Beaukiss, Texas
Beaukiss, Texas founded in 1880 by Samuel M. Slaughter, an Indian, who had been appointed its first postmaster. Beaukiss was a prosperous rural community in 1884; it had a church, school, grist mill, cotton gin, and seventy-five inhabitants. By 1890, the population reached 100 and had a many businesses, several doctors, three fraternal organizations, and school. The town declined to a population of just seventy-five by 1920 and only had two businesses by 1931. The oil boom in eastern Williamson County revived Beaukiss briefly in the 1930s. By 1977 Beaukiss only had a cemetery, church and its Masonic lodge . Its population had shrunk to 20 by the year 2000.
The Beaukiss,
Texas Masonic lodge is about the only structure left, but it does have many members that held a Texas Historical dedication party on 5-12-07.
SETTLED AS EARLY AS THE 1840s, POST OAK ISLAND WAS ONE OF THIS AREA'S EARLIEST COMMUNITIES.
THERE, ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1855, I.J. KIDD, T. GATLIN, P.A. MIDDLETON, M. GARDNER AND A.S. HARPER ESTABLISHED A MASONIC LODGE. ON FEBRUARY 2, 1856, THE LODGE WAS OFFICIALLY CONSTITUTED AS POST OAK ISLAND LODGE #181, AND BY OCTOBER 1860, LODGE MEMBERS HAD PAID THE MORTGAGE ON THEIR LODGE HALL. THEY MOVED THE HALL IN 1878 TO SAM SMITH SPRINGS (LAWHON PRINGS), AND IN 1901, THEY MOVED IT AGAIN, TO BEAUKISS. DESPITE THE RELATIVELY SMALL POPULATION OF BEAUKISS, THE LONG-STANDIN INSTITUTION HAS MAINTAINED A HIGH MEMBERSHIP, PULLED FROM THE AREA'S DISPERSED RURAL COMMUNITIES.
(2006)
Maps
Post Oak Island Lodge #181 Of Ancient Free & Accepted Masonry
(Chartered
January 24, 1856)Narrated by Sammey R Smith - Past Master and Great Grandson - of Samuel A Smith
The Post
Oak Island Lodge began meeting September 15, 1855, at Post Oak Island, Williamson County, Texas, under a dispensation granted by the Grand Lodge of Texas.The purpose of the Masonic Lodge is to take good men into the Fraternity and make them better through its firm belief in the Brotherhood of Man and the immorality of the soul. Masonry teaches the basic moral truths, thereby imposing on the minds of the members, the cardinal virtues of
Brotherly love, relief, and truth, which can be applied to everyday activities.The following Brethren met and opened the Lodge: I.J. Kidd Worshipful Master, T. Gatlin Senior Warden, P.A. Middleton Junior Warden, M. Gardner , Treasurer, and A.S. Harper, Secretary.
A
building committee was appointed to make arrangements for a Lodge hall, whereupon the committee found a suitable building on Post Oak island which was purchased for $591.00 and to be paid for in installments.The mortgage was paid off and a deed issued to the Lodge on October
15, 1860.On October 20, 1855, petitioners Samuel A. Smith and William R. Hobbs received the first degree in Masonry
.On December 22, 1855 Brothers Smith and Hobbs were raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason, having been the first to receive this honor in the newly formed Lodge.
On February 2, 1856 Brother Samuel Mather, District Deputy Grand Master of the (then)
District #3, installed the officers and proclaimed Post Oak Island Lodge #181 duly constituted.Postmaster that year. He was very active and instrumental in the prosperity of Beaukiss. He served as Master of Post Oak Island Lodge several
times.Post Oak Island Lodge #181 has finally found a home at Beaukiss. Members and visitors come from miles around to visit our
own "Premier Lodge" of Texas "where you will never meet a stranger, only those friends you have yet to meet".Respectfully submitted By the historical committee of Post Oak
Island Lodge #181Narrated by Sammey R Smith
Past Master and Great Grandson of Samuel A Smith
-
by The
Handbook of Texas Online -
view TexasEscapes on Beaukiss and Beaukiss School