As
Olive Branch Lodge No. 38 celebrates the 175th anniversary of its
Charter this year, we hope to bring several articles about the history of the
lodge and its members to this web page.
The first of these articles is about the lodge’s first Master, Brother
William E. Russell.
William
E. Russell, First Master of Olive Branch Lodge No. 38
The
introduction of Freemasonry and Olive Branch Lodge 38 to this area of Illinois
would surely have been delayed and may not have enjoyed the success it did were
it not for Brother William Edward Russell.
According to Lottie E. Jones in her book, History of Vermilion County Illinois, A Tale of Its Evolution,
Settlement and progress for Nearly a Century Volume 1 pages 160 and 153-154,
Russell, a native of Middletown, Connecticut had made his way to Vermilion
county and Danville in 1833. Here he was in the merchant as well as the loan
and land businesses. She described him as, “prominent in public affairs.” This was evidenced by the fact that he was
commissioned as Register for the Danville Land Office from 1845 to 1849 and as
Receiver of the same from 1853 until his death in 1856. So, Brother Russell was one of those who came
to Danville early in the years after its establishment, with the sale of city
lots in 1827, and would contribute not only to the development and success of
the area, but especially to the success and development of the Fraternity in
it.
A
better description of the beginnings of Olive Branch Lodge, the Fraternity
in our area, and the part Brother Russell played cannot be found than what Brother Gilbert Haven Stephens, Past
Master of Olive Branch Lodge No. 38 and Past Grand Master of the Most
Worshipful Grand Lodge of Illinois, wrote in the Special section of The Danville Commercial-News September
29, 1946.
Brother Stephens wrote, “The few years that
elapsed from this beginning to the time when the town numbered about 500 passed
slowly. In 15 years, very few families
were emboldened to try their fortune in this uninviting place where only the
salt wells gave promise of any future.
But among those who came, there were those who had lived in the East,
and had enjoyed the fellowship which came from Masonic membership. They found
this understanding a great pleasure as they met as strangers in this new
country, became friends and passed long evenings in visiting and relating their
experiences to each other. Soon, the
desire became stronger to foster a closer relationship in the formation of a
lodge or society where they could pool their strength and be a power for good
in the growing hamlet.
True, it was virgin soil but well adapted to the growth of the
organization which practiced its peculiar rites and ceremonies with none to
behold but the All-Seeing Eye, and those so fortunate to be admitted behind the
veil of secrecy.
In the winter of 1846, a meeting was called in the home of one of
these Masons and plans were perfected to petition for the privilege of
organizing lodge. Those who attended
knew full well the influence for good such an organization could be. The putting into activity the principles of
friendship, love, morality, truth, charity and relief found a fertile field and
was one of the great blessings which came to this pioneer community.
A temporary organization was formed and William E. Russell, a
Mason who had received his degrees in Pennsylvania, was given authority to
contact the Grand Master, William F. Walker, who lived in Chicago, and present
the petition. It was a long trip to make
but he set out on it with the determination to get the coveted authority. He returned in about ten days and, calling
the brethren together, delivered the dispensation by early candle light on the
evening of April 7, 1846. This official
document read thus: ‘I grant a
dispensation to Brother William E. Russell, John Payne, John Thompson, and the
requisite additional brethren to form and open a lodge at Danville, in this
state by the name of Olive Branch 38, and designate William E. Russell as
master, John Payne as senior warden and John Thompson as junior warden. The fee of $15.00 was paid for the
dispensation.’ The minutes show that the
lodge was opened in peace and harmony in due and ancient form. The first master, William E. Russell, was
about 50 years old at that time and took an important part in the civil
activities of his time. He was a trader,
or perhaps what we would term a real estate dealer, and interested in the sale
of government lands.
To him, Masonry owes more, perhaps, than any other man in the
early development of our fraternity. He
not only made the trip to Chicago for the dispensation but in the fall of that
year went to Peoria where the grand lodge held its annual session and obtained
the charter which made the organization complete. All this was done at his own expense.
He also organized the Masonic Lodge at Georgetown, now called
Russell Lodge in honor of the founder.
He was the guiding spirit which brought Milford Lodge into being, and in
1849 was elected junior grand warden of the Grand Lodge of Illinois. He guided Olive Branch lodge through a very
critical time as master in 1846-1847-1848 and 1849.”
It
should also be noted that according to H.W. Beckwith, himself a Past Master of
Olive Branch No. 38, in his book, History
of Iroquois County Together with Historic Notes on the Northwest pages
527-528, Brother Russell also served as the first Master of Iroquois Lodge No.
83. This lodge organized in Middleport
in 1850 was the first lodge in Iroquois County.
Brother
Russell died in 1856 and is buried in Spring Hill Cemetery, Danville, Illinois.
Brian
L. Pettice
Worshipful
Master Olive Branch No. 38
