Empire Masonic Lodge No. 586
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WORSHIPFUL MASTERS
M. W. McBride 1884-88 T. P. Lamberson 89 W. M. Blakeman 90 P. Brummett 91- 92 J. A. Garrison 93-95 E. Brown 96 J. A. Garrison 97-98 D. T. Box 99-00 T. W. Leverett 01 J. E. Jackson 02 J. C. Jones 03 E. Brown 04 J. W. Hamm 05 M. A. Gay 06-07 L. P. Leverett 08 R. A. Taylor 09 Ford Seals 10 R. A. Taylor 11 D. T. Mayo 12 E. J. Owens 13-14 D. T. Mayo 15 W. O. Brummett 16 |
J. H. Jackson 17-18
O. P. Brummett 19 W. T. Brown 20 Jas. L. Pittman 21 W. D. Abbott 22 B. B. Becknell 23-24 J. M. Pouncy 25 E. E. Addy 26 W. M. Yeatts 27 Paul D. Davis 28 W. J. Holmes 29 Truman W. Smith 30 John W. Rees 31 W. D. Abbott 32-33 J. C. Jones 34 W. M. Yeatts 35-36 D. P. Brown 37 Fred G. Agnew 38 R. F. Hartman 39 E. R. Pharr 40 W. B. Abbott 41 W. M. Yeatts 42 D. P. Brown 43 Fred G. Agnew 44-45 |
W. M. Yeatts 46
G. G. Bentley 47-48 W. D. Abbott 49 A. T. Page 50 Floyd Weston Abbott 51 E. A. Poe 52 O. H. Dobbs 53-54 A. Troy Page 55 James Porter Short 56 Abbie Troy Page 57-58 D. P. Brown 59 Gene G. Bentley 60-62 J. C. Abbott, Jr 63 T. R. Hargrave 64 Bobbie Herald Vaughan 65 William J. Holmes 66 Robert Donald Coleman 67 David Lee Stanfield 68-71 James Logan Graham 72 Clarence Rickman 73 Johnny Forder 74 David P. Stanfield 75 Robt S. Gage 76 Terry Pope 77 |
J. I. Page 78
Alvis Holloman 79 Earl Price 80 James Murray 81 Tony Bredlow 82 Marvin Marek 83 Loyd McCoy 84 Ed Englebretson 85 Robert H. Price 86 Billy Maroney 87 Bobby Robinson 88 Norman Graham 89 James L. Graham, Jr 90 Tommy Webb 91 Bobby Robinson 92 Harry O’Dell 93 94 95 96 Louis Hopkins 97 Hugh McGee 98 |
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EMPIRE MASONIC LODGE NO. 586
IN THE MID- TO LATE 1800S, SETTLERS ESTABLISHED THE EMPIRE COMMUNITY, WHICH AT ONE TIME HAD A SCHOOL, POST OFFICE, CHURCHES, STORES AND A COTTON GIN. ON DECEMBER 14, 1884, 25 MASTER MASONS PETITIONED THE GRAND LODGE OF TEXAS TO FORM A MASONIC LODGE IN EMPIRE. THE FIRST OFFICERS FOR EMPIRE LODGE NO. 586 WERE M. W. McBRIDE, WORSHIPFUL MASTER; E. B. SIMMONS, SENIOR WARDEN; W. M. BLACKMAN, JUNIOR WARDEN; J. e. JONES, SECRETARY; AND J. L. STALLINGS; TREASURER. MEETINGS WERE HELD AT EMPIRE COLLEGE ON THE SATURDAYS BEFORE FULL MOONS. IN 1888, AS EMPIRE BEGAN TO DECLINE, THE MASONIC LODGE MOVED TO NEVADA. MEMBERS BUILT A TWO-STORY WOODEN BUILDING FACING WEST ON WARREN STREET. IN 1904, EMPIRE LODGE BOUGHT THE J. E. DAVIS BUILDING ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE NEVADA SQUARE AND SOLD THE FORMER BUILDING. THE DAVIS BUILDING WAS DESTROYED BY THE DEADLY 1927 TORNADO WHICH LED TO NEVADA'S DECLINE. THE LODGE ENDURED, AND CONSTRUCTION EGAN ON A NEW BUILDING USING FUNDS DONATED BY FELLOW LODGES, THE GRAND LODGE AND A LOAN; MEMBERS MET IN THE ODD FELLOWS HALL UNTIL THE NEW STRUCTURE WAS COMPLETED. IN 1972, THE LODGE MOVED FROM THAT BUILDING INTO A NEW STRUCTURE. MASONIC LODGE NO. 586 HAS REACHED OUT TO ITS SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES SINCE ITS INCEPTION. IT ADOPTED BEAR CREEK CEMETERY, THE LAST REMAINING VESTIGE OF THE OLD EMPIRE SETTLEMENT. OVER THE YEARS, THE LODGE HAS ALSO AIDED CHILDREN OF DECEASED MEMBERS IN GETTING INTO THE MASONIC ORPHANAGE, HAS RECOMMENDED AREA CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES FOR THE SCOTTISH RITE HOSPITAL, AND HAS PARTICIPATED IN OTHER COMMUNITY, SCHOOL AND SOCIAL EVENTS. TODAY, IT REMAINS HISTORICALLY INTERTWINED WITH EMPIRE, WHILE FUNCTIONING AS THE OLDEST INSTITUTION IN NEVADA. Texas Historical Marker 2009 |