1907 - R.D. Clark
1906 - C.E. Mueller
1905 - R.D. Clark
1904 - R.D. Clark
1903 - R.D. Clark
1902 - R.D. Clark
1901 - R.D. Clark
1900 - J.H. Evans
1899 - J.H. Evans
1898 - P.H. Oyler
1897 - P.H. Oyler
1896 - P.H. Oyler
1895 - Z.K. Wood
1894 - F.L. Tomlinson
1893 - F.L. Tomlinson
1892 - C.F. Shafer
1891 - S.S. Clapper
1890 - James Poe
1889 - James Poe
1888 - Unknown
1887 - S.H. Newlin
1886 - F.F. Whitaker
1885 - F.F. Whitaker
1884 - John R. Ayers
1883 - John R. Ayers
1882 - W.A. Shafer
1881 - W.A. Shafer
1880 - W. Wemble
1879 - W. Wemble
1878 - W.A. Shafer
1877 - John R. Ayers
1876 - John R. Ayers
1875 - C.W. Clark
1874 - John Weickel
1873 - John Weickel
1872 - John Weickel
1871 - John Weickel
1870 - John Weickel
1869 - John Weickel
1868 - C.W. Clark
1867 - C.W. Clark
1866 - C.W. Clark
1865 - C.W. Clark
1864 - C.W. Clark
1863 - John Clark
1862 - H.E. Turley
1861 - John Bigger
1860 - John Bigger
1859 - John Bigger
1858 - John Bigger
1857 - John Bigger
1856 - Timothy Leed
1855 - Richard Latham
1854 - Richard Latham
*Charter Master*
1853 - D.P. Bunn
1852 - D.P. Bunn
1851 - D.P. Bunn
1850 - D.P. Bunn