Arco Lodge #48

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

MWB Russ W Smith

Editors Note:

Before I wrote my article: http://www.midnightfreemasons.org/2021/09/let-there-be-light.html, I had reached out to the Grand Lodge of Idaho to get information on Arco Lodge #48.  I received an answer from Most Worshipful Brother, Russ W Smith, who is the current GrandMaster of the Grand Lodge of Idaho Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.  The information he sent me is below.  It tells the story of Arco Lodge and its important place in Masonic History. 

Arco Lodge #48, located in Arco, Idaho was chartered on August 21, 1906, and over the years became an active center for Masonic and community social activities. The current building at 260 West Grand Avenue was built in 1916. Arco Lodge had the Concordant and Appendant Masonic organizations of Order of Eastern Star, Shriners Lost River Drum  Corp club, International Order of Job’s Daughters for young women, and Order of  DeMolay for young men. 

Like many social organizations in smaller towns, as the population decreased, activity in these social organizations decreased and eventually closed over the years. Arco Lodge #48  merged with Mt. McCaleb Lodge #64 in Mackay, Idaho in November 2020. 

Arco #48 Side Door

Arco Lodge #48 Worshipful Master station 

Arco Lodge #48, Senior Warden station 

 Arco #48 Centennial Pin

100 Year Centennial Celebration, 2006  

Arco Lodge Celebrates 100 Years 

This last Saturday, Masons from all over Idaho came to Bottolfsen Park to help members of Arco Lodge #48 celebrate the 100th year anniversary of their charter that was issued on  August 21, 1906. Over 150 individuals from both the community and lodge members 

were on hand to celebrate the centennial year. There were 9  

members from the Grand Lodge of Idaho present to help with the  

celebration, including the Most Worshipful Grand Master, Brother  

James Herndon from Blackfoot who is a dual member of Grove City  

Lodge #33, Blackfoot, and Lemhi Lodge #11, Salmon, Idaho.]

The ceremonies started shortly after 12:00 P.M. with a short  

presentation from the 1st Masonic District Deputy, Russ Smith, on the  

benefits of Masonry, what it is, and how it helps men to become better  

individuals. This was followed by a pledge of allegiance to the United  

States flag and after a prayer to bless the food, everyone enjoyed a picnic meal of buffalo roast beef or buffalo sloppy joes with corn on the cob, salad, baked beans, and dessert provided by B&B Catering,  

Blackfoot. 

During the meal a presentation on the history of Arco Lodge #48 was  

given by Worshipful Master Jim Waymire and talked about the  

formation of the lodge from the Wood River area, the building of the  

Masonic building, the fire that almost completely destroyed the building in 1928, and the re-building which is the current structure that stands today. The Grand Master, James Herndon, then addressed the audience and talked about how Masonry benefits not only the individual but also society and the community through the members that donate time individually and are involved in other organizations.

Arco Lodge was selling commemorative hats and raffle tickets on a tanned buffalo hide and after dessert, the drawing for the buffalo hide was held and Neil Depew from Pocatello was the winner. The rest of the buffalo meat was raffled off and many individuals were awarded a tasty treat of buffalo meat. The buffalo was raised on the Hill Creek Bison Ranch and had been harvested by the Grand Master back in February.

An afternoon of good fellowship was enjoyed by all and everyone returned to their respective places of abode. Special thanks go to the community members and lodge members that attended. We hope that you have a better understanding and appreciation of what Freemasonry is and is not. Thanks to the Arco Advertiser for printing the ads and articles. It helped everyone to understand more about the lodge. And, thanks to the members of Arco Lodge #48 and their families for getting everything ready. With a little bit of hard work and perseverance, we might be able to make it another 100 years. (article originally published in the Arco Advertiser)

Arco Advertiser, newspaper article, 9-26-2016 

Public Invited To Help Arco Lodge #48 Celebrate Building Centennial Re-dedication,  October 8. 

Arco Lodge #48 is a member of the Masonic fraternity, a worldwide organization that promotes charity  and philanthropic service. The Grand Lodge of Idaho, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons issued a  charter to Arco Lodge on August 21, 1906. The local lodge celebrated their centennial year in 2006.  Their building was constructed in 1916, so their lodge building is 100 years old and one of the oldest  buildings in Arco. The Grand Lodge of Idaho Officers have been invited to re-dedicate the building on  Saturday, October 8 and will come from all over the state of Idaho to help with the celebration and  building re-dedication. The public is invited to the building dedication ceremony at 1:00 PM on Saturday,  October 8. There will be refreshments served afterwards. 

Arco Advertiser, newspaper article 10-3-2016 

Grand Lodge of Idaho to re-dedicate 100 year old Arco Lodge #48 Building this  Saturday, October 8. 

The Grand Lodge Officers, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Idaho, led by Most Worshipful Grand  Master Jim Hensley from Twin Falls will re-dedicate the Arco Lodge #48 building located at 260 West  Grand Avenue, Arco, Idaho, this Saturday at 1:00 PM. It was built in 1916 for the lodge and has been used for Eastern Star Friendship Chapter #37, Job’s Daughters International Bethel #51, and Demolay  Lost River Chapter meetings. The public is invited to attend the ceremony which will be the same ceremony that was performed on this building 100 years ago and the same one used by President George  Washington to lay the cornerstone for the United States Capital in 1793. Masons from all across Idaho will participate in the celebration. Come down and enjoy the ceremonial ritual of re-dedicating the building for continuing fraternal benevolence. Refreshments will be served and everyone is invited to attend this historical event in celebrating the contributions the Masonic fraternity has made in our community in the past and plans to continue in the future. A fun and informational time is anticipated for everyone. 

  

Arco #48 Masonic Building

100 Year Centennial Building Re-dedication, Grand Lodge of Idaho, 2016 

Arco Lit By Atomic Power 

Arco Recreation Center/City Clerk Building

Arco Rec Center Neon Sign at Night 

EBR-1 Atomic Energy harnessed, December 20, 1951 

 

The world's first peacetime use of nuclear power occurred when the U.S. Government switched on Experimental Breeder Reactor #1 (EBR-1) near Arco, Idaho, on December 20,  1951, and powered 4 lightbulbs with power from the reactor. The town of Arco, Idaho became the first city in the world to be lit by atomic power from  a reactor built near EBR-1, the BORAX III, on July 17, 1955. This occurred for about an  hour and though It was only temporary, it paved the way for commercial use of nuclear  power. 

What is not widely known is that the power was cut over on the transmission lines at night on July 17, 1955. This was done on purpose so the majority of the residents in Arco  would not know that the power they were using was generated by Atomic Power. This  information was captured in Susan M. Stacy’s book, “Proving the Principle”.  

The below is the public release from the Atomic Energy Commission on Arco being supplied with Atomic Power. Notice there is no mention of the actual time. 

AEC Press release for BORAX-III lighting Arco, Idaho 

UNITED STATES 

ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION 

P. O. BOX 59 

Lemont, Illinois 

INFORMATION FOR PRESS, RADIO AND TV : 

Telephone: Lemont 800 (Argonne) 

Ext. 558 - 559 

August 11, 1955

FOR RELEASE: 

Friday, 9:00 a.m., D.D.T. 

August 12, 1955 

IDAHO TOWN GETS ATOMIC POWER AND LIGHT 

IN NUCLEAR POWER DEMONSTRATION 

Electricity, produced from nuclear energy, has been used to light and power a  town in the United States. Arco, Idaho, became the first community in the Nation to receive its entire supply of power from a nuclear source when, on July 17,1955, electricity produced in an experimental nuclear power plant operated by Argonne National  Laboratory at the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission's National Reactor Testing  Station, twenty miles from Arco, was fed into transmission lines supplying the small town. 

When the reactor power was cut in, utility lines supplying conventional power to Arco from the Utah Power and Light Company were disconnected. The entire community of 1,200 inhabitants then depended solely on nuclear power for more than an hour. 

Although the transmission of electricity from the nuclear power plant to Arco was, by prior arrangement, discontinued after the demonstration had been completed, the generation of electricity at the testing station site was continued. 

A motion picture record of the demonstration was presented to the United  Nations today at the International Conference on Peaceful Uses of Atomic  Energy, in Geneva, Switzerland. The United States delegation plans to make the film available during the Conference and to representatives of 72 nations in attendance. 

The experimental nuclear power plant, known as "BORAX", short for "Boiling  Reactor Experiment", was the subject of a major technical paper presented to the Conference August 9 by Dr. Walter H. Zinn, Director of Argonne National  Laboratory. The plant, which generates more than 2,000 kilowatts of electricity, was designed and constructed by the Laboratory. Harold V.  Lichtenberger, who is a U. S. technical advisor at Geneva, is Director of the  Laboratory's activities at the testing station.

This temporary transformer was  used to connect BORAX-III with the  town of Arco, Idaho.

The reactor for the nuclear power plant has been under development by the Laboratory since 1953. An experimental facility for conducting studies of a reactor of this type was constructed at the testing station site in the summer of 1953 and tests on safety and steady-state operating characteristics were conducted. The tests were sufficiently encouraging so that additional studies were made in the summer of 1954. 

Experience gained during the operation of this reactor warranted the addition of a turbo-generator so that the steam being produced could be converted into a more usable form of energy. This generation plant was placed into operation on June 28, 1955, and the production of electricity is continuing on a routine basis. 

The reactor consists of a pressure vessel containing an assemblage of enriched uranium-bearing plates submerged in water, plus a number of neutron-absorbing control rods. The water circulates through the reactor core by natural convection. Steam, produced by the heat created by the fissioning of uranium atoms, is conducted to the 3,500-kilowatt turbo-generator, located in a nearby building. 

The simplicity of construction, ease of operation, low cost, and high degree of safety suggest the possibility that this type of small power plant may be suitable for use in remote areas or in conjunction with mining or manufacturing operations.

~MWB Russ W Smith

MWB Russ W Smith is the current Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Idaho, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.  You can learn more about the Grand Lodge of Idaho here: http://www.idahomasons.org/

The Lodge on a Hill

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bill Hosler, PM

While visiting Alaska I had planned on checking out the various Masonic temples in the cities we visited across the state.  We had a very full schedule planned for the 10 days we planned to be in the state so I wouldn’t be able to explore Alaskan Freemasonry as much as I would have like to or to the extent it deserves to be featured.

On our first day we left Anchorage for the coastal town of Seward. The town’s economy is primarily based on tourism and fishing.  There are also a few museums and a historical downtown with plenty of shopping and restaurants.  It is easy to fall in love with the laid-back atmosphere of the city.

As we were checking into our hotel I happened to look to my right as I was removing the luggage from our car.  Just a few blocks down was this beautiful chapel sitting on a hill, behind it was a mountain and some tall, lush trees.  It was like a picture postcard brought to life.  After admiring the scene for a few seconds.  Then, I went about removing the luggage.  

Each time I walked out of our acclimations this little chapel caught my eye.  I decided before I left Seward, I would have to get a closer look at this beauty.  I snapped a photo, trying to capture the beauty of this scene with just my meager smartphone but the results were good but paled in comparison to actually being there.

Finally, one afternoon I had a bit of free time and decided I would use my leisure time to find the Masonic lodge building in Seward.  As a reference, I checked the Grand Lodge of Alaska’s website and I seen Seward Lodge #6 doesn’t actually have its own Masonic temple.  They meet in a church building.  The lodge meets two Saturdays each month at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Seward.  After consulting Google maps, I find that St.  Peter’s is the cute little chapel on the hill!

Seward lodge Was chartered in 1916 by the Grand Lodge of Washington #219.  In 1981 at the formation of the Grand Lodge of Alaska, Seward assumed the number #6 under the authority of the newly formed Grand Lodge.  

Seward lodge met in several places during its lifetime in this fishing village.  From 1916-1921 the lodge shared a lodge room with the local Oddfellows lodge on the third floor of the local hotel.  In 1921 they moved to the second floor of an office building until the 1960s when they built a building of their own.  I couldn’t find documentation on the web which explained when and why they moved from their building and began meeting in the church.  

St. Peter's Episcopal Church, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 106.  In 1908 the church was completed.  In 1925 a Dutch Artist Jan Van Emple pained a reredos of Christ's Resurrection which according to the church’s website says “The $650 cost was raised by popular subscription. This unique work depicts the Ascension as well as the Resurrection of our Lord. The empty tomb is shown against the background of Resurrection Bay (In Seward). Instead of apostles, the painting includes people of Alaska--Indian, Eskimo, trapper, prospector (a self-portrait of Van Emple), and homesteader, underscoring the Church's teaching to "preach peace to them that are far off and to them that are nigh." The angels on either side of the Lord are portraits of Van Emple's two sisters.”

I wish I would have had the opportunity to see the interior of the building in person or visit the brethren of Seward Lodge.  I hope someday soon I will be able to revisit and spread cement with the brethren of the lodge.  

I’m sure the members of the lodge are proud of their lodge’s unique history and the beautiful building they are fortunate enough to meet in.  I am also sure they feel lucky to reside in such a quiet, beautiful little seaside village on America’s last frontier.  

~BH

WB Bill Hosler was made a Master Mason in 2002 in Three Rivers Lodge #733 in Indiana. He served as Worshipful Master in 2007 and became a member of the internet committee for Indiana's Grand Lodge. Bill is currently a member of Roff Lodge No. 169 in Roff Oklahoma and Lebanon Lodge No. 837 in Frisco, Texas. Bill is also a member of the Valley of Fort Wayne Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite in Indiana. A typical active Freemason, Bill also served as the High Priest of Fort Wayne's Chapter of the York Rite No. 19 and was commander of the Fort Wayne Commandery No. 4 of the Knight Templar. During all this, he also served as the webmaster and magazine editor for the Mizpah Shrine in Fort Wayne Indiana.

The Original Mr. T.

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR

Most everyone has heard of Mr. T. He's an actor probably best known for his role as Sergeant Bosco Albert "B.A." (Bad Attitude) Baracus on The A-Team, a TV series from the late 1980s. The Baracus character became his breakout personality as a gruff, intimidating, no-nonsense dude who was a gentle giant… until provoked. People quickly learned – don't mess with Mr. T.

Surprisingly, someone who might be called the original Mr. T had a lot in common with his contemporary counterpart. He was a man named John Smith, who was born in Essex County Virginia sometime around 1771, and whom Ray Denslow has called, "An Original Bad Man."

In an alphabetical roll of the members of the first Lodge west of the Mississippi River, Louisiana Lodge 109, nestled between the names of "Smith, Reuben" and "Terry, Robert," appears the curious entry:

T, John Smith (C as Fellowcraft)

The cryptic entry after his name indicates he was a charter member of the Lodge in 1807 and came in as a Fellowcraft. The Lodge of his initiation remains unknown.  In 1789, still in his teens, young John Smith moved to Tennessee and somehow scraped up enough money to buy land there. With that transaction, he launched a career as a land baron and entrepreneur. Subsequently, he made extensive land purchases in Tennessee and expanded his holdings to Alabama. He became increasingly aware his name was a common one, which not only led to confusion in social situations, but also opened him up to become a victim of fraud if that confusion oozed its way over into his land contracts. He figured he needed a more distinctive name and decided to call himself "John Smith T," adding the single letter to indicate he was the John Smith from Tennessee.

Smith was a mild-mannered man and what might be said to be a "smooth-talker." He had the ability to work his way through business deals, always coming out on top. By the late 18th century, he laid claim to more than a quarter-million acres in Tennessee and northern Alabama. He set his sights on Missouri's lucrative lead mining facilities and moved there in 1797.

Brother T was successful as an entrepreneur, not so much as a result of his gifted social abilities but much more due to the fact he was a ruthless businessman. He was as nasty as they came and had the ability to make our Mr. T of the A-Team look like one of God's chosen angels.

Attempting to control the lead mining industry in Missouri, Smith T had to go up against the most powerful resident in the area, Moses Austin, father of the founder of Texas, Brother Stephen Austin. He talked, cajoled, and battled his way into several powerful positions including becoming a judge, commissioner of weights and levies, and a lieutenant colonel in the militia. With those credentials and his domineering character, he broke Austin's monopoly.

Mr. T didn't stop there. He used the lead he mined to make ammunition and began manufacturing firearms. In order to build his business, he used slave labor to assemble his guns which quickly developed the reputation of being the finest arms in the region.  He used his own weapons to become an expert marksman and that, combined with his personality's short fuse led him in a new direction. Insult Mr. T, and you would find yourself challenged to a duel in a time where anyone turning down such a challenge would be branded a coward for life.

T had a chip on his shoulder the size of the Louisiana Territory, always wore two guns at his side, two in his coat pockets, had a Bowie knife and carried a rifle he called "Hark From the Tombs." Many considered him the most dangerous man in Missouri; yet, his deceptive outward demeanor led one man to call him, "As mild a mannered man as ever put a bullet into the human body."

In 1821, a man named Richard Rose tried to persuade some of John Smith T's slaves to leave him. Smith T, in retaliation, shot and killed Rose, and became the first person to be indicted for murder in Washington County, Missouri. The indictment never went any farther and this "Teflon Desperado" was never tried for the crime. Nine years later in St.Genevieve, he got into an argument with Samuel Ball, settling things by taking out his gun and shooting Ball, who died instantly. This time he was tried but acquitted and never punished.

In 1806, he made the mistake of teaming up with Aaron Burr in Burr's futile attempt to invade Mexico. Upon learning a presidential proclamation made Burr's scheme illegal, T returned to Missouri, blaming Burr for deceiving him. Still, the federal government issued a warrant against him for treason. When officers attempted to arrest him, Smith drew his pistol and told them to leave him alone. Knowing how mean he was, they did just that. The warrant was never executed, but for that act, he was removed from all public offices.

Years later, Lionel Browne, Burr's nephew, heard T insult Burr. Browne, either out of naivety or stupidity, challenged T to a duel. Early the next morning, Browne lay dead on a dew-covered meadow in Herculaneum, Missouri, with a bullet in his forehead. An expert marksman with the best artillery, T is known to have killed at least fifteen men on the so-called "field of honor."

An enigma of a man, the quiet, unassuming Mr. T, with an itchy trigger finger was known to donate land to churches and schools. He was generous with the poor and contributed to the construction of roads and canals which helped to open the country for western expansion. No record exists that the Grand Lodge of Missouri ever sanctioned Brother T. Dueling, however, was another matter. The practice became so prevalent in the untamed territories of the early US that some Grand Lodges banned the practice, sometimes with little effect.

This man who lived by the gun did not die by one. Rather, in 1836, at the age of about 65, he died a comparatively quiet death from a fever he contracted on a trip to Tennessee.

For all his faults – and they were many – the original Mr. T, like his twentieth-century counterpart, was a gentle giant… until provoked, and, just like today, people of the 19th century quickly learned – don't mess with Mr. T.

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33°  is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is also a Fellow and Past Master of the Missouri Lodge of Research. Among his other Masonic memberships is the St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite bodies, and Moila Shrine. He is also a member and Past Dean of the DeMolay Legion of Honor. Brother Harrison is a regular contributor to the Midnight Freemasons blog as well as several other Masonic publications. Brother Steve was Editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine for a decade and is a regular contributor to the Whence Came You podcast. Born in Indiana, he has a Master's Degree from Indiana University and is retired from a 35-year career in information technology. Steve and his wife Carolyn reside in northwest Missouri. He is the author of dozens of magazine articles and three books: Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, Freemasons — Tales From the Craft and Freemasons at Oak Island.

Bro. Professor Thaddeus Sobieski Constantine Lowe

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Darin A. Lahners

Thaddeus S.C. Lowe was born on August 20, 1832 in Jefferson Mills, New Hampshire. He had no formal education, but demonstrated a thirst for knowledge which would culminate with his career as an inventor. At the age of 18, he attended a lecture given by Prof. Reginald Dinkelhoff about lighter than air gasses. He impressed the Professor with his enthusiasm on the subject, and invited him to join him as an assistant on the lecture circuit. Over the next decade, Lowe became an expert in Balloon aviation, becoming a prominent builder of ballons as well as an exhibitionist of them. In 1855, at one of his demonstrations, he met his future wife, a Parisian Actress named Leontine Augustine Gaschon. They were wed one week after meeting and eventually had 10 children together. Later in that decade, he set about building bigger balloons, and had a goal of making a transatlantic crossing in one.

In April 1861, Lowe attempted to fly from Cincinnati, Ohio to Washington, D.C. He took off on April 19, just a week after the fall of Fort Sumter and the beginning of the Civil War. Instead of heading east, his balloon was blown off course, over Virginia, down the coast of the Carolinas and into the Piedmont section of South Carolina, landing at Pea Ridge in Union, South Carolina. Upon his descent, it is said that slaves dismayed by the appearance of the balloon thought it to be unholy and fled from the fields shrieking. Locals gathered and descended upon him. One old man believed the balloon to be a bomb from Fort Sumter. While an old woman, thinking him to be a Union Spy took up a fence rail and wanted to kill him. His death was only prevented when Bro. John ‘Hezekiah” McKissick, who was late arriving at the scene, recognized Lowe’s Masonic sign of distress, verified the stranger’s identity and whisked him to safety in Union. Here he was received by local Masons and others. He spent the next day, Sunday in Union, before boarding a train for Cincinnati. It was later calculated that Bro. Lowe travelled over 800 miles in under nine hours, which was a world record for long distance and speed in air flight at the time.

In June 1861, Lowe demonstrated the usefulness of balloons when combined with new electric telegraph technology. On the 11th, from a height of 500 feet above the national mall in Washington, D.C. he transmitted the following message to the president: ““This point of observation commands an extent of country nearly 50 miles in diameter. The city with its girdle of encampments, presents a superb scene. I have pleasure in sending you this first dispatch ever telegraphed from an aerial station, and in acknowledging indebtedness for your encouragement for the opportunity of demonstrating the availability of the science of aeronautics in the military service of the country.” Little more than a month later, Lowe and his balloon saw action during the First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas). After this action, Lincoln approved the formation of the Union Army Balloon Corps, with Lowe as the chief Aeronaut. Loew’s principal contribution to the use of balloons in the military was his invention of a portable hydrogen gas generator. This compiled with the rugged material which his balloons were made of, allowed them to be deployed by the Army wherever needed. Lowe eventually built a total of seven balloons and 12 generators for the war effort.

In the spring of 1862, the Balloon Corps played a significant role in the Peninsula Campaign, observing the confederate defensive positions during the advance on Richmond. At the Battle of Seven Pines, the reconnaissance of Lowe helped identify the buildup of Confederate forces near the Fair Oaks train depot at the start of the battle. When supported with direct telegraphic links to Union Commanders, he was able to provide near real time artillery spotting to the Union artillery units. Although Lowe and his balloons were never damaged by enemy fire, Lowe would contract a serious case of malaria. The Balloon Corps was utilized during the 1862 Fredericksburg and 1863 Chancellorsville campaigns. During this period, Union commanders began to question the cost and usefulness of the balloons. Lowe resigned from the corps shortly after the Chancellorsville campaign.

Lowe returned to the private sector to recuperate from his bout with Malaria, as well as spend time with his family. As the techniques of his aerial reconnaissance began to gain influence around the world, Lowe was offered positions of Major General by Great Britain, France and Brazil. He declined the offers, but he did send a balloon with equipment including portable hydrogen generators. He consulted with their military experts, and referred his best aeronauts, the Allen Brothers to them. James and Erza Allen went on to form the Brazilian Balloon Corps. Lowe’s influence had an impact upon Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who was a military observer during the war. As General McClellan had put all balloon ride alongs off limits, Lowe referred von Zeppelin to another assistant of his, John Steiner. Steiner was also German, and could better communicate with von Zeppelin. Von Zeppelin returned in the 1870’s to discuss with Lowe his aeronautic techniques. Von Zeppelin would go onto invent the rigid airship which bears his name in 1900.

Lowe went onto continue his experiments with hydrogen gas, patenting a water gas process whereby hydrogen gas could be made by passing steam over hot coal. He also went on to patent designs for several ice making machines. He also discovered that gas burning through a platinum mantel produced a brighter illumination. He started a shipping venture where he installed refrigeration units on an old steamship, and shipped fresh fruit from New York to Galveston Texas, and brought fresh beef back. This was a first, as previously beef had to be packed in preservative salts. Unfortunately, his shipping venture failed due to his lack of knowledge about the shipping business, but the idea was carried on in several other countries. Lowe also manufactured products that ran only on hydrogen gas. His inventions and patents made him a millionaire. He was also awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal for the invention held to be most useful to mankind in 1886.

In 1887, Lowe moved to Los Angeles, California, and then moved to Pasadena in 1890. He built a 24000 square foot mansion in Pasadena, along with starting a water-gas company, founding the Citizen’s Bank of Los Angeles, establishing several ice plants, and purchasing an opera house in Pasadena. Lowe’s next project would prove to be his most difficult. Citizens of Pasadena had always had a dream of a scenic railroad to the top of the San Gabriel Mountains. A civil engineer graduate from Cornell University had developed some plans, his name was David J. Macpherson. He was introduced to Lowe with the idea of joining his plans with Lowe’s financial resources.

In 1891, they incorporated the Pasadena & Mount Wilson Railroad. Unable to obtain the right of way to Mt. Wilson, they redirected the railway toward Oak Mountain. Oak Mountain would later be renamed to Mount Lowe. Andrew McNally, a resident of Altadena, was the co-founder of Rand McNally. He had the name Mt. Lowe printed on all his maps to make it official.

The first section of the railway was opened on July 4, 1893. It started in Altadena and stretched to the top of Echo Mountain. At the top of Echo Mountain, there was a 40 room chalet. In 1894, Lowe added an 80 room hotel, called the Echo Mountain House, as well as the Lowe Observatory. By 1896, the upper division was finished into Grand Canyon ending at Ye Alpine Tavern, finishing the seven miles of track. Lowe lost his venture in 1899, which left him impoverished. The Mount Lowe Railway became part of the Pacific Electric Railway in 1902. The only part of the railway which remained Lowe’s property was his observatory on Echo Mountain. It held a 16-inch reflective telescope. The observatory was destroyed in a gale in 1928. The Railway would slowly fall victim to natural calamities as well. A fire in 1900 destroyed the Echo Mountain House. A brush fire in 1905 took out everything else except for the observatory. A flash flood in 1909 destroyed the Pavilion and an electrical fire took away the Tavern in 1936. The Los Angeles Deluge in 1938 forced the line to be abandoned.

Lowe passed away at his daughter’s home in 1913 at the age of 80. He died penniless. Lowe’s career as an aeronaut would not have been possible without the invention of some fellow Freemasons. The brothers, Joseph-Michel and Jacque-Etienne Montgolfier, were responsible for the first public demonstration of a hot air balloon on June 4, 1783. In September 1783, they demonstrated their invention in front of the Court of Versailles. This flight was the first time that living creatures were flown, as they attached a basket to the balloon which held a sheep, duck and rooster. The flight lasted 8 minutes, covered 2 miles and landed safely. Since the animals survived, the King allowed flights with humans. On November 21, 1783; the first flight piloted by humans was made by Pilâtre de Rozier, together with the marquis d'Arlandes. The flight began on the western outskirts of Paris. They flew about 3000 feet above Paris for a distance of nine kilometers. The early flights obviously made a sensation throughout Paris. Numerous works were created to commemorate the events. There were engravings, chairs with balloon backs, mantel clocks and bronze replicas with a dial set in the balloon. There was also crockery with was decorated with pictures of balloons. The Montgolfier Brothers were honored by the French Academie des Sciences for their books on aeronautics, a calorimeter and the hydrolic ram. Etienne developed a process for manufacturing vellum. Both brothers were initiated into Loge des Neuf Soeurs in Paris.

~DL

WB Darin A. Lahners is the Worshipful Master of St. Joseph Lodge No.970 in St. Joseph and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), and Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL). He’s a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, a charter member of the new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282, and is the current Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign – Urbana (IL). He is also a member of the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. You can reach him by email at darin.lahners@gmail.com.