Wilcox County's Dale Masonic Lodge was organized 190 years ago today

Dale Masonic Lodge No. 25 in Camden, Ala.

Today – Dec. 20 – marks the 190^th anniversary of the founding one of the longest lasting institutions in Wilcox County history – Dale Masonic Lodge No. 25.

According to the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Alabama, Dale Masonic Lodge No. 25 was officially organized on Dec. 20, 1827 in what was then called Dale Town, a community that later became known as Prairie Bluff. Dale Town, which was located on a high bluff on the west side of the Alabama River north of the present-day Miller’s Ferry Bridge, is said to have been named for early Alabama pioneer Samuel Dale. Known as the “Daniel Boone of Alabama,” Dale died in May 1841 in Mississippi.

As best that I could determine, Thomas Bivin Creagh, a prominent early Alabama Freemason, was elected to serve as the first Worshipful Master of Dale Lodge when it was founded in 1827. From there, Creagh went on to serve as the Grand Master of the Alabama Grand Lodge in 1828, 1829 and 1830, and it’s said that he is the only Grand Master to serve in that position for three consecutive years. Creagh passed away at the age of 73 on March 29, 1842 and was buried in the Creagh-Glover Cemetery near Catherine.

Dale Town (sometimes spelled as “Daletown”) began to decline in the 1840s, not long after the county seat was moved from Canton Bend to Barboursville, which was renamed Camden in 1841. During the 1840s, the members of Dale Lodge voted to move their lodge to Camden, where the lodge remains today at the intersection of Broad Street and Clifton Street. Sources say that the cornerstone of this majestic building was laid in November 1848, which was about a decade before the Wilcox County Courthouse was built.

Another story that’s commonly told about the Masonic lodge in Camden is that Union troops camped at the lodge while passing through Camden in April 1865. Over the years, I have tried to pinpoint the exact date that Union troops moved through Wilcox County, but have not had much luck. Presumably, these troops were part of what’s known as Wilson’s Raid, a cavalry operation across Alabama that took place in March and April of 1865. It would be interesting to know which Union units were involved, who their commanders were and if there were any famous soldiers among their number.

Also, while doing research on Dale Lodge this week, I ran across a reference to a book called “History of the Dale Lodge, Camden,” which was published by the lodge in 1909. I suspect that this book would shed more light on the lodge’s early history, but, to date, I have been unable to put my hands on a copy of this book. If anyone in the reading audience has a copy that I could view, please let me know.

In the end, let me be among the first to wish the Masonic lodge in Camden a happy 190^th birthday. It’s often said that the object of Masonry is “to make good men better,” and there is no doubt that the members of Dale Lodge have successfully carried on this tradition for nearly two centuries in Wilcox County. It is my hope that they continue to do so for many, many more years to come.