The land called Texas was a land where survival was the most important thing in a settler's day to day life. There wasn't any such thing as churches, schools and lodges, or homes and unless they brought a woman with them, there weren't any of them here either. They had to build shacks or dugouts of one kind or another until they could find the time and means to build something more substantial while they were trying to scrach a living from the land while they defended it against the indian and outlaw raiders.
The first known Masonic meeting ever held in Texas was in February 1828 when Stephen F. Austin, Ira Ingram (who had his land in what would be Waller County) and 5 other masons met in San Felipe. They met to draw up a petition to get a dispensation to form new masonic lodge in San Felipe Texas. The petition was submited to the grand lodge in Mexico City. The petition was never acted on.
The second effort was organized in Brazoria County in March of 1835 for the purpose of establishing a lodge in Texas. After meeting under an oak tree near the town of Brazoria the six Masons attending decided to apply to the Grand Lodge of Louisiana for a dispensation to create a new lodge in Texas. After the dispensation was issued the first Texas lodge, called Holland Lodge No. 36, was formed and opened. It was named after John Henry Holland who was the Grand Master of Masons in Louisiana.
John M. Allen delivered the charter for the new lodge to Anson Jones, the first Worshipful Master of Holland Lodge No. 36, just before the battle begin at the San Jacinto battleground. Holland Lodge No. 36 was later changed to Holland No. 1.
Two additionalTexas lodges were formed, and each given a dispensation and charter by the Grand Lodge of Louisiana. They were: Milam Lodge No. 40 in Nacogdoches, and McFarland Lodge No. 41 in San Augustine. Both of these lodges were formed in 1837. Representatives from the two new lodges, and Holland Lodge No. 36, met in Houston and established the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas. Anson Jones who was the fourth and final President of the Republic of Texas was elected as the first Grand Master of Masons in Texas.
By the time the first meeting of the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas was held in Houston on April 16, 1838 the list contained 25 lodges. The following is a list of those lodges:
| Holland No. 1 |
Houston |
| Milam No. 2 |
Nacogdoches |
| McFarland No. 3 |
San Augustine |
| Temple No. 4 |
Houston |
| St. John's No. 5 |
Brazoria |
| Harmony No. 6 |
Galveston |
| Matagorda No. 7 |
Matagorda |
| Phoenix No. 8 |
Washington |
| DeKalb No. 9 |
DeKalb |
| Perfect Union No. 10 * |
San Antonio |
| Milam No. 11 |
Independence |
| Austin No. 12 |
Austin |
| Constantine No. 13 |
Bonham |
| Trinity No. 14 |
Livingston |
| Santa Fe No. 15 * |
Santa Fe (N.M.) |
| Friendship No. 16 |
Clarksville |
| Orphan's Friend No. 17 |
Anderson |
| Washington No. 18 |
Washington |
| Forrest No. 19 |
Huntsville |
| Graham No. 20 |
Brenham |
| Trinity No. 21. |
Crockett |
| Marshall No. 22 |
Marshall |
| Clinton No. 23 |
Henderson |
| Red Land No. 24 |
San Augustine |
| Montgomery No. 25 |
Montgomery |
* Never chartered
From that meager beginning, Masonry in Texas has grown to over 900 lodges with more than 100,000 members.
To separate the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas from the Republic of Texas is not easily accomplished. Since a large number of the participants were Masons, it is akin to watching plays on two stages with the same actors scurrying back and forth. Independence from Mexico had been won at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, and during the next months the infant republic struggled to establish itself.
As 1837 dawned, the Treasury was almost devoid of funds, plans for the defense of the republic had hardly begun, and the economy was shaky. Yet, it was a society full of hope, a society still predominantly masculine. As historian Archie McDonald put it, "Masonry in such a society could perform many functions, including that of fraternity for lonely men, and it could act as a force for morality for men without other, more ordinary, restraint."
Anson Jones had returned to Houston and re-opened Holland Lodge No. 1. Milan Lodge No. 2 at Nacogdoches and McFarland Lodge No. 3 at San Augustine had formed. In November, 1837, Holland Lodge passed a resolution inviting the lodges at Nacogdoches and San Augustine to meet with Holland Lodge in Houston on the 27th of December for the purpose of forming a GrandLodge.
The assembly actually was held on December 20 in the Senate Chamber of the capitol building with Sam Houston presiding. Anson Jones moved that the several lodges "consider it a matter of right, and for the general benefit of the Order" to organize themselves "into a Grand Lodge within the Republic, and that they now proceed to organize the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas, and the Masonic Jurisdication there unto belonging." The motion passed unanimously. Adolphus Sterne of Milan Lodge then moved that all Master Masons present be made members of the Grand Lodge, and, in a second motion, that they proceed to elect Grand Officers. Anson Jones was elected Grand Master. The rules and by-laws of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana were adopted "for present government so far as it is applicable to our situation," and a committee was appointed to draft a Constitution.
At the first communication of the Grand Lodge held in April 1838, the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee was adopted "with such changes in its regulations and phraseology as will adapt it to the local conditions and wants of this Grand Lodge."
No reason for switching from the Louisiana Constitution to that of Tennessee was given. Meanwhile, the committee appointed to draft a Constitution continued its work, and on 19 May 1838, the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas adopted its own Constitution.
From three small but all-important lodges sprang what was to become a mighty Grand Grand Lodge, the Masonic heritage of which had followed a clear path. Out of the Ancient Grand Lodge of England came the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania which in turn chartered four of the five lodges that formed the Grand Lodge of Louisiana; and out of that body came the charters for the original three lodges in Texas. Like its forebears, the Constitution of the Texas Grand Lodge stated that its members were Ancient York Rite Masons practicing Masonry as it was agreed to at York, England, in 926 A.D. The words"York Rite Masons" were dropped from the Constitution in 1858, and since that time we have been Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. In 1846, the "Act to Incorporate the Society of Free Masons, composed of Lodges and Chapters" was adopted. Finally, in 1849, came the "Act to Incorporate The Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, in and for the State of Texas, under and by the name and style of The Grand Lodge of Texas," and so it has been ever since.