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.

386

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

society. For some years the United Presbyterians also maintained a
church organization.
SECRET AND FRATERNAL SOCIETIES
The village has a number of well established societies in its midst,
the Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Knights and Ladies of
Maccabees and Florence Crittenden W. C. T. U. Such organizations
as the Ladies' Literary Society, the Library Association and the Cemetery Association, are sketched in the chapter devoted to women's influence in Oakland county; and right here is a good place to repeat that
Birmingham as a village is a fine illustration of the standard fixed by
a community wherein their activities are, if anything, dominant.
The first of the secret and fraternal orders to be established at Birmingham was that of Masonry. It was founded through the initial meeting of Birmingham Lodge No. 44, A. F. & A. M., which was held on
the 25th of April, 1850. On January 9, 185I, the charter was granted
and the following officers were installed at that time: William Brown,
worthy master; Friend Belding, senior warden; Scribe Blakeslee, junior
warden; Ebenezer Raynale, treasurer; George W. Marrill, secretary;
Horace Gray, senior deacon; Horace J. Johnson, junior deacon; Peter
Dox, tyler.
For many years the meetings were held over the store of James W.
Hunt; later they purchased from John Allen Bigelow the rooms over
his store, corner Pierce and Maple streets, which was formally dedicated to Masonic uses on December 23, 1873, by Grand Master Hugh
McCurdy, who had received his degree in No. 44, but afterwards became affiliated with Corunna lodge. Birmingham lodge has also furnished a grand master in the person of Alanson Partridge, who officiated
in the year I872.
Those who have served as masters are: William Brown, 1851-53;
Friend Belding, 1852; Alanson Partridge, 1854-66, 1867-9, 1872-80,
I883; Elson W. Reynolds, 1867, i88i, I882; William Brown, I870-7I
and 1884; Eugene Brooks, 1885-1895, I897; Frank W. Blair, I896; Daniel
M. Johnston, I898-I9o0, and I908; George H. Satterlee, I9OI and I902;
Will W. Masters, 1903-4 and 1906; Almeron Whitehead, 1905; Ellsworth H. Randall, 1907; Charles J. Shain, I909-Io, and Earl R. Jenks,
1911.
The present membership of the lodge is two hundred and nineteen,
of which the officers for I912 are: Herman G. Hendrickson, worthy
master; James H. Terry, senior warden; Charles A. Brigham, junior
warden; John M. Rainey, treasurer; Maurice R. Blair, secretary; Percy
W. Parmenter, senior deacon; Lynn A. Carmer, junior deacon; James
B. Hunt, tyler.
Several years ago the lodge purchased rooms adjoining their then
quarters, which they converted into banquet rooms, which gives them
very comfortable quarters at present. In 1911 Birmingham released
twenty-six members and jurisdiction of territory to aid in the formation
of a lodge at Royal Oak.
Mary D. Hive No. 393, L. 0. T. M. M., Birmingham, was organized