Jackson Masons build a new temple

Workers clean up the debris left after a tornado struck Jackson March 11, 1923. (Southeast Missourian archive)

On March 11, 1923, a tornado tore through Jackson. It was an event the Southeast Missourian has written about several times, most recently on May 9, 2003, after another twister touched down in the county seat in what reporter Mike Wells described as "a near repeat" of its predecessor:

"Though few people today could possibly recall it, Tuesday's tornado was not the first time the heart of Jackson was ripped apart by a fury of wind. Eighty years have passed but the story was much the same then as it was this week.

"A tornado devastated the town March 11, 1923, destroying homes, businesses and churches. The descriptions reported by the Southeast Missourian of that cyclone's path and its aftermath are eerily similar to Tuesday's (May 6, 2003) storm.

"The 1923 funnel first dropped down in the cemetery at Missouri and Madison streets, taking down monuments and uprooting trees. Tuesday's tornado first hit a block south of the cemetery at Kasten Masonry. Both took similar northeast paths up through the business district, destroying buildings, overturning cars and whipping down power and telephone wires.

"Eighty years ago, Jackson's city limits were much smaller. The 1923 tornado twisted through the city until it left the northeast side and plunged into the countryside, where it blasted barns and outbuildings. Part of that area today is now the Bent Creek subdivision.

"The similarities don't end with the nearly identical paths:
* Both tornadoes left a trail of damage more than 50 yards wide and came within a block of the county courthouse without causing any damage to it.
* Neither tornado killed anyone in Jackson or nearby, and city residents then and now said it was 'miraculous' no one died, considering the devastation.
* Eleven people died in a tornado Sunday night in Madison County, Tennessee, where a town also named Jackson was struck. The 1923 tornado killed 20 people there.
* Volunteers from Cape Girardeau arrived within a few hours after both tornadoes to provide assistance.

"While the 1923 storm tore the roof from the Jackson Mercantile Co. and at least five other buildings, Tuesday's did much of the same to the police and fire complex, Immaculate Conception School and several businesses. The buildings that were completely destroyed by the 1923 tornado included the Masonic Hall at the corner of High and Adams streets, the Corinthian Baptist Church and the Episcopal Church.

"The first tornado did about $100,000 in damage to Jackson. But because Tuesday night's cyclone damaged almost 200 structures, the cost to clean up and rebuild will be in the millions.

"An account published in the March 12, 1923, edition of the Southeast Missourian described a church congregation's reaction to the tornado:
"'At the Baptist church, services were going on. Some of the members evinced anxiety when the storm appeared, but the pastor, Rev. Colter, dismissed their alarms with, "It is a bad storm, but we'll escape it." The words were scarcely uttered when the full face of the tornado struck the building. Bricks began to fly and people fled from the edifice.'

"From the archived stories, it appears Jackson residents in 1923 were just as resilient and determined to pick up the debris and rebuild as they are today, evidenced by the rebuilding of the First Baptist Church and the Masonic Lodge.

"Perhaps the only striking difference between the tornadoes are injuries. Tuesday's tornado is linked to perhaps only two minor injuries, according to city officials.

"But in 1923, several women and children were cut by shards of glass and injured by debris. The victims included: Mrs. Charles F. Brennecke, who was struck by timbers, members of the Schmuke family, who were cut by shattering window glass, and Rose Sachse, who was struck by debris.

"An Australian shepherd named Pea kenneled at the K-9 Training Center escaped death Tuesday as the tornado destroyed the kennel. The only noted animal deaths in the 1923 twister included a cow, a horse and a police dog owned by Charlie Query."

Members of the Corinthian Baptist Church, a Black congregation, decided to rebuild at the same location of their destroyed church, south of the Masonic hall. A cornerstone for the new edifice was placed in June 1923, but Missourian files give few details, except that "the architecture of the church will be different from any employed in the erection of any church in the county. There will be no spire, dome or steeple, neither will there be any bell or belfry. There will be no 'ginger-bread' work about the building, neither will it be of the old style; the elongated square box structure. It will be one story and will have a portico with Corinthian columns supporting it." (Southeast Missourian, June 19, 1923) The church was completed before the end of 1923.

The Missourian library yielded more information about the Masonic hall's re-construction.

The Masonic Temple in Jackson was completed in June 1924. (Southeast Missourian archive)

Published June 19, 1923, in the Southeast Missourian:

NEWS FROM COUNTY SEAT

Plans for the new Baptist church and the Masonic building have been finally agreed upon, and work is to start at once. The two buildings, to stand in close proximity to one another, will each mark a departure from the ordinary, in that each will be distinctive and by its exterior will give an idea of its purpose...

The Masonic building will not be of the ordinary "lodge room" or "hall" design, but in it will be combined chasteness of design with grandeur of conception and effect, and the interior will be given a dignity such as has never been shown before in this city.

Published Aug. 30, 1923, in the Southeast Missourian:

NEWS FROM COUNTY SEAT

In taking down the north wall of the old Masonic hall, the corner stone was opened this week, and the contents of the tin box in the cavity of the stone removed. It was found that moisture had badly corroded the box, but some of the contents were yet recognizable.

There was a Bible, a paper, presumably college paper of the Kentucky Military Institute, bearing the name of J.A. Horrell, the St. Louis Republican of Sept. 24, 1879, a copy of the Missouri Republican dated Sept. 23, 1879, Cashbook of Sept. 25, 1879; there was a McCormick Harvesting machine catalogue (printed in German) extolling the virtues of the wire binder, prospectus of an Insurance Company, a clay pipe, package of smoking tobacco, plug chewing tobacco, cigar, a vial half full of oil and wine, and the following coins: Silver dollar of 1875, quarter of 1861, a British coin of 1816, Mexican coin 1828, German 5 Pffennig piece with the initials J.H.S. (presumably Jacob Henry Schaefer) stamped on it, 1875; one cent copper of 1848, American half dime of 1852, two shilling piece date obliterated, and several Spanish coins and others too much corroded to be identified.

The "History of Southeast Missouri" gives the date of laying the corner stone as Aug. 7, 1879, which must be erroneous, as some of the papers bear a later date.

It is proposed to place in the corner stone of the new Masonic building the coins and such other of the old relics which are supposed to be serviceable.

Published Nov. 17, 1923, in the Southeast Missourian:

CORNERSTONE LAYING

A number of Cape Girardeau Masons are planning to attend the cornerstone laying of the new Masonic Temple at Jackson, which will be observed on Monday. Grand Master Joseph McIntyre will have charge of the ceremonies.

The members of the Jackson lodge No. 441 A.F. and A.M. will meet at the old Methodist church at 3 p.m. and will go to the new building in a body.

Published Nov. 19, 1923, in the Southeast Missourian:

NEWS FROM COUNTY SEAT

This day will be memorable for Jackson and it will have a prominent place in the annals of the Masonic Order in this city and in the county generally. The laying of the corner stone for the Masonic building, on the corner of South High and First South streets, which took place today and was attended by many of the members of nearby lodges, was conducted under the most impressive ceremonies. A receptacle containing many relics and mementos of this day was placed in the corner stone. The brick work on the new building is well under way and will be pushed with all vigor so long as the weather permits. Matted brick are being used, the same as were used in rebuilding the Baptist church just south of the Masonic building. Both buildings occupy the same sites on which stood the respective old buildings, wrecked by a cyclone on March 11, this year.

Published Nov. 20, 1923, in the Southeast Missourian:

NEWS FROM COUNTY SEAT

A large crowd witnessed the placing of the corner stone for the new Masonic building by Grand Master Jos. McIntyre yesterday afternoon. The members of Excelsior Lodge and the visiting Masons assembled at the temporary quarters, in the old McKendree church. At the appointed hour the assembly marched from the old church to the site of the new building, and there were 105 members in line. After the ceremonies, which were impressive, the assembled spectators soon scattered, first having been photographed several times.

Published June 12, 1924, in the Southeast Missourian:

NEWS FROM THE COUNTY SEAT

Everything is in readiness for the banquet and dedication of the new Masonic Temple tonight. About 400 will attend the banquet. The women of the Eastern Star have worked all this week getting everything ready for the big time. About 1,000 people are expected to be present. Grand lodge officers will be present.

Published June 12, 1924, in the Southeast Missourian:

MASONIC OFFICERS HERE FOR DEDICATION

J.S. McIntyre, grand master of the Missouri Grand Lodge, A.F. and A.M. of St. Louis, and Frank R. Jesse, secretary of the grand lodge and also of St. Louis, arrived in Cape Girardeau today at noon and were met at the station by a delegation of local and Jackson Masons, after which a luncheon was held at "Ma" Cooper's for them. McIntyre, assisted by Jesse and other Masonic officers, will dedicate the new temple at Jackson tonight. A large body of members of the local members of the local chapter will attend the banquet and dedication ceremonies.

Published June 13, 1924, in the Southeast Missourian:

MASONS AT JACKSON DEDICATE FINE NEW HOME WITH CEREMONY

The new home of Excelsior Lodge, No. 441, Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, was dedicated Thursday evening in the presence of nearly 400 Masons, who came from six states to assist in the ceremonies. Joseph F. McIntyre of St. Louis, grand master of the Grand Lodge of Missouri, officiated at the services, being assisted by Grand Secretary F.R. Jesse and a number of deputies and past deputies from the Masonic district.

Preceding the dedication services, which started shortly after 8 o'clock, dinner was served to the large gathering, the spacious dining room and hall being crowded to capacity twice. Everyone was amply provided for and the women who served the meal received high praise. It was undoubtedly the largest gathering of its kind ever held in the county seat and was so well arranged that there was no confusion at any time.

The dedication service opened with a quartet, composed of Sherman Cracraft, Fred Schneider, Dewey Talley and Clyde Mabrey, singing a selection. The grand master, with his escorts of district deputies, past deputies, worshipful masters and past masters, entered and lined up in front of the altar, Grand Master McIntyre saying the short service that dedicated the building for Masonic purposes. This was followed by a violin solo by Henry Mueller and vocal solos by Sherman Cracraft and Adolph Mueller.

Address by McIntyre

Grand Master McIntyre then gave an address which was declared by leading Masons present to have been one of the most instructive and complete discourses on Masonry ever given in this district. He went back to the beginning of Masonry in ancient times and followed it through the medieval times and up to the present. Real Masonry, he said, began when Moses declared that there was only one true and living God, upon which Masonry was founded. He also gave Martin Luther and King Henry VIII of England credit for having much to do with the making of Masonry.

He discussed Masonry in England in the medieval times and to the present and then led up to the beginning of the fraternity in our own country and of the great part it played in the Revolutionary War and the ultimate winning of our independence. He lauded George Washington as a Mason and said he hoped the Masonic fraternity would not be as long in completing the financing of the big Masonic memorial being erected to Washington as the United States was in completing the Washington monument.

He lauded Masonry in Missouri and expressed his thanks for the support he had been given during his term as grand master in the state. He said he had visited 110 lodges and given that number of Masonic addresses since he took up his duties last October and everywhere he visited he had met with the utmost cooperation.

In closing his remarks Mr. McIntyre said he would like to see more of the secrets of Masonry voted out so that more of the true workings of the organization could be seen and understood and more benefits derived from this organization.

Fine lodge home

Jackson's new Masonic temple is perhaps the finest to be found in Southeast Missouri. It is complete in every way and was built for Masonic purposes only. On the lower floor is a large dining room, a club room, a smoking room and a kitchen. The lodge hall is on the second floor and there are a number of smaller rooms around it, which are used by lodge members, DeMolays and members of the Eastern Star to store paraphernalia. A balcony in one end of the room is especially suited for music.

Excelsior Lodge has a membership of about 150, but many of them are scattered in other states at the present. The cost of the building, which is located on Jackson's most prominent street and at the entrance of the business section, was about $30,000.

Lodges in the following cities and towns were represented at the gathering: Winterhaven, Florida; Columbia, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; Lamsville, Illinois; Maxwell, California; New Madrdid, Cape Girardeau, St. Louis, Festus, Chaffee, Charleston, Piedmont, Marble Hill, Pocahontas, Millersville, Oak Ridge, St. Marys, Laflin, Nevada, Leland, Greenville, Winston and Jackson. Nearly 200 were in attendance from Cape Girardeau alone.