Golden Star Society, Nashville, Tennessee

A group that I am just beginning to research (in other words, I know very little about them) is the Golden Star Society of Nashville. According to an article in the Nashville Globe on September 27, 1907, the group was formed by David Davidson in 1885 (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86064259/1907-09-27/ed-1/seq-3/).  A perusal of the Nashville Globe indicates that this was a benevolent society with death benefits.

Nashville Globe, September 27, 1907.

The interesting thing about this article is that it shows us several things.  First, religion and benevolent orders were tied together in many ways.  This article is about the annual sermon of the group, and my research indicates that many benevolent orders had an annual sermon.  It appears that the preaching of this sermon rotated amongst different Christian denominations, perhaps indicating the ecumenical nature of lodges.  Secondly, it shows that lodges of different orders could work together.  This one states, "The celebrated I.O.I. Band furnished appropriate music."  The I.O.I. were the Independent Order of Immaculates, a benevolent order founded in Nashville and apparently well-known for its band (they figure in numerous newspaper accounts during this period).  Thirdly, it shows us that this is not an insignificant group, as eight hundred members, belonging to four societies, turned out for the annual sermon, held at St. Paul Church.  

An article from May 29, 1908 in the Nashville Globe also yields some interesting information (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86064259/1908-05-29/ed-1/seq-1/). This brief blurb describing the election of officers for Golden Star Lodge No. 3 indicates that women were not barred from holding office.  While men were elected as President and Vice President, Sister Medie Roach was elected Treasurer of this lodge.  A woman was also elected as Receiving Teller of the group.  Sister Emma Long was elected the Orator.  This seems to indicate that the Golden Star Society had no restrictions upon women joining or exercising power.  It almost seems ahead of its time in terms of gender relations. I think it shows that more research is needed in the area of gender roles in African American fraternal groups.

Nashville Globe, May 29, 1908

Although this information was nice, I wanted to know where this interesting group met.  I finally hit the jackpot when I read the August 19, 1910 edition of the Nashville Globe.  This told me that the Golden Star Lodge No. 2 dedicated their new lodge on Pearl Street, located between 11th and 12th Avenues.  Looking at the 1914 Sanborn Insurance map for Nashville, I discovered a lodge hall on Pearl Street, between 11th and 12th Avenues, beside St. John's Missionary Baptist Church.  Unfortunately, this structure no longer exists.

1914 Nashville Sanborn Map, Sheet 26

I do not know how long the group survived.  There is a mention of a banquet at the Golden Star Lodge in the September 21, 1917 edition of the Nashville Globe. The 1956 Sanborn map does not indicate a lodge on Pearl Street beside a church. While a church is still present on the 1956 map (now St. James Baptist Church), the building formerly indicated as a lodge is indicated as a dwelling.

1956 Nashville Sanborn Map, Sheet 26A

Maps

As a part of the research I am doing, I am in the process of creating a map showing locations for African American fraternal and benevolent lodges across the state.  I started it originally to keep track of the different lodges I was finding.  Zeemaps is a free service that allows you to build a map.  You can add as much or as little information to the pinpoints as you wish. I generally just add the name of the lodge, approximate location, and the source of my information.  For a handful of sites, I have uploaded a picture as well. I am way behind on the photo upload.

For many, many of the lodges (far more than I wish), I only have the name of the town in which the lodge was located.  That is certainly true for the GUOOF lodges, as I came across a history of the organization which listed every single lodge in the United States up through 1902.  The book is called The Official History and Manual of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows and can be founded here on Google Books. Sources such as this have been incredibly helpful for documenting lodge numbers and town locations.

For some lodges, I was able to find an approximate location by using old Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps.  This maps occasionally label the African American lodges in a town.  Using the old map, would then look at modern maps and Google Earth to try to determine if the building still exists.  In some cases, such as the GUOOF lodge in Pulaski, I was fortunate to find the building.  Others are a matter of guesswork.  Others, such as Benevolent Hall in Nashville on South Cherry Street in 1888, no longer exist.

Cropped image from the 1888 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Nashville, Sheet 6b, Volume 1 showing the location of Benevolent Hall.

The  most frustrating part of doing this work is the way the landscape of Tennessee has changed over the last 100 years.  Urban renewal, TVA, and the demolition of older neighborhoods, particularly ethnic neighborhoods, have all contributed to the demolition of much of our historic fabric.  However, on the bright side, trying to find historic lodge buildings is a challenge, and I love nothing more than a good challenge.

Sons & Daughters of Cyrene

Front Page of the Constitution for the Sons and Daughters of Cyrene.  It was printed in Nashville in 1915 by the National Baptist Publishing Board.

I first stumbled across the Sons and Daughters of Cyrene a few years ago while going through a court file at the Rutherford County Archives. They were a successor group to the Working People’s Labor and Art Association (WPLAA), a benevolent group founded in Nashville in 1890. In c. 1914, the WPLAA decided to change their name to the Sons and Daughters of Cyrene (what that name signifies I am not sure), perhaps in part to attract a “higher” class of member. The decision split the WPLAA lodge in Murfreesboro, with the two sides suing each other for control of the lodge building (located on West Main Street) and the bank account. The two sides accused the other of no longer holding up the ideals of the organization, of drunkenness, and various other misdemeanors. Looking through the court file in the Rutherford County Archives, it appears this dissatisfaction with the name change was not confined to Rutherford County.

This week, the archivist at Rutherford County contacted me to let me know that he had found a constitution for the Sons and Daughters of Cyrene in a different court case. I had seen copies of the constitution for the WPLAA, but not the Sons and Daughters. When I told him that I had not, he scanned a copy and brought it over to me. Without the kindness and assistance of various archivists throughout the state, this research would be much harder.

The constitution for the Sons and Daughters of Cyrene is very similar to the constitution for the WPLAA. This came as no surprise, as the Sons and Daughters are the successor group to the WPLAA. The preface begins, "The Negroes of America have long felt the need of an Association whose principles would protect their social, moral, agricultural and commercial interests...The aim of the Association is to elevate, unite, and give employment to the Negro youth, to establish and encourage charitable undertakings, to encourage and foster trades, trade schools and any enterprise that will guarantee the Negro a livelihood, make his labor in demand in all avenues of life, and to be of practical utility to race and state." This fits very much into the self-improvement ethos of the early twentieth century, and has a Booker T. Washington-esque ring to some of the language.

Like most constitutions for benevolent and fraternal groups, much space is devoted to describing how the organization is to be governed and the by-laws of the group. While it does not provide a listing of the various Sons and Daughters of Cyrene lodges across the state, it does provide a great insight into the structure of the organization.

To qualify for membership, males had to be at least 16, of sound body and mind, and have good moral character. Female members must be at least 14, and also of sound mind, body, and moral character. Juveniles could join who were older than 3, and met the same criteria as adults. The insistence on being of sound body probably ties in to the sickness benefits paid by the group to its members.

Speaking of sickness benefits, they were not paid to the member if the illness was caused by alcohol. The constitution states, "No benefits shall be allowed him who disables himself by actual negligence or the use of alcoholic drinks on the part of the disabled member or for venerable [sic] diseases."

One interesting clause of the constitution dealt with employment. It reads, "It shall be the duty of every member to do what lies in his power to aid his brother when out of employment and help in other things which seem to aid in the development of the race."

As with several other African American benevolent groups, the Sons and Daughters of Cyrene are no longer in existence.

Introduction to the Constitution. 

Freedmen's Savings Bank Registers

Although this might not seem like a post about lodges, it actually is.  The registers for the Freedmen's Savings & Trust Company are a great resource to use when trying to find out more about the officers of benevolent and fraternal lodges.  The Freedmen's Savings Bank was incorporated in March 1865 and branches of the bank were located throughout the South.  In Tennessee, there were branches in at least Memphis, Nashville and Columbia.  The Bank went bankrupt in 1874; however, the registers for the account holders of the bank still exist for some of the branches.  You can find these records on microfilm at the National Archives or at your state archives.  Also, some websites such as Heritage Quest have digitized the records and made them searchable by name.

What makes these records so fascinating is the level of detail they contain.  They often list the name of the ex-enslaved's master and mistress, where the account holder was born, who their parents were, and a physical description of the account holder.  The ones for lodges and other groups will list the names of the officers of the organization.

Ledger for Henry Burney, officer of the Benevolent Society
Nashville branch of the Freedmen's Savings Bank

As this ledger shows us, Henry Burney was the secretary of the Benevolent Society in Nashville in 1872.  He was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia and was about 34 years old.  He worked as a nursery hand and was married to Sarah.  The notation for his parents lists their names but states, "doesn't know whether he is living." The notation for his siblings reads, "don't where they are."  The ledgers bring home the impact slavery had on society, when people were separated from families and not able to locate them after the war.

Ledger for the Daughters of Zion No. 1 of Memphis
Memphis Branch of the Freedmen's Savings Bank

The ledger above for the Daughters of Zion No. 1 of Memphis is helpful in that it lists the officers of the group.  I then take these names and look for them in the census to learn occupations, where they lived, marital status, etc.

With the help of these ledgers from the Freedmen's Savings Bank, I hope to learn more about the people who were officials in lodges.

Benevolent Order No. 107, Una (Davidson County)

I grew up in south Nashville, near Haywood Lane and Una-Antioch Pike.  Imagine my surprise one day while scanning the Nashville Globe when I discovered a mention of an African American lodge in the Una community.  While I have not located where the lodge was located, I have since found several other mentions of the lodge, which I will share here.

I have blogged previously about other Benevolent lodges or cemeteries in Tennessee; this was a prolific and active group throughout the state.  I do not know when the lodge in Una was founded; the October 2, 1908 edition of the Nashville Globe states, "Benevolent Order Number 107 will dedicate its new hall on the third Sunday in October, with addresses by Grand President Swanson, Rev. Preston Taylor, J.H. Harding, B. Manier...." and a list of other officials.

Nashville Globe, October 30, 1908

The October 30, 1908 edition of the Nashville Globe contains a write-up of the grand opening under "Una Notes."  No location for the hall is given, but the article states, "The house was tastefully decorated by Mesdames Belle Cannon, Jennie Burnett, Ellen Leath, Annie Leach."

Other mentions of the lodge in the Nashville Globe throughout 1908 and 1909 mention the various entertainments and installations held at the facility.  On December 4, 1908, the paper reported that, "Quite an amusing entertainment was given by the Ladies of Benevolent Order No. 107, at their hall on Ethridge Avenue." I have not yet been able to find an Ethridge Avenue in Nashville, either on Sanborn maps from the period or on current maps.

The Benevolent Lodge No. 107 sounds like an active group, hosting a Christmas entertainment on December 29, 1908, electing officers in March 1909, and giving an entertainment in August 1909 at which Rev. C.H. Williams was the featured speaker.

Nashville Globe, December 25, 1908

Like so many other groups, this once activity community may have slowly dissipated.  It may have been struck down by the financial crises of the Great Depression.  African Americans leaving the South as part of the Great Migration may have diminished the membership.  Or it may still exist and thrive and continue to serve its purpose of creating community bonds.  I would love to know the answer one day.

Nashville Globe, March 19, 1909

Mt. Ararat Cemetery, Nashville (Davidson County)

Gate to Mt. Ararat Cemetery (photograph by author)

 
Looking out of place today amidst the industrial corridor that is the Fesslers Lane area of Nashville lies one of Nashville's oldest African American lodge cemeteries.  In April 1869, the Sons of Relief No. 1 and the Colored Benevolent Society in Nashville came together to purchase the land and create the cemetery (Bobby L. Lovett, The African-American History of Nashville, Tennessee, 1780-1930, 108).  Burials have continued since that time, and to date there are hundreds of burials in the cemetery.

Cornerstone of the stone gates installed c. 1914. (photograph by author)

The cemetery has undergone periods of neglect followed by transformation.  By the middle 1910s it was a largely overgrown, neglected burial ground.  A period of revival in the 1920s was followed by another period of neglect, and by the 1970s the cemetery was overgrown and businesses such as Purity Dairy and trucking companies encroached on the space.  In 1982 ownership of the cemetery passed to Greenwood Cemetery, an African American cemetery founded by undertaker Preston Taylor in the 1880s.  Mt. Ararat is currently owned by National Christian Missionary Convention.

View of the encroachment on the cemetery.  (photograph by author)

The creation of the cemetery by two African American lodges is not its only contribution to lodge history in Nashville.  A number of people buried in the cemetery had connections to a number of other fraternal and benevolent lodges in Nashville.  Mt. Ararat is the burial site of Nelson McGavock, first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Prince Hall Masons in the state of Tennessee.  A quick reconnaissance of the cemetery also yielded a tombstone showing the symbol of the Mosaic Templars, an African American lodge founded in Little Rock, Arkansas by ex-slaves, one of which was born in Moscow, Tennessee.

Tombstone of Nelson McGavock, Grand Master of the Prince Hall Masons.

The symbol for the Mosaic Templars is located above

 the name of Lucinda Boyd.

I think Mt. Ararat is interesting also because it shows that lodges worked together to improve their communities. Places such as Mt. Ararat Cemetery I believe show the collaboration and cooperation that lodges displayed towards each other. Rather than competing for the membership and dues of the community, groups worked together to create community institutions. I also find it interesting that although Mt. Ararat has faced several threats over the years it is still an active cemetery. People continue to care for it and to find meaning in it.

The transcription for the cemetery may be found here and here.

Benevolent Cemetery, Murfreesboro (Rutherford County)

Benevolent Society Cemetery, Murfreesboro, January 2012 (image by author)

Tucked away in an industrial zone and virtually inaccessible by car lies the burial grounds of Benevolent Society No. 11.  Although this cemetery was once a vital part of the community, today it sits overgrown and overlooked.  According to research done by John Lodl and others at the Rutherford County Archives, more than six hundred African Americans are buried in this graveyard.  Yet the history of the group responsible for creating this cemetery is largely forgotten.

The Benevolent Society in Tennessee dates to at least 1865, when the Colored Benevolent Society was formed in Nashville.  The General Assembly soon amended the Articles of Incorporation of the group to allow for branches and lodges to be established throughout the state (A.A. Taylor, The Negro in Tennessee1865-1889, 156-157).  By 1900, lodges were located across the state, in locations such as Memphis, Jackson, Nashville, and Fayetteville.

It is not known when the Benevolent Society in Murfreesboro was organized, but it is known that they purchased land for their cemetery in 1897.  This property was located off of South Church Street (also known as the Shelbyville Highway).

The Benevolent Society in Murfreesboro must have thrived because the Nashville Globe reported in 1908 that the Fortieth Annual Session of the Delegated Assembly of the Benevolent Orders was held in Murfreesboro.  The headline boasted of "Complete Successful Four Days Work at Rutherford County Capital" (Nashville Globe, August 14, 1908).   Describing the convention, the paper stated, "The town of Murfreesboro has been all aglow with the major portion of this work with the spirit of Benevolence, having had the state assembly in their midst" (Nashville Globe, August 14, 1908).  The paper also described the event as "Historic Town of Murfreesboro overrun with Benevolent Workers."

Benevolent Cemetery, January 2012 (image by author)

    Despite the warm welcome given to the convention members in 1908, the Benevolent Society in Murfreesboro did not survive.  By 1988, the last surviving member of the organization deeded the cemetery to Allen Chapel AME Church.  Despite sporadic clean-up efforts throughout the last two decades, the cemetery remains overgrown and in poor condition.

Obscured tombstone (image by author)

View of Church Street from the cemetery (image by author)