Livingston Masonic Library |
The Empire State Mason Magazine |
The following article appeared in The Empire State Mason Magazine, an official publication of The Grand Lodge of the State of New York. To subscribe to the magazine, or to read more articles of Masonic interest, visit the ESM web site.
The Empire State Mason - Spring 2006 (p. 38)
by RW Richard A. Vang, Trustee
For most of us, the reason we became Freemasons is because we are seeking something—more knowledge of the Order, family connections, or community involvement. As a college student, I kept coming across mentions of this “secret” organization in various history books, and I wanted to know more about the “hidden” history that we didn’t learn about in school – the historical truth, if you will. Little did I know my joining would lead me along a winding path, a staircase filled with boxes of files and books and people I never knew existed.
A couple of years ago I received a call from an elderly woman with a thick German accent, a retired history professor. She needed my help (as Historian of Otsego Lodge in Cooperstown) in learning more about an itinerant Lutheran minister named Johann Frederic Ernst, who lived during the 18th and 19th centuries. She knew of Ernst from her own researches into the history of German immigrants, but she did not know of his membership in our Fraternity until she read Alan Taylor’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, William Cooper’s Town. (I highly recommend this book, which is subtitled, “Power and Persuasion on the Frontier of the Early American Republic.” If nothing else, reading the discussions of Otsego Lodge’s participation in Cooperstown’s development is worth the time.)
Taylor describes how Cooper asked Ernst to settle in Cooperstown and become both a minister and the teacher at the Cooperstown Academy. Being a Mason, Ernst naturally visited Otsego Lodge (chartered in 1795) several times. But he was a bombastic soul who had been run out of town by previous congregations along the Hudson, and he quickly became embroiled in a public dispute in Cooperstown and was similarly excused from his posts there. My researcher was curious to know if there was anything further in the Otsego Lodge minutes that might mention Ernst’s membership or his disputes, one of which involved a Brother Mason.
As this was my first request for information from an outside source, I quickly learned the joy of delving into the history of my lodge, reading through old minutes, leafing through old files, and cross-referencing against Taylor’s footnotes. There is no better way to learn about your lodge than to read the minute books. Doing so connects you to your past; it makes those dark and somber portraits and photos hanging on your lodge room walls come alive, and teaches you how your Brethren thought and acted. Often, the greatest joy comes from discovering a little tidbit in the minutes, perhaps about an artifact or old piece of ritual paraphernalia no longer in use. Seeking and solving these little mysteries is part of what we do as Masons.
One interesting thing that I discovered is that even the experts can be wrong. Following Taylor’s footnotes, I realized that many of his references to the lodge minutes were incorrect, and because he didn’t understand the Fraternity, I think he misinterpreted the information presented and portrayed events inaccurately, which led to what I believe is an unflattering presentation of Freemasonry. I don’t know the reason for this; the previous Historian is no longer living, so I remain puzzled and disturbed over the lack of historical accuracy employed.
Needless to say, these inaccuracies only strengthened our resolve to discover Ernst. Her quest to know more became mine as well, and together we looked for Ernst in the Hudson lodges and through the Royal Arch Grand Chapter, but with little result. Beyond the info in the Otsego Lodge minutes, it was a discouraging and frustrating journey, as letters of inquiries to lodges were returned unopened (even though the mailing address for the lodge came from Grand Lodge), and phone calls and letters to Grand Chapter were not returned. Sadly, even the Livingston Library was unable to help, as I came to learn that due to low staffing levels, the professor’s query was in a queue of low priorities, and might not be reached for some time. Like most lodge Historians, I was unwilling to make a special trip to Manhattan to conduct the research myself. I felt badly for this woman, and I must admit that it was difficult for me to explain our inability to help.
The reason I mention this is not to berate the lodges involved, but to point out missed opportunities. Through my work with the professor, I came to know someone I’d not known before, and we came to a feeling of mutual respect through our common bond of historical research. When we help people like this, we become ambassadors for Freemasonry. She knew nothing about our organization, so I found myself explaining the complexities of lodge politics, titles, offices and philosophy, as well as early lodge, Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter history. She became an admirer of the Fraternity, and despite her disappointment with other lodge venues, she donated generously to my lodge’s charities. Surely this should be incentive enough for any lodge to do as much as possible in these situations?
Fortunately, however, recent upgrades at the Livingston Library changed the course of events and made this story one with a happy ending.
When the Livingston Library “flipped the switch” and went on-line with its library catalogue (see the Library article in the Summer 2005 issue of the ESM) I was able to do a search on Rev. Ernst, and—lo and behold—there he was! As Grand Chaplain, Ernst had delivered orations at the opening of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, as he had done for the dedication of the first Masonic Temple in Cooperstown. As you can imagine, I was delighted. On a scheduled visit to the Livingston Library in Manhattan, I was able to see the copies of the three printed orations that the Grand Chapter had commissioned. They were perfectly preserved since 1800. Tom Savini, director of the Library, digitally scanned the items and sent the copies directly to the Professor. Satisfied that I had done enough, I considered myself released from my quest for Ernst—but not so.
While it may not seem this way to some, one of the great joys of research is being bitten by the “bug”. Once you start an avenue of inquiry, it almost never leaves you. Somewhere, filed in the back of your mind is a folder with a specific label for your subject. All winding staircases lead to it, and though you don’t always know how you’ll get there, you often do—and at a time you least expect.
A few weeks before, while in a bookstore in Washington County I purchased a book about the local history of the Helderberg Mountains, outside of Albany where I live. I brought it with me to read on the train, and on my way back from the Livingston Library, I thought, “why not,” and looked for Ernst’s name in the index, and again, there he was! It turns out that on his travels between Cooperstown and Hudson, Ernst had preached and delivered communion in the Helderbergs—meaning he may have visited other lodges in the area, including others in the Otsego-Schoharie District. New avenues of research lay before me.
I sent a copy of the pages to the professor, but I have not heard from her regarding this or the copies of the orations. For all I know, she could be very ill or worse, no longer living. I suppose my quest to be done, but for the rest of my life I’ll always remember her, and keep that folder labeled “Rev. Ernst” in the back of mind, waiting to bring me more joy.
Truly, few subjects offer so many avenues of research as Freemasonry. New books seem to be published monthly, and for the most part are not dreamt up, but are researched thoroughly. One of the best places to do research is the Livingston Library. There are 60,000 titles in our book catalogue alone, and this doesn’t include the numerous pamphlets, magazine articles and lodge records. As Masons we encourage a lifetime of self-learning and discovery. With a resource like the Livingston Library at your disposal, I have only one question: What folders are tucked away in the back of your mind? Surely they should be incentive enough for you to support the Library in any way you can.
If you would like to help the Livingston Library, please contact VW Tom Savini at (212) 337-6620, or through the web site at www.nymasoniclibrary.org. As always, remember that your donation to the Livingston Masonic Library is tax deductible.
©2006, The Empire State Mason Magazine.