1913
                Restoration of Inscription of the Chicago Water Tower Cornerstone
                                    Cook County, Illinois

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Information contributed for use in Cook County ILGenWeb by
        Laura Heidekrueger [ChiSearch@aol.com] 09 Jan 1999.


I found this report in the Proceedings of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge,
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the State Of Illinois.

Report of R.W. Bro. R.H. Wheeler: On restoration of inscription on corner-stone
of Chicago Avenue water tower:


June 30, 1913


To - Mr. Delamr D. Darrah, M.W., Grand Master A.F. and A.M. of Illinois, Bloomington, Ill.:


Dear Sir and M.W. Bro.:

As chairman of the special committee appointed by you for the purpose of restoring
 the inscription on the corner-stone of the tower of the Chicago Ave. Pumping Station
 of this city, I desire to submit the following report:

A bronze tablet bearing the inscription, “Laid by the Masonic Fraternity March 25, 1867.
 Jerome R. Gorin, Most Worshipful Grand Master.” was prepared and placed in position on
 the stone today. Behind the tablet a parchment was placed on which was engrossed the
 following;

“To All Ancient Free and Accepted Masons Greeting:

“In the year A.D., 1912 the authorities of the city were seriously considering the
 question of destroying the water tower, a relic of early Chicago, because it had
 become useless in the system of waterworks and for the additional reason that the
 masonry was crumbling under, the influence of the elements, when on the earnest
 appeals of the Chicago Historical Society the sum of twenty five thousand dollars
 was voted by the City Council for the purpose of repairing and preserving it as one
 of the historical buildings of the city.

“Worshipful Bro. Martin G. Seifert, Past Master of Constantia Lodge #783, was
 assigned as architect for the city to superintend the work, and he discovered the
 faint outlines of an inscription upon this stone showing that it had been laid by
 the Masonic fraternity. This fact was brought to the attention of the Most Worshipful
 Grand Master, Bro. Delamr D. Darrah, by Right Worshipful Bro. William Arens, Past Master
 of Germania Lodge No. 181 and District Deputy Grand Master of the German speaking lodges,
 with a recommendation that in view of the fact that the inscription had become nearly
 obliterated by the elements, a bronze tablet be prepared and inserted in the stone.

The Grand Master referred this matter to Right Worshipful Bro. Ralph H. Wheeler,
Senior Grand Warden, who upon investigation concurred in the above recommendation.

“The Grand Worshipful Master then appointed Bro. Ralph H. Wheeler and Bro. William Arens
 a committee to co-operate with Bro. Martin G. Seifert and execute this work.
 A search of the Grand Lodge proceedings and other literature revealed the fact that this
 stone was laid on March 25, A.D. 1867, by Most Worshipful Grand Master Jerome R. Gorin.

This bronze tablet was prepared and set in place this 30th day of June A.D. 1913,
in the presence of the following brethren;

Ralph H. Wheeler, America No. 889
William Arens, Germania No 182 The Committee
Maritn Seifert, Constantia No. 783

Charles H. Crowell, St. Cecilia No. 865
Albert Jamplois, Blaney No. 271

Robert J. Daley, Garden City No. 141
E. E. Mills, Kilwinning No. 311
Ed. H. Thomas, Kilwinning No. 311
Oscar A. Kropf, Lincoln Park No. 611
Ed. W. Peterson, Garfield No. 686
Arthur E. Behrendt, Ben Hur No. 818
Jason R. Lewis, Union Park No. 610
John F. Schott, Germania No. 182
John H. Kanitz, Edgewatrer No. 91
William J. Burns, Chief Operating Engineer of Chicago Avenue Pumping Station,
                  and not a member of the fraternity.



I would have arranged for a more auspicious occasion, but at the request of the
architect for the city, Bro. Martin G. Seifert, all display was omitted, and
simply a few of the prominent members of the craft were asked to be present and
witness the setting of the tablet.

Fraternally submitted,

Ralph H. Wheeler
William Arens

[ The Seventy-Fourth Annual Meeting held at Chicago,
  October 14,15, 16, 1913 Pantagraph Printing and Stationary Co., Printers,
  Bloomington, Il. 1913]






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