UNDER THE JUSISDICTION OF THE MOST WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE
ANCIENT FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
Instituted: June 12, 1897  Chartered: October 6, 1897   Constituted: October 25, 1897

OUR LODGE HISTORY

Austin Lodge was constituted by Brother Edward Cook, then Most Worshipful Grand Master of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Illinois in 1897. Brother Robert R. Jampolis, P.M served as Worshipful Master from Austin Lodges institution on June 12, 1897, through the year 1899. The lodge meeting place was at Cicero Chapter Hall (464 N. Parkside Avenue) for one year, and then moved to its home at 548 N. Parkside Ave. until 1912, Brother Stallwood's year.The Masonic Temple of Austin was completed in 1913, and continued to be our home until 1968. Austin Temple became an object of Masonic pride, and a credit to the community. In 1913 it hosted one Blue Lodge, one Royal Arch chapter, and one Eastern Star body. By 1947 it was host to seven Masonic Lodges, four Eastern Star bodies, ten Associate Masonic organizations, and five miscellaneous groups.

At the time of Austin Lodges institution, the community of Austin was then known as the Village of Austin in Cicero Township. Its borders were from Long Avenue on the east, Austin Avenue on the west, Madison Avenue to the south, and Chicago Avenue to the north. At the time, Chicago Avenue was no more than a muddy dirt road. All the business district was concentrated on Parkside (now Central) Avenue. Much of the area east to the Chicago City Limit at Cicero Avenue was wide open space. The only public transportation was the Northwestern and Chicago, and Harlem and Batavia railroads. The nearest Blue Lodge was then known as Harlem Lodge No.540 (now Old Glory No.540) in Oak Park, about a 2 mile walk for many of the brethren from Austin. It was from Harlem Lodge that most of our founders came from and was fondly refered to as our "Mother Lodge". Today, Old Glory No.540 through various mergers, meets in Westchester and is part of the 9th NE district.

Austin Lodge prospered through various tough times including the Depression and two world wars. Our lodge had approximately 150 members in the armed forces during WWI, and about 30 of our members fought in WWII. Unfortunately, no statistics were ever kept on the number of brethren who participated in the Korean or Viet Nam Wars. During the height of the Depression, we had a substantial number of brethren withdraw their memberships or be put on suspension because of the financial burden of paying their dues. Within a few years of the end of the Depression our membership flourished once again as brothers came back to the lodge. By 1940 we had a membership of over 1100. Quite an impressive figure, even for those days.

The mid-1960's brought rapid cultural and ethnic change to the Austin area as well as other parts of Chicago. By the later 60's it became a risk to our brethrens personal safety to attend meetings at Austin Temple. It was decided to sell the property to the Chicago Board of Education, and on June 30, 1968 Austin Temple was closed for good. Our new meeting place was at River Forest Masonic Temple, and remained so for the next two decades.

Over the years Austin Lodge had merged with other lodges from the area. Austin Lodge No.850 and River Forest Lodge No.1049 consolidated on November 2, 1973 to form River Forest-Austin Lodge No.850. Prior to this, Forest Park Lodge No.1054 and Circle Lodge No.938 consolidated in 1959. Circle Lodge and River Forest-Austin Lodge then mergered in 1985, making us a consolidation of four lodges from the western part of Chicago and near-west suburbs.

Today in these troubled times for Fraternal Organizations, River Forest-Austin Lodge meets at the Riverside Masonic Temple at 40 Forest Avenue in Riverside. A concerted effort is being made to increase our active membership by sponsoring "family oriented " events, and trying to make our lodge more visible to our surrounding community. We should hope that in today's degenerating society, men of integrity might again look to Freemasonry for the companionship and brotherhood of other men who are comitted to standing fast against the moral and social decline of our times. Freemasonry is said by some to have started in Medieval times due to a need for mutual protection against religious and social persecution. These changing and uncertain times seem to be once again creating a need for a trustworthy brotherhood of like-minded individuals, as can be found in Freemasonry. Over the next few years we should see if the Pendulum is indeed swinging back our way.

Here is a photo of the first Lodge Officers of Austin Lodge No. 850 in 1897