The Masonic Lodge in Lone Rock
The history of an organization must necessarily include something of the history of the community in which resides. In the case of Franklin Lodge No. 16, F. & A. M., that would number three small communities in southwestern Wisconsin and also involved two other lodges. Franklin No. 16 resides in Lone Rock, Wisconsin today, but prior to 1958 the lodge in Lone Rock was known as Palestine No. 114.
Franklin Lodge, the older of the two, was formed in Highland, Wisconsin on August 3rd, 1847 when it was granted a dispensation by the Grand Lodge of the territory of Wisconsin. Highland was unofficially known at the time as Franklin, hence the name of the lodge. The lodge grew rapidly and by the end of 1847 had 12 members. The lodge was at this time Franklin No.14 U. D. And the master was Thomas Dooly, but before the lodge was granted its charter, Dooly move from the area and a Adolphus Hollub became the master.
On January 15, 1848 Franklin Lodge was granted its charter and assigned the number No. 16. The number of a lodge is an indicator of its age, Franklin being the 16th in Wisconsin to be granted a charter.
The lodge flourished in Highland for the next few years, but a disaster struck the community in July of 1850 in the form of a cholera epidemic. 69 people died from the illness and this along with the lure of California nearly depopulated the village. The cholera epidemic so terribly ravaged Highland that even the town's two physicians left to save their lives. Even so, brave men and women were not found wanting. A committee was formed to assist the ill and dying. Amassa Cobb and James Callaway, members of Franklin Lodge were on this committee.
19 years after the lodge was granted its charter the members voted to divide. This occurred on August 25th, 1866 when a motion was made to this effect by S. A. Ferrin and subsequently approved by a vote. It may be assumed that the reason for this was that most members had to travel from other communities for lodge meetings. Another vote was taken to determine to which community the Franklin Lodge charter should be moved. Those communities included, Avoca, Wingville, and Cobb with Avoca receiving the majority. S. A. Ferrin presented a petition to form a new lodge in Wingville and to be named Ferrin Lodge. The petition was granted and Ferrin No. 165 exists to this day in Montfort, formerly Wingville.
On October 20th, 1866 the lodge held its first meeting in a Avoca and so began a 92 year tenure in that village that was to end in 1958 when the lodge charter was moved to Lone Rock and the consolidation with Palestine No. 114 was effected.
Palestine Lodge No. 114 was instituted by a dispensation in Richland City, Wisconsin on January 18th, 1859 and granted it's charter on June 14th of that year. The first master of the lodge was Ira Curtis who was also elected to that position in 1860 and 1861. Henry Dillon, who was to lead the 6th Wisconsin Battery during the Civil War, was the first secretary of Palestine #114. Richland City, a prominent town on the banks of the Wisconsin River, was doomed, because of it's location to wind up for the most part, in the river. Present day Gotham is located near the site and some houses of old Richland City still exist.
According to some county histories, Palestine Lodge No. 114 moved to Lone Rock in 1861, however, the first indication of lodge meetings in Lone Rock appears in the Palestine minutes for February 19th, 1862.
On May 21st, 1918 a devastating tornado struck Lone Rock. Brother P. C. Pitkin, a mason belonging to Palestine lodge and editor of the Tri-County Review, was killed in his office. The lodge hall apparently was destroyed or sustained great damage as the minutes indicate that the Langworthy Lodge of Odd Fellows offered the masonic lodge the use of their hall for meetings.
In 1958 the two lodges, Franklin No. 16 and Palestine No. 114, consolidated in Lone Rock. Membership and attendance at the lodge in Avoca had been declining to the point where meetings could not even be held. Since Franklin was the older of the two, the consolidated lodge took on the Franklin name and the charter was moved to Lone Rock. The master of Palestine No. 114 was Jesse Perkins at this time and he was to remain as a first master of Franklin Lodge in Lone Rock.
On April 11, 1988 a fire, started by person or persons unknown, in an adjacent building caused considerable damage to the lodge building. None of the furnishings were lost, however. After an award of over $140,000 the lodge members planned the new building. With the trusties acting as contracting officers for the lodge a new building was erected. The dedication in cornerstone ceremony was held on January 15th, 1989 and was conducted by Bruce H. Christianson, M.W.G.M. and the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin.