Attleboro Freemasons Honor the City’s Jewelry Past
Ezekiel Bates Lodge A.F. & A.M. has been in downtown Attleboro for close to 150 years and had many of Attleboro’s Jewelry executives become Freemasons. From the early days of Horton, Angell, Blackington and Crosby to the later businesses of Balfour, Makepeace, Leach and Garner.
The Lodge’s 150th Anniversary will be celebrated in 2020, which has started extensive research into the history of the lodge, uncovering more and more of the Jewelry roots for Attleboro entwined with the lodge. Much success to Attleboro’s Jewelry success came from the sharing of information. When one company found a new method to work or modify a piece of jewelry, they would share it with their fellow lodge Brothers, propelling the research and development well past the competition.
Today’s members, wishing to honor our rich history, petitioned the Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts Most Worshipful (an old English term of Respect) Paul Gleason to allow the lodge officers to wear gold bow ties to honor the Brothers who came before us.
Most Worshipful Gleason graciously granted our request and we now remember our past at each monthly meeting. Our past lodge masters were honored with matching gold neck ties.
In the Photo left to right:
Stuart “Bump” Studley, Michael Dumas, Aaron Chauncey