Merrill C. Meigs

Merrill C. Meigs, a member of Welcome Lodge 916, Chicago and the aviation pioneer for whom Chicago's Meigs Field is named gave Brother Harry Truman a series of Flying lessons.

Shadrach Bond

Shadrach Bond (1773-1832) was not only the first Grand Master of Illinois, but also was the state's first Governor.

Mason Locke Weems

Mason Locke Weems (1760-1825), Lodge 50, Dumfries, Virginia, was an itinerant preacher and author.  He wrote the first biography of George Washington.  After several editions, Weems added a nearly insignificant anecdote about Washington's youth.  Whether that story is truth, legend or a fabrication, it almost unexpectedly helped the book retain its status as a bestseller and needs only to be identified as, "The Cherry Tree Story."  Today, it remains an icon of American folklore.

Initiated On His Deathbed

Presbyterian clergyman Moses D. Hoge was said to have been the most eloquent speaker in the southern Presbyterian church.  Lodge 51, Richmond, Virginia initiated him into all three degrees November 22, 1898 and appointed him Lodge Chaplain.  The entire ceremony took place in his bedroom with Brother Hoge on his deathbed.  Lodge minutes reported the Grand Master of Virginia, R.T.W. Duke, Jr., conferred the degrees, "dispensing with such portions of the ceremony as in his opinion the physical condition of the candidate required."

Masonic Stamp Cancellations

Prior to 1895, local postmasters had the authority to make their own hand stamps for cancelling postage.  Not surprisingly, many incorporated the square and compasses into their personal design.

Colonel Sanders

Harland David Sanders (1890-1980), Hugh Harris Lodge 938, Corbin, Kentucky, was founder of the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises.  He became so much a part of the fabric of his home state of Kentucky that when he died his body lay in state in the rotunda of the Kentucky State Capitol and he was honored with a bust in the same building.  Both are distinctions rarely bestowed on private citizens.

To Confuse Future Archaeologists

A massive 67-foot statue of Brother Sam Houston stands north of Houston in Huntsville, Texas.  At its completion, the concrete mixer used for assembly was placed inside the statue at the position of Brother Houston's heart.  According to the museum curator at the site, "They did that just to confuse future archaeologists."