Part 472: Back to Bestor G. Brown in 1903
In 1903 Thomas G. Moses was living in Mount Vernon, New York, and maintaining a studio in New York City. His firm, Moses & Hamilton, employed a small staff, using the paint frames at the American Theatre. While Moses was busy creating a variety of settings for Broadway, touring productions, and outdoors amusements, the Masonic scenery market started to surge.
This brings us to the point of the theatrical manufacturers and suppliers who were outfitting Masonic theaters. Business alliances start to form, including that between M. C. Lilley & Sosman & Landis in Chicago. At this same time that Masonic business increases, Landis retires from the company due to poor health. This leaves Sosman overwhelmed with the combined duties of running both the shops and completing all necessary administrative duties. Landis was in charge of sales and marketing, whereas Sosman controlled the manufacturing end of the business.
Enter, Bestor G. Brown, Mason and salesman for M. C. Lilley. Bestor G. Brown (1861-1917) was a key individual in the development of Masonic stages during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries; an instrumental figure in the promotion of Scottish Rite degree productions across the country. Brown entered Masonic regalia and paraphernalia sales in 1892, working as a traveling salesman with his home residence in Chicago from 1892 to 1898. The potential for future sales offered during the Columbian Exposition was a major incentive for Brown to leave Kansas and head to Illinois. In 1899, Brown moved to Topeka, Kansas, and then Kansas City in 1904, relocating to this central hub as the western sales manager of M. C. Lilley Company. The need for a regional office in 1904 was a direct result of sales skyrocketing in the western region. Brown was in the right place at the right time. For more information about Brown, see past installments #351-353.
Brown’s involvement with Freemasonry extended to the Scottish Rite, York Rite, Midian Shrine, and Order of the Eastern Star. This brings us to 1903, when Brown became the Grand Master of Kansas. He was also the Past High Priest of the Grand Chapter, Royal Arch Masons of Kansas; Past Master (and one of the first members initiated) of Siloam lodge, No. 225, A.F. and A.M.; Past Grand Master of the Grand Council; Past Grand Commander of Knights Templar in Kansas; General Grand Scribe of the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons; a Past Grand Sovereign of the Grand Imperial Council of the Red Cross of Constantine; and an officer in the national Grand Council. Brown also had the distinction of having sat at the Royal Lodge in London when King Edward presided (Fort Scott Daily Tribune, 12 July 1917, page 2). Other fraternities that Brown joined included the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and the Psi Upsillon Fraternity, of which he organized several chapters.
Here is the section titled “Masonic” that appeared in“The Portsmouth Herald” on June 12th 1893 (page 3). I am posting the section in its entirety, as it is a wonderful snapshot into Masonic activity and Brown’s level of fraternal involvement.
“Masonic.
The new grand master of Kansas, Bestor G. Brown, has been unusually active in lodge, chapter and council work since his admission to the fraternity in 1884 and is noted for his devotion to Masonry. Mr. Brown is called the only Masonic stage carpenter in the country. He created and developed the application of modern scenic properties to the dramatic presentation of all Masonic degrees and in this work is almost invariably consulted everywhere throughout the United States. He was grand high priest of the grand chapter of Kansas in 1893, grand master of the grand council in 1891 and has held many other high offices. Mr. Brown was born in 1861 and is one of the best ritualists in the United States.
There are 110 lodges in Connecticut with a membership of 18,500, an increase of 784 for the past year.
At the recent session of the grand lodge of New York all of the officers of last year were unanimously re-elected.
Mecca temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of New York city now has a membership of 4,925.
At the last session of the grand lodge of New Mexico the grand secretary reported membership in that jurisdiction of 1,146.
A magnificent new Masonic temple will be erected in Phillipsburg, Kan.
There is talk of erecting a new Masonic temple in Schnectady, N.Y., to cost $100,000.
Membership reports read at the fiftieth annual conclave of the grand commandery of Pennsylvania showed good gains for the year. There are about 15,000 Knights Templar in the jurisdiction now, an increase of nearly 1,000 since the last conclave.
An application has been received from American Masons in Tientsin, China, for the establishment of a lodge there.
The Masonic home of Manchester, N. H., was recently dedicated by Grand Master Harry M. Cheney.”
Masonic activities abounded and Brown would be the perfect person to market the theatrical interpretation of degree work. He would subcontract Sosman & Landis for the scenery; Sosman would need help and this is where Moses would factor in again. Sosman needed Moses back in Chicago to supervise the shop.
To be continued…
