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On June 25, 1790, ten Brethren including Bro. Rufus Putnam, all residents of the nearby settlement of Marietta, forwarded a petition to Worshipful Bro. Heart who was stationed at Fort Harmar, requesting him to form them into a Lodge. In answer to their petition, Bro. Heart replied in part: "The Warrant (of American Union Lodge) was granted by Richard Gridley, Deputy Grand Master, whose authority extended to all points of North America where no special Grand Lodge was appointed.... It will, therefore, follow that there being no special Grand Master of this Territory, a more ample authority for holding a Lodge in this country could not be obtained."

The first regular session of Lodge was held at Campus Martius on June 28, 1790. Its officers were: Jonathan Heart, W.M.; Benjamin Tupper, S.W.; Rufus Putnam, J.W.; Robert Oliver, Treasurer; and Anselm Tupper, Secretary. It was the first meeting of a Masonic Lodge held on Ohio soil and with one exception the first ever held in the Northwest Territory. When the By-laws of the Lodge were signed later in the year, eighty-six members attached their signatures. Still being some doubt, however, in the mind of Bro. Heart as to the regularity and recognition of the newly organized Lodge, letters were sent to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

On December 6, 1791, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts replied in part: "Your Warrant is beyond doubt a perfect and a good one....until a Grand Lodge is founded and established in your territory...l confirm your Warrant as good and perfect, as you are where no Grand Lodge is established." On May 21, 1792, a letter was received from the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania which read in part: "It was with equal surprise and pleasure the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania received intelligence of the formation of a Lodge in the midst of the immense wilderness of the West....As the account which you have given of the origin of your warrant is perfectly satisfactory and as the succession to the Chair has been uninterrupted, your authority for renewing your work appears to be incontestable." Thus were the

Brethren assured of the right to carry on the work of the Craft in their new land.

Bro. Heart in the latter part of 1791 accompanied the ill-fated expedition of General and Bro. Arthur St. Clair against the Miami Indians. On November 4, 1790, a desperate battle was fought in what is now Mercer County in Western Ohio, with fatal consequences to the whites. Over nine hundred men and officers, including Bro. Heart, lost their lives in St. Clair's defeat. Following the death of Bro. Heart, American Union Lodge on December 5, 1791, "resolved that the Brethren wear a Masonic badge of mourning two months as a mark of respect to the character of a person so much esteemed, both as a man and a Mason, and the one who first illuminated this part of the Western Hemisphere with the light of Masonry."

Some years later another unfortunate circumstance occurred. On March 24, 1801, fire destroyed the Lodge hall and with it were lost its Warrant, furniture, jewels and implements. On November 7, 1803, Wor. Bro. Putnam reported that he had received a Charter from the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, "renewing the rights, privileges and precedence of this Lodge as heretofore established."

The early Masonic home of American Union Lodge is an historic matter of special interest. From the date of establishment of the Lodge until 1794, the home of Major Sergeant at Campus Martius was used. Following this date, for several years the Lodge met a different places and in many records of the Secretary the place of meeting is not given. From January until August 1800, the Lodge had met at Campus Martius, but for the remainder of the year and the early part of 1801 the meetings were held at Bowen's Inn. After the fire of March 24th a new home was necessary and Lincoln's Inn was secured as a temporary movement where meetings were occasionally held. From December 5, 1803 until 1810 the office of Bro. Putnam was used as the meeting place.

Ohio became a state in 1803, and Chillicothe continued to be the capitol of Ohio until 1810. Prior to the year 1810, Masonic Lodges had been established at

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Cincinnati Lodge No. 3

Free & Accepted Masons

History Continued