Statistical Account Of Freemasonry In The United States Of America.

Avas established m Massachusetts m the year 1733 , by virtue of a charter granted April 30 , of the same year , by Anthony . Lord Yiscount Montagu , Grand Master of Masons of England . The Warrant appointed Henry Price , Grand

Master of North America , Avith poAver to constitute Provincial Grand Lodges in Massachusetts , and elseAvhere upon the continent of America . By virtue of this authority St . John ' s Grand Lodge Avas established in Massachusetts ,

on July 30 , 1733 ; and from this Grand , lodge the earliest lodges in Pennsylvania , "Virginia , Maryland , New Jersey , North Carolina , South Carolina , Bhode Island , New Hampshire and Connecticut owed their origin . The foUoAvinrr are the dates of the

constitution of the senior Grand Lodges in the United States , in the order of their seniority : —( 1 ) Massachusetts—¦ Provincial Grand Lodge , July 30 , 1733 ; Independent State Grand Lodge , March 8 , 1777 ; ( 2 ) Pennsylvania—Provincial

Grand Lodge , June 20 , 1764 ; Independent State Grand Lodge , December 20 , 1779 ; ( 3 ) Virginia—May 6 , 1777 ; ( 4 ) Maryland—April 17 , 1783 ; ( 5 ) New Jersey—December 18 , 1786 ; ( 6 ) North Carolina—January 141787 ; ( 7 ) South

, Carolina—March 24 , 1787 ; ( 8 ) New York—September 5 , 1787 ; ( 9 ) Bhode Island—June 25 , 1791 ; and so on . The first historical lodge in the State of Pennsylvania , Avas opened in 1734 , under a Warrant from the Provincial

Grand Lodge of Massachusetts—the eminent philosopher , Dr . Benjamin Franklin being its Worshipful Master . In less than a century and a half , the Craft in the States has increased from one Provincial Grand Lodge to 48 Independent Grand Lodges ( not including Canada ) , exercising jurisdiction over 600 , 000 affiliated Masons . This is the

remarkable growth to Avhich I adverted . I Avill IIOAV endeavour to SIIOAV Avhen and where this groAvth has been attained . Mention should be made of the sources of information , so that the reader may judge of its trustworthiness

and also be led to consult them for himself . Of course the Annual Proceedings of the various Grand Bodies Avere consulted , as the highest official authorities . In addition to these—Bro . Josiah H . Drummond , of Maine , Chairman of

the Committee of Foreign Correspondence of the Grand Lodge of Main ; Bro . Stephen J . Young , Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Correspondence of the Grand Chapter of Maine ; and others , have prepared tabular statements , Avhich have been annexed to their

reports , and are valuable and reliable , because derived from official sourcesthese have been consulted ; and also , Bro . Mitchell's Digest of Masonry ; Bro . Leon Hyneman ' s World's Masonic Register ; and the Catalogue of the

Library of the Grand Lodge of IoAva , 1873 , prepared by Bro . Theodore S . Parvin , Grand Secretary , and containing in the way of addenda many interesting facts and figures . These afford sufficiently comprehensive and satisfactory data from Avhich to derive a just idea of the progress of' Freemasonry in America .

The oldest Grand lodge in tlie United States is that of Massachusetts , Established in 173 S ; the youngest Grand lodge is that of Utah , Established January 16 , 1872 . In the year 1860 there Avere in the

United States 38 Grand Lodges , 5 , 147 subordinate lodges , and 228 , 279 members . These ranked , according to numbers , as follows : —( 1 ) NBAV York—26 , 977 members : ( 2 ) Ohio—14 , 150 members ; ( 3 ) Illinois—12 , 725 ; ( 4 )

Georgia—12 , 310 ; ( 5 ) Pennsylvania—11 , 983 ; ( 6 ) Kentucky—11 , 665 ; ( 7 ) Tennessee—11 , 102 . The smallest ( because then the youngest ) Grand lodge , Avas that of the territory of Washington , which numbered 9 lodges and 217 members .

Note , IIOAV , the Avonderful progress m one decade of years . The number ' of Freemasons in the United States Avas doubled in ten years , from 1860 to 1870 . The tabulated results of the reports in the proceedings of the various Grand