History

The history of Mt. Horeb Lodge #137 begins soon after the first settlement in this part of the state.

At the meeting on August 20, 1853, San Gabriel Lodge, in the city of Georgetown, which was the closest city to the wild territory to the North and West of Austin, of which Samuel Mather is known to have been a member, by unanimous vote, recommended that dispensation be granted for the forming of a Masonic Lodge at Gabriel Mills, territory then within the jurisdiction of San Gabriel Lodge.

A hand full of Master Masons, Samuel Mather, William P. Rich, Isaac M. Brown, C. A. Russell, Winslow Turner, Robert G. Rice and M. S Skaggs, applied for a dispensation September 17^th, 1853 to organize a lodge at Gabriel Mills community located in the Northwestern part of Williamson County about twenty miles from Georgetown, on the North San Gabriel River, about eight miles Southwest of Florence. The site where Englishman, Samuel E. Mather, had built a water powered Grist Mill in 1849. Williamson County itself had been created only five years before the dispensation was applied for.

The Stars and Stripes of the United States Flag had replaced the Texas Lone Star Flag over the capitol in Austin by a mere eight years when in 1854 a charter was granted Mt. Horeb Lodge #137. The young State was beset with inner political quarrels, boundary disputes and unrest, previous to the war between the States. Depredation by Indian bands was common over the thinly settled country.

The first meeting place of the new lodge was a very small shanty at Gabriel Mills, with a dirt floor. But in July of 1854 a flash flood washed the shanty away along with Brother Mather’s Mill. These men were not the quitting type, so they built a new Mill, and along with it, they built a log house to serve as a schoolhouse and church, as well as Mt. Horeb Lodge #137 about a mile West of the Mill.

It was 14×16 feet with a stone fireplace. The floor was of black dirt, the seats were made of logs split open in the center, the rough splinters being hewn off with a broad axe, the roof was of oak boards split with froe and mallet. The alter they used was a section off a hollow log about twenty inches in diameter, with a board cover for the top. When the lodge was closed the alter was stored by being placed on some poles in the overhead of the building creating much interest and conjecture from the youngsters attending school. Here in this small house, on a dirt floor, those golden hearted men and Masons, at that time living on the extreme frontier, continued to meet around that crude alter until the early part of 1856.

Marker Text: ​This cabin of squared logs and hand-hewn limestone was built in the early 1850s near the village of Gabriel Mills (20 mi. NW). It stood on property owned in 1850-53 by Samuel Mather (1812-78), a miller and blacksmith who first settled the area. The structure housed church, school, and Masonic lodge meetings before it became a dwelling. Given to Georgetown by Mr. and Mrs. Emile Jamail. It was restored in 1975 in a community effort to preserve local pioneer heritage. (1976)

In 1856 Past Grand Master Sam Mather and B.K. Stewart each deeded twenty-five acres of land on which they decided to erect a two-story frame building, the upper story to be used for a lodge and the lower story for school and church purposes. This building was 20×24 feet; the sills, plates, joists, studding and rafters were of timbers that were felled, hewn and prepared in the scanty post oak forest nearby; the roof was of oak boards split with froe and mallet; the siding and floor of rough pine lumber from the nearest saw mill which was in Bastrop County.

Historical figures who were members of Mt Horeb Lodge #137 include; 1816 Grand Master, Major  A.J. Rose who in that capacity officiated at the laying of the corner stone of our magnificent Capitol at Austin; 1862 Grand Master Sam Mather; 1877 Grand Master Norton Moses.

By 1856 Mt. Horeb Lodge had become quite prosperous. Her membership stretched from Llano County, 40 miles to the West all the way to San Saba County, 60 miles to the North.

The zeal, devotion and love of Masonry of those hardy frontiersmen was such that it was a rare thing they ever failed to attend the meeting of the lodge, traveling as far as sixty miles. Although, around this time, the Comanche Indians donned their war paint, and continuously harassed the settlers, until as late as April 1872.

In 1859 the Indians killed and scalped Brother M.S. Skaggs, the first Junior Warden of Mt. Horeb Lodge and quite a number of other people were slain; hence it was necessary in those days for everybody to be armed. Members carried revolver and rifle to protect themselves, and for a time it was necessary to station guards outside the lodge building to prevent the horses from being stolen. Meetings were on Saturday nights before each full moon so that those living long distances away could see well on their return trip home. 

Members of Mt. Horeb Lodge eventually started lodges in towns closer to where they lived and with the addition of each one, the membership and opportunity for Mt. Horeb was adversely affected. Valley Lodge #175 in Burnet, Belton Lodge # 166, Florence Lodge # 338, Liberty Hill Lodge # 432, and Bertram Lodge #583 were all started by members of Mt. Horeb Lodge # 137 and that is why she is affectionately known as the “Mother Lodge of Central Texas.”

The other Lodges that came along later were obviously the offspring of her offspring. If your life has in any way been touched by Masonic Light in Central Texas, you owe a debt of gratitude to these enlightened pioneers, and the Lodge they founded and fought so hard for, from which you came.

With all of her members leaving to start other lodges, causing her to lose jurisdiction over all of her most valuable territory, it looked as if her days were numbered.

However, there were a few members who personally knew of the trials and hardships of those brave, patriotic pioneers; “we knew their worth as men and Masons; we knew their love and devotion to the lodge they had planted there. We ourselves loved Mt. Horeb as a devoted son loves his Mother; we determined regardless of any hardships, sacrifice or self-denial to keep the mother lodge alive. How well we succeeded, you younger brethren know.”

“We have never failed to pay our dues to the grand lodge and never asked for remission of dues or extension of time. We were always willing to contribute to the relief of those in distress, whether local or elsewhere.”

On the night of December 19^th, 1915, the lodge room, together with all furniture, records and charter were destroyed by fire. Immediately afterwards the members met near the ruins and unanimously decided to rebuild as soon as possible.  They received permission from grand lodge to move the location to Mahomet, a distance of two and one-half miles. Brothers G.T and W.J. Williams having donated to the lodge a suitable lot, a two story frame building, twenty-four by sixty feet was erected thereon and the lodge resumed labor without having forfeited it’s charter.

The committee turned over the new building and furniture to the lodge, not only free of debt, but with some funds in the treasury to the credit of the lodge.

Mt. Horeb has prospered in her new home and we fondly hope and believe that the future prosperity is now both sure and steadfast.

When the history of all the lodges in Texas shall have been written and brought together, we do not hope nor desire that the name of Mt. Horeb shall be at the top of the list, but we do believe she is entitled to an honorable place in the ranks of pioneer lodges in this grand jurisdiction.

In that building and in that shadow we now stand. Forever more, long after they are gone, their service to the craft is remembered and their legacy lives on in those who come after. The wall down stairs reminds us of their endurance and devotion to duty that has brought the sublime principles of Freemasonry to the good men and families of Central Texas. The path they provided for us and held true has lead us from the charter of a new lodge in the middle of the birth pangs of a new Republic turned State to the charter of a new lodge on the surface of the moon. What things she will witness and survive in the future are unknown to us, but it is our duty to see that the line is never broken or the heritage lost.

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Mt. Horeb Lodge #137 Past Masters

Photos of the men who created the “Mother Lodge of Central Texas” and kept her standing tall from the beginning to the present day.