Let me apologize for getting this started. I was attending a genealogy seminar at Rowan Co., NC some years ago and this fellow made this talk and was trying to sell his book. He kept talking about this secret place to find info. After the seminar we found out that it was the NC Grand Lodge in Raleigh, NC that he was touting as a repository of genealogy information. Do not know if NC Grand Masonic Lodge is any different than AL. With my dad having been a Mason I was curious as to whether you would be able to research the info. It was my feeling that they would be very secretive about it. I have never tried to find info at Raleigh since I do not really have any ancestors in NC. I just like to keep us old folks thinking and be able to find answers to break down some of these brick walls that our stubborn ancestors seem to have placed in our paths, Keep searchin' !!!!!!! Don Pruitt

Don, Don't apologize for starting this. Masonic records are the one true hidden secret in Genealogy. I first heard about Masonic records when I took a Genealogy course at a local college some years back and have read about this amazing unknown source of wealth through various Genealogy Society newsletters and magazines over the years. In my opinion, this subject is not spoken about enough in our hobby, only because know one knows anything about the Masons and there passion about writing EVERYTHING down. They do preserve their history and heritage. It wasn't until I lost all my parents and grandparents, that I discovered the history of Masons in my family. After inheriting all the family records, notes, pictures and other glimpses into the past, I never realize, especially during the early 1900s how many men in Alabama were members of the Masonic Lodge. I have 4 generations in my Cornelius line that were members, including a couple High-Degree Masons. I even inherited a ceremonial sword that my grandmother owned. For years I thought it was just a sword, but after researching Masonic heirlooms on Ebay, I discovered it was a High-Degree Masonic Sword owned by the brother of my great, great-grandfather. I started reading everything I could find online and off about Masons in Alabama. After I learned how the Masons were structured (local lodges, one State Lodge, and the national Lodge) I went a visited the Grand Lodge of Alabama located in Montgomery. The first time I walked in, I met the State President, told him about my known Masonic lineage and he showed me around the place and the records vault (a huge room with very thick concrete walls) and their member files in huge index card size file cabinets along two walls, containing a card for ever member during the 20th century. These cards were alphabetical and contained the dates each member joined and the dates of their progressions through their degrees program. I went through looking for my parents, grandparents, and so on and found many family members I never knew were Masons and Eastern Star (the women's portion of Masons/Shriners). It was a wonderful thing to look through. I also was allowed to look through an old minutes book of the Wetumpka, AL lodge from the early 1800s (pre-Civil War) that included members information and notes. I ran out of time and had to leave, which always happens when you are researching. Just when you hit a gold mind, time runs out. On my next trip back, the place was closed, even though the hours said otherwise. The third trip there, several months later, I was told they no longer allow non-members to research there because of staff limitations and condition of the records. Boy was I upset. I was hoping to find records of my great, great, great-grandfather which family stories say he was buried in Remlap Cemetery as a High Degree Mason by the Masonic Lodge. I was hoping to find proof of this since they are said to keep excellent records of their burials, even over 100 years ago, and especially of veterans. Well, maybe the Grand Lodge will open their doors again one day for access to this hidden secrets of Genealogy. Robert Johnston Wetumpka, AL -----Original Message----- From: Donald Pruitt [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2003 8:38 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [ALBLOUNT-L] Masonic Lodges Let me apologize for getting this started. I was attending a genealogy seminar at Rowan Co., NC some years ago and this fellow made this talk and was trying to sell his book. He kept talking about this secret place to find info. After the seminar we found out that it was the NC Grand Lodge in Raleigh, NC that he was touting as a repository of genealogy information. Do not know if NC Grand Masonic Lodge is any different than AL. With my dad having been a Mason I was curious as to whether you would be able to research the info. It was my feeling that they would be very secretive about it. I have never tried to find info at Raleigh since I do not really have any ancestors in NC. I just like to keep us old folks thinking and be able to find answers to break down some of these brick walls that our stubborn ancestors seem to have placed in our paths, Keep searchin' !!!!!!! Don Pruitt ______________________________