A Short History of Trimble Lodge

Trimble Lodge #145 F. & A.M. held its first meeting at an undisclosed location in Grayson, Ky.   October 1, 1845 under the authority of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky by the Worshipful Grand Master, William Holloway whose proxy,  Richard Apperson was present. At the meeting, Brother John Trimble was duly installed as Master, Brother Larkin Dawson as Senior Warden and Brother George Roberts as Junior Warden.  The records and minutes of the lodge are strangely silent as to where the meetings were held. The general consensus of opinion of our senior citizens of the present time is that the meetings were held in an old building standing on Second Street in Grayson somewhere between the home of Mrs. Anna Giles Robinson and the First Baptist Church of Grayson There was a two room log building standing there known as, “the old schoolhouse and Masonic Hall
This belief is further reinforced by the records in the office of County Court Clerk of Carter County which show that the lower room of the old school house and Masonic Hall was sold to School District #1 (Grayson Graded School District) of Carter County Kentucky on January 28, 1873. The record further shows that Trimble Lodge sold the rest of the building to School District #1 of Carter County, Kentucky on September 2, 1909. It is natural to suppose that the meetings of the lodge were held here until this final sale.   No mention is made as to why the lodge was named “Trimble”. It is assumed that since Brother John Trimble was elderly and influential in getting the lodge started, it was very natural to name it for him. Brother Trimble passed away in April 1846 and the lodge minutes record a Masonic funeral for him on April 16, 1846. Mattie Jones of Grayson, Kentucky remembers, as a child, of seeing the Masons go, as a body, to the grave of Brother Trimble and placing flowers there. His body has since been exhumed and removed elsewhere by his family.   A charter was granted to Trimble Lodge by the Grand Lodge of Kentucky and the first meeting under the charter was held September 2, 1846 with the following officers elected:

Larkin Dawson W.M.
G W. Crawford SW.
C. W, Roberts J. W.

Deed book V of Carter County deeds and records show that the location for a lodge hall over what is now the Grayson Sundry Store was given to Trimble Lodge by Wm. Cooksey and Lutie Cooksey, his wife, by deed dated October 13, 1903. The move from the old school house and Masonic Hall to the new location over the present Grayson Sundry Store was made without fanfare or celebration. In fact, the only mention of the move in the lodge minutes are the words “New Hall” written at the top of the page of the minute book for the October 10, 1903 meeting. This location was used by Trimble Lodge until 1974. The last meeting held at this location was held on November 14, 1974. This building was sold and the .proceeds applied to the cost of the new building.  There were two events that happened while Trimble Lodge maintained its meeting place over the now Grayson Sundry Store location that should be recorded here. One was the merging of the Carter City Lodge #844 with Trimble Lodge on February 12, 1938. This merger occurred after Carter City Lodge was unfortunate in losing its building and furniture during a flash flood. The other event was the consolidation of Little Sandy Lodge #712 with Trimble Lodge in January, 1968.   This came about because the Grayson Reservoir took the property of Little Sandy Lodge.  I might add as a by-line, that in the closing of Little Sandy Lodge one of the very few remaining “Daylight Lodges” in the state of Kentucky was lost.  As time progressed and changes came, the members of Trimble Lodge gradually came to desire a new lodge temple located somewhere with parking space for the cars of the members. Under the able leadership of our Master Donald C. Mulkey, this project was launched in 1974. A beautiful site on the east side of Grayson overlooking U.S. 60 was given by Arthur and Harriet Hamon.  A Groundbreaking ceremony was held May 16 1974.   A contract to construct the walls and complete the outside was given to Walter Griffith of Grayson.  The lodge members agreed to do the inside work themselves in order to save on the construction cost. This arrangement worked well, and on December 8, 1974 the beautiful brick Temple was dedicated with Gay Price, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky, presiding.  The first regular meeting of Trimble Lodge in the new temple was held December 12, 1974.  A special meeting was called for December 21, 1974 and Brother Gary M. Waugh was the first mason to be raised to the sublime degree of a master mason. Brother Arthur Hamon served as master during the work.

In closing this short history of Trimble Lodge Masonry has permitted me to look into the future and predict the continued powerful influence for good that Trimble Lodge exerts in our community.
Respectfully submitted August 14, 1975
by Arthur Hamon