Reason Hooton

 When we last visited Brother Stephens's article on the history of Olive Branch Lodge, Brother Lamon was Master.  We now return to the article.  

"The next master played an important part in the affairs of the lodge and city.  He was James H. Phillips, a prominent businessman and one of the founders of the Building and Loan Association with which he worked for many years.  He was installed publicly as Master Dec. 27, 1858 and upheld the dignity and reputation of Masonry during the stormy times preceding and during the Civil War.  The lodge had grown steadily to a membership of 52 and on its membership role were the names of many prominent and influential men of this vicinity.  The affairs of the lodge soon were taken over by a farmer, the first in the list of masters who had followed that vocation.  He was Reason Hooton, father of George Hooton who afterwards became the master.  There have been two other instances where father and son have attained the honor of being masters, Walter S. Matthews and his son, Walter R., and Arthur F. Johnston and his son J. Reno.

Brother Hooton was 53 when he was elected master, but he had been an active mason for many years and came within two votes of being nominated as vice president of the United States.  He was succeeded by W. M. Payne, who lived where Payne Ave. starts on North St., that street having been named after him.  He was the sheriff of Vermilion County and many times was called upon to settle riots and other disturbances caused by discussions on slavery."

Here is a link to an interesting article on the home of Reason Hooton and an incident there involving Abraham Lincoln.  

https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/Illinois/_Texts/DRUOIH/Central_Illinois/20*.html