History of St. Marys Chapter No. 51

Royal Arch Masons of Ohio

St. Marys, Ohio

In August 1823, a plat & description of the town of Saint Marys in Mercer County was recorded by Charles Murray, William A. Houston and John McCorkle at the court house in Darke County, Greenville, Ohio.

Twenty-one years later, Mercer Lodge No. 121, Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio was organized.  The first meeting on record was held under dispensation on April 24, 1844.  Seven months later a Charter was granted to Mercer Lodge No. 121, F. & A. M., October 25, 1844.

The name Mercer was chosen at that time as St. Marys was a part of Mercer County with St. Marys as the County Seat.  In 1848, a new County of Auglaize was formed along the lines that now exist today.

On July 19, 1852, the Grand High Priest granted a dispensation to St. Marys Chapter composed of the following Companions:

At the Grand Chapter Annual Convocation held in Chillicothe, Ohio on October 21, 1852, a Charter was granted to St. Marys Chapter U. D. represented by William Sawyer.  A membership of eleven was reported.

St. Marys Chapter was represented at the following Annual Convocations with a reported membership of:

At the Annual Convocation held in Cincinnati on October 12, 1867, the Committee on Charters and Dispensations reported:

"they (the committee) have examined the dispensation, By-Laws, and records of proceedings of St. marys Chapter No. ___, at St. Marys in Auglaize County and found the dispensation correct, the By-Laws in conformity with the regulations and requirements of the Grand Chapter, and records of their proceedings well kept."  The Committee further reported, "Some years since there was a Chapter at St. Marys, which was named St. Marys Chapter No. 51, but about nine years since the Chapter ceased to exist.  The Companions of the new Chapter are desirous of receiving the same number for their Chapter, and there being at this time no Chapter in the State which is numbered 51, we see no reason why the request of St. Marys Chapter should not be granted.  We offer for adoption the following resolution:

Resolved, That a Chapter be issued to St. Marys Chapter No. 51,

Resolved Further, That in consequence of the death of Companion Jonas Ward, late High Priest of St. Marys Chapter, Comp. William Sawyer be the first High Priest, Comp. L. R. Hannisfer the first King, and Theodore Mansard the first Scribe."

On October 12, 1867, the first regular election was held on the third floor of the Hickman Block, 208 East Spring Street.