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In November 1884 Masons living here who regularly made the 18-mile journey to Henrietta for meetings petitioned the Henrietta Masonic Lodge for a new lodge to be located in Wichita Falls. In December the Grand Lodge of Texas granted a dispensation for Wichita Lodge No. 635. The first meeting of Wichita Lodge was January 5, 1885, in the hayloft over Soule's livery stable. The original officers were W. J. McDonald, E. W. Foster, J. C. Blalock, W. N. Barker, C. E. Reid, W. E. Brothers, J. A. Williams, and J. S. Moody. After the original charter was lost in an 1892 fire, a new charter was issued with the name changed to Wichita Falls Lodge. Over the years the Masons met in a succession of locations, including a rented room above a dry goods store, the Panhandle National Bank building, and the First National Bank building. A lodge building was erected at the corner of Tenth Street and Scott Avenue in 1915. A new building was completed in 1969. Lodge members leveled the cornerstones of many buildings in Wichita Falls, including the city hall and fire station in 1908, first Presbyterian Church in 1913, Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in 1915 and the Wichita County Courthouse in 1916. (1987) |
