Part 541: Fifty Years of Freemasonry in Kansas, 1906
There were a few significant events that occurred during 1906; the same year that Sosman & Landis delivered new scenery and stage machinery to the Scottish Rite in Topeka, Kansas. 1906 marked the fiftieth anniversary of Freemasonry in the state of Kansas.
The event was celebrated at the newly constructed Scottish Rite auditorium. The Scottish Rite bodies of Topeka spent over $20,000 furnishing their lodge room and stage. The stage measured thirty-five feet in depth and housed 110 new backdrops produced by Sosman & Landis (Topeka Daily Capital, 21 Feb. 1906, page 5).
“The Topeka Daily Capital” reported, “the fiftieth anniversary of the organization of the Most Worshipful grand lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Kansas will be celebrated at the Auditorium February 22 during the session of the grand lodge in Topeka (The Topeka Daily Capital, 12 Feb. 1906, page 6). The article continued, “The semi-centennial celebration of the Masons will bring to the city the largest gathering of Masons that has been held and the Topeka bodies have prepared elaborate entertainment for the visitors. A. K. Wilson, grand secretary of the grand lodge, has secured the history of the first Masonic lodge in the state and relics of historical interest. The relics will be exhibited at the auditorium and will consist, among other things, the first Masonic seal used by the Kansas lodge. John W. Smith, who organized Smithton lodge No. 1 in Doniphan county and was the first master of the lodge in Kansas, made with his own hands the quaint seal, the square and compass and the candlestick, al made by Smith are now in the possession f Secretary Wilson and he also has three of the charters of the first five lodges organized in Kansas.
Smithton lodge No. 1 was organized in Doniphan county and met in six different places in the county and is now the lodge at Highland. When Mr. Smith organized Smithton lodge it met under a burr oak tree, east of Troy, on the Missouri river. A stump was used for the altar and the lodge was tiled by a man on horseback. A photograph of this tree has been secured and a complete history of the lodge from persons who knew about it. The veteran Kansas Mason who is to be present at the semi-centennial meeting is William Yates of Lawrence, the only living charter member of one of the first five lodges organized in Kansas. He belongs to the Lawrence lodge which was the fourth to be organized. The anniversary meeting at the Auditorium is open to the public. The main floor will be reserved for Masons and the gallery will be open to the public. The Art Music club, led by Prof. G. B. Penny, will furnish the music. Grand Master Samuel R. Peters of Newton will speak and Thomas E. Dewey will deliver the address of the evening. The week of February 19, will be devoted to the fiftieth communication of the grand lodge, the fifty-first convocation of the grand chapter and thirty-eighth assembly of the grand council.” The article included a schedule of events and officers for the semi-centennial celebration, school of instruction, chapter work, order of high priests, and council work.
Bestor G. Brown (1861-1917) led the special committee on history and museum. Brown was the western representative of M. C. Lilley. Brown worked for M. C. Lilley in Chicago from 1892 to 1898, and then in Topeka, Kansas, starting in 1899. Brown moved to Kansas City by 1904, continuing as the western sales manager of M. C. Lilley Company in their new offices. Brown was instrumental in promoting the staging of degree work and Scottish Rite theaters in Little Rock, Arkansas (1896), Wichita, Kansas (1898), Guthrie (1900), Salina, Kansas (1901), McAlester, Oklahoma (1901), Fort Scott, Kansas (1904), and many others.
By 1903 Brown was credited with the creation and development of “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 also the Grand Master of Kansas in 1904, and had been extremely active since his admission to the Fraternity in 1884.
Brown was praised for his devotion of Masonry and the article reported, “Mr. Brown is called the only Masonic stage carpenter in the country” (Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 12 June 1903, page 3). Less than a decade later, the counterweight system installed in Scottish Rite theaters by M. C. Lilley subcontractors (Sosman & Landis) was referred to as “”Brown’s special system.”
The first year after Brown passed away, members of the Wichita Consistory organized an annual pilgrimage to Topeka, Kansas, to honor of his memory (The Kansas City Kansan, 11 July 1918, page 1). The paper reported that Brown was “one of the most scholarly and best loved Kansas Masons. All of the Scottish Rite bodies in the state were invited to join in the placing of a floral tribute on the grave of ‘their best loved brother.’” Brown remained incredibly close to all Masonic activities in Topeka, and in 1906 the Topeka Scottish Rite stage was the crown jewel of the Southern Jurisdiction.
There are two significant moments to consider when examining the construction of any early-twentieth century Scottish Rite stage, as the production of Masonic scenery escalates. The first is that Brown is a fabulous salesman and extremely active member of the Fraternity; many Masons help promote his vision work. The second is that SGIGs have a monetary incentive to help Brown with this vision; starting in 1905, SGIGs personally received a $2 payment per incoming 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason. This practice lasted until 1909 when plans for the House of the Temple were implemented. Those lost funds were needed elsewhere. Setting the aesthetics and entertainment, there was already a dual incentive to build massive auditoriums that would accommodate ever-increasing candidate classes at Scottish Rite reunions.
To be continued…
