History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

363

or Village at present is left a blank in the Charter. The returns are maid
out from the instalation up to 27 of Dec. 5825 as inserted in the letter.
"LEONARD WEED."
This was the pioneer country lodge, the other two in the territory of
Michigan being in Detroit.
In July, 1826, the lodge was represented at the organization of the
first Grand Lodge by Leonard Weed, W. M., as "proxy for Oakland
Lodge and entitled to three votes." Weed was elected First Junior Grand
Warden. A letter from the Grand Lodge of New York acknowledged
the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Michigan, with which Oakland
Lodge, No. 3, was now associated. Brother Smith Weeks, probably the
first Methodist preacher in Oakland county, was such an enthusiastic
member of Oakland Lodge that he walked twenty-five miles to Detroit
to be present on this occasion. He was elected first grand chaplain.
The house of Leonard Weed, in the village of Auburn, remains unchanged to this day, a landmark of Masonrj in this state. The lodge
met in a small chamber barely high enough for one to stand erect. Upon
one occasion a young man came to be initiated and waited-while preparations for his reception were made in the room above-in the kitchen with
Mrs. Weed and her daughter. Said Mrs. Weed: "I understand they are
going to make some Masons up stairs tonight. You had better get the
gridiron on the stove so as to have it ready." The daughter brought the
old gridiron and placed it on the stove, to the evident discomfort of the
young man. He soon took his hat and left and was not to be found when
sent for by the lodge.
Brother Ebenezer Smith, in 1826, deeded a lot in the village of Auburn to Gov. Lewis Cass, and his successors in office, for the use of a
public school and a Masonic lodge. The deed is recorded in the register's
office, and is an interesting document. The lot has remained vacant to
this day.
In July, 1827, when Stony Creek Lodge was organized, an effort was
made to have Oakland Lodge brought back to Pontiac. However, it
remained at Auburn until I829, when the Grand Lodge, under Grand
Master Cass, recommended that Masonic work be suspended in this state.
When called to labor again in I841, Oakland Lodge was one of the
first to resume the tools of the craft, this time at the original station of
the lodge, in Pontiac. The original records having been burned, in I840,
together with the charter, a meeting was held at the Hodges House on
February 3, I841, for the purpose of reorganization. There were present
at this meeting: Jacob Loop, chairman; Daniel V. Bissell, Calvin Hotchkiss, Josiel Smith, Henry L. Rinehart, David Hollenbeck, Charles M.
Eldridge, Schuyler Hodges, Julius Dean, Phineas Silsby, Amasa Green,
Mahlon Hubble.
Brothers Weed, Rinehart and Hotchkiss were appointed a committee
to draft by-laws. The following officers were elected and their names
placed in the petition asking for a dispensation: Leonard Weed, W. M.;
Jacob Loop, S. W.; Daniel V. Bissell, J. W.
Jacob Loop was appointed a committee to visit the grand master
with the petition for a dispensation. The meeting was then adjourned to