Episode 74. 18:53 Working Tools Series – A.T.C. Pierson

Our Salute to Service continues with another installment of the 18:53 Working Tools Series. Did you know that Grand Master A.T.C. Pierson served in that position for nine years? Known as the “Father of Minnesota Freemasonry,” he faced innumerable challenges: a disastrous financial panic, the Civil War, and unifying our “work” throughout the state. 

“Brotherhood thrives upon adversity. The harder the times the stronger became the Masonic Tie. Our Brothers were determined to hold their Lodges together, and this spirit, coupled with the continuous work of Pierson among them, kept the fraternity intact.”

Transcript

0:00

The 1853 Working Tool series features shorter episodes, not exceeding 18 minutes and 53 seconds in duration. This week we are diving into the selfless service of a TC Pearson Past Grand Master of Masons in Minnesota. Pearson's served in that position for nine years and dealt with some major challenges. Disastrous financial panic, the Civil War, and unifying our work. Let's take a step back in time with the writings of Edward Johnstone in his book titled Centen, Which, by the way, is likely floating around your lodges archives. Highly recommend checking it out. Pearson served as Grand for nearly nine years. Special mention is made of his administration because it was the most critical period in the history of this jurisdiction. And to, again, pay a tribute to this very eminent and most remarkable mason. He laid the cornerstone upon which the grand masters who followed him have so ably, built the Masonic edifice of today. Early in his first year, a petition was made to him by several German brethren for a dispensation to establish a German lodge in St. Paul. This, he declined a grant on the ground. That quote, no act should be done or recognized, which will affect or tend to produce a cast of country or character among those who as one common fraternity should meet on one common level, act by one common plum, and part upon the same square unquote. In 1857, brother DA Robertson, chairman of the Executive Committee of the Minnesota Historical Society, invited the Grand Lodge to lay the cornerstone of its proposed building in St. Paul as a compliment to the craft. He named St. John the Baptist Day for the ceremony. Grand Pearson with about 200 masons present, conducted the ceremony according to Masonic Custom. This was the first public ceremony among Masons in the territory during the depression, which followed a year later, work on the building had to be abandoned and it was never finished. The zeal for the institution is well expressed in the words of Pearson at the sixth Grand Annual Communication January, 1858. Quote, what is it that has induced you, my brethren, to leave your family firesides in this cold and inclement season of the year? Some of you traveling hundreds of miles where railroads are not known through snow drifts forwarding half frozen rivers. Crossing prairies where human habitations are miles apart. Why this exposure? What inducement for this sacrifice of time? Money, and ease. What? But your love of your fellow men, your desire to counsel together to advance the interests of freemasonry unquote. He further observed. there is pervading this whole country from the Iowa line to the Crow wing river, and from the St. Croix to the Big Sioux. A desire for the establishment of Masonic lodges. It appears to be a characteristic of the brethren residing in this state or territory as soon as a home is secured, to look around among their neighbors and ascertain how many are masons to the end that a lodge may be established. When Pearson took office in January, 1856 as third grand Master, there were eight lodges on the register. Charters had been granted to Shakopee number six in 1855 and to Dakota Number seven and Hastings and Red Wing, number eight in 1856. It was in the forming of Dakota Number seven that William Lee, a pass master of King Solomon Lodge, number 14 of New Hampshire, revived a custom of the old Scotts Masons of the 17th century who met in the early morning on the top of a hill. at dawn on a fine clear June morning, he with six other Masons, four from New Hampshire and two from Ohio. Met on a circular hill near the village and there conducted separate examinations and proceeded to select the most proficient among them for officers in this proposed lodge. while he engaged, the Tyler gave an alarm. They hastily dispersed and wandered down the hill casually gathering handfuls of cornelian growing profusely on the hillside. the two strangers approaching, proved to be new settlers with spades, examining the topsoil on the prairie. Ironically. They were afterwards found to be masons. After this lodge received its dispensation, it held its first formal meeting in Smith's Hall, for which it paid$1 per night for the use of the room, warmed and lighted unquote. Red Wing Lodge. Number eight had grown from a small and pioneer beginning to one of the most substantial lodges in the jurisdiction. In Pearson's second year, the territory was stricken by a disastrous financial panic. This occurred in the fall of 1857. There was no money in circulation. Those who had any kept it locked in their strong boxes. Checks on Minnesota banks were worthless. Debts and other contractual obligations were paid with script and shin. Plasters were used in the place of small currency. All kinds of commercial progress was stifled and there was no incentive for the investment of capital. Hennepin Lodge number four and Winona Lodge number 18. Adopted resolutions requiring all dues and fees to be paid in silver or gold. Other lodges adopted similar precautions. The records of the Lodges show these were hard times, and that recovery was slow. Territorial days passed into history on May 11th, 1858, when Minnesota became the 32nd state of the Union, but it had little or no effect on the financial situation. Then came the Civil War. Followed by the Sioux Rebellion, large areas of the most productive farmland along the Minnesota River Valley were deserted in his address In 1861, Pearson said, quote, I have looked forward to this meeting with anxious forebodings, doubting whether a quorum would be in attendance. Every lodge in the state has lost for the time being, more or less of its numbers. In some, all of the acting members are gone engaged in the service of the country. Pecuniary embarrassment exists from one end of the state to the other. No section of it is exempt. Under such circumstances, it is a source of peculiar gratification to witness so large a representation of the craft in this jurisdiction, unquote. These were his remarks at the 10th Grand Annual communication in October of that year After a canvas of the lodges, Pearson did not call the grand Annual communication in 1862. The state of the craft is best expressed in his own words, quote, not a company has gone from this state, but that some of our lodges were represented in it. Not a regiment, but that at least one half of its officers were members of our order. Not a lodge in the state, but that some of its officers have answered their country's call in some of our lodges. One year since all of the officers had gone in, others, a portion of the officers and members, and in one lodge, but three members were left so crippled were our lodges that in September, 1862. I sent a circular letter to the lodges requesting their views as to the policy of postponing the meeting of the Grand Lodge, unquote Thomas C. Clark Pass Master of St. John's number one. Grand old veteran of Masonry and the Spanish American War President of the Masonic Veterans Association for 30 years from 1904 to 1934. Speaking of St. John's, number one said, 41 wore the blue. A striking evidence, surely that masonry does not conflict with loyalty to one's country, but rather that it fosters it unquote. William P. Roberts, past Grand Master in 1908. Writing of Hennepin Number four lists, 44 members of that lodge who served in the Union Army. He stated the shock of the war fairly stunned. The lodge and meetings were well nice suspended. St. Paul number three and ancient landmark number five had similar lists of Patriots who left their homes and gainful occupations in defense of the Union. Unfortunately, all the records and Chronicles of these two lodges were totally destroyed by fire. Every lodge that existed at that time could tell a similar story. Were there historical records collected and given here, but brotherhood thrives upon adversity. The harder the times, the stronger became the masonic tie. Our brothers were determined to hold their lodge together in this spirit. Coupled with the continuous work of Pearson among them, kept the fraternity intact. He spent long days traveling to lodges, sometimes in the most inclement weather, using riverboats, open buggies, sleighs, or farmer's wagons to reach his destination. The enthusiasm among the lodges and the desire for Masonic knowledge compelled him to stay from two to four days at many places, instructing the lodges in the work, informing them on matters of procedure and explaining correct methods of keeping and writing their records. Pearson was known as a wise counselor, well learned in the Constitution laws and usages of masonry. He was also a profound student of the ancient work and taught it to the lodges. At that time, the lodges were composed of masons from 34 jurisdictions. They brought the work they had learned causing a circumstantial variation among them. The language and modes were often improvised by reason of the frailties of the mind. After a long lapse of contact with their old lodges, Pearson attempted to unify the work and in order to identify it, they referred to it as the Pearson work. his work was confirmed by the Grand Lodge in 1865. For the reason that so many of the officers of lodges had not returned from military service. No program was adopted at that time to instruct the lodges in it. It was unquestionably the pian web work. On one of his visitations, the brothers had driven him to a boat landing on the Mississippi to board a Steamboat to St. Paul, which was due late that night. I. He sat on a keg all night long studying the celestial bodies awaiting the boat, which did not appear around the bend until after dawn the following day. Another anecdote is told at the expense of the Grand Master when he visited Mankato number 12, to confer the master Mason's degree upon two candidates. The lodge held its communication in a room which was used as a general meeting place for all occasions in the town. That night, the Presbyterians were having a social and lecture in the room after coffee and cake. The minister and elders retired at a decorous hour, but the young folks, knowing the Masons wanted to occupy the room, kept up the festivities until two o'clock in the morning. When they retired, exhausted, the masons marched in. The degree was conferred in full and regular form, and when the lodge was closed, the sun was well up over the horizon. Mrs. Pearson was a great helpmate and inspiration to the grandma during his long term of office being a kindly woman with a charitable heart. She helped him in his work in the many details of his office. She was a great lover of the fraternity and was constantly at work in its interests. In the proceedings of the Grand Lodge appears this resolution quote that the Grand Lodge of Minnesota presents. Its fraternal thanks to Mrs. Pearson, wife of the most worshipful grandma for the skill, labor and beauty with which she has adorned the Grand Lodge regalia. She was constantly making correct regalia for the lodges with little hope of fee or reward at its first annual reunion held in January, 1893, the Masonic Veteran Association presented her with a jewel, which she prized very highly on, which was inscribed, quote, with the best wishes and loving remembrance of the Masonic Veteran Association of the State of Minnesota, unquote. one of the events of these days was the completion of the first 10 miles of railway built in the state between St. Paul and St. Anthony. The first train traveled over it on June 28th, 1862. In 1864, a line was completed to Elk River, a distance of 34 miles. the year following the Minnesota Valley Railroad had built as far as Shakopee a distance of about 30 miles. The much needed telegraph line had been completed to St. Paul in August, 1860. The only reliable information on which to base an estimate of the population of this period is a census made in the principal towns in the early sixties. It showed the population of St. Paul 10,401 St. Anthony, 3,258. Minneapolis 2,564 Winona 2,464 and Stillwater 2,380. There were 41 Lodges Chartered during Grandma Pearson's term of office. He He retired in October, 1864 and was elected Grand Secretary, an office he held for only one year for many succeeding years. He was chairman of the Grand Lodge Committee on Foreign Correspondence In 1876, he was again elected Grand secretary and served in that office for 14 years to the time of his death in 1889. He was the only grand of this jurisdiction who had never been the master of a lodge Masonry sends forth no missionaries. Its progress is a force of nature that stems from the age old desire among men to unite in a bond of friendship for their mutual welfare and happiness. And so it was. The groups of Sojourning Masons who had come to reside in the new towns and villages, formed themselves into lodges as soon as there were sufficient numbers to do so that they might meet and work together as masons and enjoy one another's society. This has been another episode of the 1853 Working Tool series. Thanks for listening to Minnesota Masonic Histories and Mysteries.