Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/434

410 APPENDIX. county. This institution claims to trace its origin back to time immemorial. It is even asserted by some writers on the subject^ tbat Adam was tbe originator of the institution, and was himself, the first free and accepted mason. Others give the date of its origin, at the erection of Solomon's temple, and accord to the inspired wisdom of that great lawgiver, the credit of its existence. But notwithstanding these vague suppositions, which it can hardly be necessary here to state, are as groundless as fiction, it is definitely established as having existed in a modified form at the Christian era. Masonry was first regularly established in the United States by Lord Weymouth, who emigrated to the Southern States, and instituted a lodge in the State of G-eorgia, as early as 1730. In 1781, the G-rand Lodge of the State of New York, was insti- tuted, in consequence of a warrant from the Grrand Lodge of England. It was from the G-rand Lodge of the State, that all the sub-lodges derived their charters and vested powers. The total number of lodges in the United States in 1816, as near as could be ascertained, was eight hundred and fifty- eight. The number of lodges in the State of New York alone was three hundred and one, or more than one third of the total number. The following is a list of the lodges organized in Delaware county, the town in which located, with the corresponding number by which each was recognized by the Grand Lodge^ together with the date of the erection of each. No, Marae of Lodge. 91, Morton, 168, Delaware and Ulster, 170, Charity, 180, Cassia, 224, Charity, Town in which located. Walton, Middletown, Tompkins, Delhi, Harpersfield, Instituted. Feb. 12th, 1802. June 1st, 1808. Sept. 7th, 1808. March 1st, 1809. Sept. 27th, 1813.