Steven L. Harrison > Quotes

“When the British retreated after a skirmish in the revolutionary war, American troops found Masonic regalia and a book of constitutions left in the encampment the British had abandoned.  General Washington himself returned the Masonic artifacts to the British troops, under a flag of truce, accompanied by an escort and a guard of honor.”
― Steven L. Harrison, Freemasons: Tales From The Craft

“Brother George Washington's favorite breakfast was "hoe cakes." Similar to today's pancakes, they were so named because they could be fried on the back of a common garden tool, a flat hoe.  The General preferred to eat his serving "liberally drizzled with butter and honey.”
― Steven L. Harrison, Freemasons: Tales From The Craft

“Aficionados of watching men slogging through mud or standing around discussing bilge pump operations would be enthralled by the show. ”
― Steven L Harrison, Freemasons at Oak Island: Speculation about a Real National Treasure Site

“William Wirt, first presidential candidate of the Anti-Masonic party was, in fact, a Freemason.  He even defended the order in his acceptance speech at the convention.”
― Steven L. Harrison, Freemasons: Tales From The Craft

“Four candidates emerged in the hard-fought presidential campaign of 1948: Republican Thomas Dewey, Progressive Henry Wallace, Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond and the eventual winner, Democrat Harry Truman.  Although the candidates were intense rivals and had very different political views, all four were Freemasons.”
― Steven L. Harrison, Freemasons: Tales From The Craft

“John E. Osborne, a member of Sisco Lodge 259 in Westport, New York, was Wyoming's third governor and the first Democrat to occupy that office.  After a mob lynched the notorious outlaw George "Big Nose" Parrott in 1881, Brother Osborne, also a physician, took possession of the body to perform an autopsy.  Completing that, Brother Osborne sent Parrott's skin to a tannery, where it was made into a pair of shoes.  Subsequently, in 1883, having been elected governor, Osborne wore those shoes to his inaugural ball.”
― Steven L. Harrison, Freemasons: Tales From The Craft

“Upon his election as Governor of New Hampshire, Joseph A. Gilmore became a "Mason at Sight" April 28, 1863.  He received the 33° AASR (Northern Jurisdiction) on May 7, 1863, just nine days later!”
― Steven L. Harrison, Freemasons: Tales From The Craft

“George Rogers Clark (1752-1818) was the highest ranking military officer on the western frontier in the American Revolution.  He was also the brother of famed Freemason William Clark (of the Lewis and Clark expedition).  A Freemason, George Rogers Clark's Lodge is unknown, but Abraham Lodge 8, Louisville conducted his Masonic funeral.  In 1809, at age 57, Brother Clark suffered a stroke and fell into a fireplace, burning his leg so badly it required amputation. When Dr. Richard Ferguson, Master of Abraham Lodge, performed the amputation, the only anesthetic Brother Clark received  was music from a fife and drum corps playing in the background.”
― Steven L. Harrison, Freemasons: Tales From The Craft

“The first official national "Thanksgiving Day," established on November 26, 1789, was originally created by George Washington for "giving thanks for the Constitution.”
― Steven L. Harrison, Freemasons: Tales From The Craft

“Working late one night in 1940, poolside at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Irving Berlin, Munn Lodge 190, New York City, told his secretary, "I just wrote the best song I've ever written — heck, I just wrote the best song anybody's ever written!"  Brother Berlin was right on the mark.  He had just finished composing "White Christmas."  Having sold 50 million copies - and counting - it is the best selling single of all time.”
― Steven L. Harrison, Freemasons: Tales From The Craft

“Letter "G":  In 1967, workers unearthed a granite boulder with the letter "G" carved into it.  The letter is formed inside a rectangle and  was found on the east side of the island, all items of significance recognizable to Freemasons, with the "G" itself alluding to the core of the ritual with connections to deity and the geometry of operative Masons.”
― Steven L Harrison, Freemasons at Oak Island: Speculation about a Real National Treasure Site

“Wheelock Commandery 5, Texas, ceased to exist when its 55 members joined the Confederate Army in 1861 and all were subsequently killed.”
― Steven L. Harrison, Freemasons: Tales From The Craft

“In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Lodges in the United States and Europe conducted Masonic baptisms. During the ceremony, written by Albert Pike, the presiding officer gave the child Masonic emblems, promising him or her the protection of the fraternity.  While the ritual for the ceremony survives, it is rarely performed today. ”
― Steven L. Harrison, Freemasons: Tales From The Craft

“Martha Washington was terrified of battlefields, yet she spent fully half of the American Revolution with her husband George, a courageous act that has been largely lost to history.”
― Steven L. Harrison, Freemasons: Tales From The Craft

“The highest Masonic Lodge on earth is Roof of the World Lodge 1094 in Oroya, Peru.  It's elevation has been measured to be approximately 14,167 feet.  The next highest Lodge is thought to be Corinthian Lodge 35, at 10,152 feet in Leadville, Colorado.”
― Steven L. Harrison, Freemasons: Tales From The Craft