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Belton (Missouri) Lodge No. 450, A.F. & A.M. Records

Dates: 1908-1916, 1962

These records include photocopies of the minutes of meetings from 1909 to 1916 of the Masonic Lodge in Belton, Missouri. Also included is a photocopy of the Petition for Initiation of Harry S. Truman, dated December 21, 1908.

[Administrative Information | Organizational Note | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List]

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Size: Less than one-half of one linear foot (approximately 300 pages).
Access: Open.
Copyright: The Belton (Missouri) Masonic Lodge No. 450, Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, allowed the Truman Library to make photocopies of the original records.
Processed by: Brian Smith (2010) as part of the Truman Library Internship Program.
Supervising Archivists: Randy Sowell and David Clark.


[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Organizational Note | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

ORGANIZATIONAL NOTE

Harry S. Truman joined Belton Lodge No. 450, Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons as an apprentice on February 9, 1909. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a part of the Fellowcraft on March 9, 1909 and then a Master Mason on March 18, 1909. He finally became Junior Warden in 1910, which was the last position he held until he left the Belton Lodge and organized a new Masonic Lodge (No. 618) in Grandview, Missouri in 1911.

[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

This collection contains photocopies of records of Belton (Missouri) Lodge No. 450, Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons. Almost the entire collection is made up of the minutes of meetings that took place at the lodge between January 2, 1909 and May 16, 1916. These handwritten minutes include lists of the members who attended and summaries of what was discussed. The earlier minutes include references to Harry S. Truman, who joined the lodge in 1909.

Also filed with the minutes are financial records listing expenses of the lodge and the outstanding dues owed by various members, and a printed religious publication for children dating from 1962.

The collection also includes a Petition for Initiation as a Mason, completed and signed by Harry S. Truman on December 21, 1908. This item was originally opened for research as part of the Miscellaneous Historical Documents Collection (MHDC 234).

More information about Truman’s Masonic career can be found in the Harry S. Truman Papers (Official File, President’s Personal File, President’s Secretary Files, and Papers as U.S. Senator and Vice President).

[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Organizational Note | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Container Nos.

 

Series

1

  SUBJECT FILE, 1908-1916, 1962
Minutes of meetings, a petition for initiation, and other items. Arranged alphabetically.
[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Organizational Note | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

FOLDER TITLE LIST

SUBJECT FILE, 1908-1916, 1962

Box 1

  • Minutes of Meetings
  • Petition for Initiation of Harry S. Truman
[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Organizational Note | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]