At the November Montezuma town meeting, the board was presented with an American flag by area members of the Masonic Lodge.

Ken Pollard and Don Heath, from Salem Town Masonic Lodge in Cayuga, and Don Ellinwood, from Montezuma and a member of the Port Byron Lodge, made the presentation.

Ken Pollard explained the Grand Lodge of the state of New York is celebrating its 225th anniversary this year.

The Grand Lodge was chartered in 1781, and local Masons are using this special anniversary to refocus their energies, review their principles and to rededicate themselves to their communities.

Masonry is the oldest fraternity in the world, although no one can claim to know its exact origins.

There is evidence that the Masonry we know today probably grew out of the guilds of stonemasons who built the castles and cathedrals of the Middle Ages.

In the United States, many of the founding fathers were Masons, including Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.

From presidents, astronauts and sports heroes to carpenters, CEOs and bus drivers, millions of Masons have made our country what it is today.

As Masons, history, tradition and pride are central concepts in their lives.

They believe in helping others and pride themselves as honest men who work together to improve themselves and their communities. Their motto is “friendship, morality and brotherly love.”

Ken Pollard also shared the history of Montezuma's lodge at the town board meeting. Montezuma once had a very active Masonic Lodge No. 176 chartered in July 1850, which grew very rapidly.

In 1855, it had 30 members; in 1865, it had 132 members, and in 1900, 223 members.

According to newspaper accounts, the Lodge suffered devastating fires in town. In 1889, L. A Jones lost several hundred tons of coal in his coal store under the Masonic block.

In 1927, all the lodge's furnishings and records except for the lodge warrant along with town hall records and equipment were destroyed in a disastrous fire.

The lodge was active in the community until World War II, when the younger men went to war.

After the 1927 fire, the lodge met upstairs in the Montezuma Hotel, presently operated today as the Clifford House.

A former town supervisor, Horatio Mack, served for seven years as Master of the Lodge as well as the honor of being a representative in the Grand Lodge.

Horatio died in 1913 and, at the time of his death, was postmaster and owned a drug store.

Lester Ohara recalled some of the members in town he knew growing up were: Arthur Preston, Emerson Reamer, Ruby Whitcomb, Maurice Gutchess, Orit Helmer, Donald Reeves, David Butler Sr., Earl Waterhouse, and his father David Ohara.

In 1944, the lodge merged with Salem Town Lodge No. 326 in Cayuga. Both were rural lodges representing small geographic areas, and the combined lodges flourished for years.

In addition to the American flag, we have received assistance from the Port Byron Masonic Lodge to assist with preservation work at the Historic Mentz Church.

The lodge's popular weekly chicken barbecues held during the summer months at the Farmer's Market at Schasel Park raise money to help community organizations.

Congratulations to the Masons as they celebrate their 225th anniversary in New York state, and thank you for your continued service in our community.

Cheryl Longyear is historian for the town of Montezuma. She can be reached at 776-8632 or e-mail cml115@tds.com