Lindale Lodge was Chartered December 6, 1900 but did not set to work until the following year for obvious reasons, there just wasn't time. The first officers were:

 

Worshipful Master    

Sr. Warden                 

Jr. Warden                 

Treasurer                   

Secretary                   

Sr. Deacon                 

Jr. Deacon                 

Stewards                   

Tiler                           

 

There was a total of thirty five members that included : J. P. Arthur , C. W. Bradshaw., W.S. Burgess, C.S. Brewater, D.T. Bunty, J.A. Burks, H.B. Bryant, W.P. Cannon, J .C.Cooper, Jesse Goodman, J.U. Gunther, H.G. Huggins, W.J. Huggins, M.W.Kennedy, J.W. Kelley, W.E. Morris, T. J. Odem. Charles Roberts, J.L. Stewart, H. L. Tate, W.H. Taylor, L.A. Tipton, W. H. Tucker, J. E. Bundy, B.R.Copeland, J.R. Starnes,. And G.E.Tucker. By 1906 We had 55 members.

 

Our original lodge was on Commerce Street facing east toward the rail road tracks and just south of Hubbard Street or Highway 16. The Lodge was destroyed by a huge fire that engulfed the entire business area in 1911. From there we moved to what would be known as The Limerick Hotel where we remained until more permeant arrangements could be arranged on the second story of the brick structure next to the hotel. We purchased this two-story building at the intersection of Main and Hubbard in 1946.  This was above the Fleming Drug Store. We remained in these facilities for the next Forty-seven years, until we moved into our present location at 200 Margaret Street.  The new site was donated by Brother Al Pierce. The site preparation, building, and its amenities were constructed and directed by members and friends of the lodge through donations of time, labor, and materials.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our present home was also the home of the Eastern Star Chapter 864 (until late 2013 when it consolidated with Quitman Chapter 965) who has been an indispensable ally to our successful operation. They seem to know when problems needed attending to, there by eliminating major problems later. The Eastern Star was a real blessing to the lodge and we felt we compliment each others ongoing functions.

 

From our original 25 members we peaked at 210 members in 1992. This has dwendled to 133 members at present due to deaths and demits through job transfers or family moves. We seem to be attracting new members on a regular basis.

 

We originally were a "moonlight lodge" meaning that we met on a saturday on or after the full moon at early candle light. That was so that travel to and from the lodge meeeting could be done with some measure of light. Of the 940 Texas Lodges, some 20 still set their meetings in this manner.  We now meet the first Tuesday of each month.

 

There was another Lindale Lodge that predated us by twenty six years. It was Lindale Lodge 410 being chartered June 6,1874 and met its demise in 1880 when it did not make its annual report to the Grand Lodge. It had 31 members. The lodge officers were:

 

Worshipful Master           J.W. Wiley   

Sr. Warden                        W.C. Pierce                

Jr. Warden                        W.E. Morris             

Treasurer                          S.J. Morris              

Secretary                          C.C. Peters      

Sr. Deacon                        T.J. Brantley  

Jr. Deacon                        W.H. Taylor        

Stewards                           E. Lindsey & T.A. Love    

Tiler                                   Samuel Sitton

 

Listed members were: W.W. Brantley, T.J. Baron, E.R. Boaz, J.B. Cheek, J.T. Copeland, John Ellis, J.W. Groves, R.B. Hubbard, Julian Henley, T.J.Harper, Joseph Kemp, J.W. Love, T.S. Mc Spadden, G.D. Newman, T.J. Shuant, A.J. Scarborough, M.S. Taylor and F.G. Underwood.

 

Lindale Lodge 410 was sponsored by the W. M. Taylor Lodge of Garden Valley 158 and utilized their lodge facilities. Lodge 158 lasted from 1855 until 1882. And is listed as being in Flora. There is some indication there was an effort to change the Taylor Lodge name to Duck Creek Lodge but it never occurred. The Flora community is probably what is now Lindale or its general area. Its business area was between two branches of Duck Creek just north of town and near what is now the old Dallas Shreveport Road. The demise of the town was probably due to loss of manpower because of the Civil War.

 

Garden Valley was the predominent town of north Smith County in 1850-60-70's era having several hundred homes, commercial buildings and churches but, went on the decline when the railroad came through Lindale, probably due to the efforts of Richard B. Hubbard a large plantation owner at what is now Hideaway Lake. He was also a Texas Governor about this time.

 

Richard B. Hubbard was a founding father of St. Johns Lodge and a member of Lindale Lodge 410 as was his brother in law Elijah Lindsey, a merchant in Lindale and was it's first Mayor when it was an unincorperated city. He is also the person for whom the town is named. The first Mayor of the incorperated city in 1905, was John Ogburn, the first Worshipful Master of Lindale Lodge 848.

 

Other Lodges in the area were J.A. Lawrence Lodge 257 of Sandflat that met at the Antioc Church from the years 1860 to 1879. Jamestown Lodge 150 from 1855 to1859 and then came TR Bonner Lodge of MT. Sylvan in 1884.