The roots of Prince Hall Masons in Texas can be traced back to Massachusetts and the influential figure of Prince Hall, who is believed to have been born in 1725. On March 6, 1775, Prince Hall and fourteen others were initiated into a military lodge at what is now known as Fort Independence in Massachusetts. Two years later, on March 2, 1784, Hall took a significant step by petitioning the Grand Lodge of England for a warrant or charter to create a regular lodge. This charter was granted on September 29, 1784, although it was not received until May 6, 1787, leading to the formation of African Lodge No. 459. Following this, on June 6, 1791, the lodge was officially established as the African Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. These foundational events not only underscore the rich history of Prince Hall Masonry but also highlight its vital contributions to the development of Masonry in Texas.

These events mark the origins of Masonry in Texas.

In 1872, Grand Master W.D. Matthews is noted in a Resolution of the Missouri Grand Lodge for un-Masonic conduct.  M.W. Grand Lodge of Kansas was asked by the Missouri Grand Lodge to place a good man at their head, and failing to do this, they felt that the M.W. Grand Lodge would be compelled to suspend Masonic intercourse with the M.W. Grand Lodge of Kansas.

* 1873  Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts remained under the auspices of the National Grand Lodge until December 18, 1873, when it seceded from the National Grand Lodge against the advice and consent of the national Grand Lodge. (Brock)

Bro. Martin R. Delany moved to Charleston, S.C., where he held many elected political positions.  In 1874, he lost an election for Lieutenant Governor of  South Carolina to Richard Howell Gleaves.  Bro. Gleaves would serve three terms as Lieutenant Governor.

* 1874 Norris Wright Cuney is raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason and designated by Grand Master Matthews as Deputy Grand Master of King Solomon Grand Lodge of Kansas and Jurisdictions.

1874-1878;  The attitude of defiance and rebellion towards the National Grand Lodge became acute during the period by the Grand Lodges known as States Rights Lodges." It was during the heat of the dissensions caused by the State Rights Adherents that Captain William D. Matthews rose to National Leadership.  He has attended the convention in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1878 as Grand Master from Kansas (King Solomon Grand Lodge), while George W. Lever held the National grand Mastership.  But after 1886, it was to be Captain W.D. Matthews who would be at the helm of the National Grand Lodge.  Impatient with waywardness and endowed with a soldier's mind for action, he gave an ultimatum to the rebellious Lodges and terminated the revolt as far as the National Grand Lodge was concerned.

The Founding of the most Worship Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas

* 1875:  Deputy Grand Master (of Kansas) Cuney and District Deputy Grand Master Richard Allen on August 19th answered the call to assemble in Brenham, Texas, to establish The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of  Texas. on August 20 adopted the committee's report of recommended officers.  Grand Master Norris W. Cuney, J.R. Taylor of Brenham, Grand Senior Warden, Edward Wilkerson of Austin, Grand Junior Warden, J.H. Morris of Galveston, Grand Secretary, J.P. Ball of Brenham, Grand Recorder, Wilson Nicholas of Galveston, Grand Treasurer, John Lands of Galveston as Grand Tiler.

* 1876: January 29th. The Grand Lodge Officers were installed by Captain W.D. Matthews (according to Bro. Robert Uzzell - Captain W.D. Matthews was Grand Master of the National Grand Lodge and a resident of Leavenworth, Kansas).  The record shows that he was Grand Master of the (National) Grand Lodge of Kansas - King Solomon Grand Lodge during this period.

The First Lodges

* 1876: Charters were granted to the following Lodges.

    San Antonio No. 1 in San Antonio

    MT. Bonnell No. 2 in Austin

    Magnolia No. 3 in Houston

    Amity No. 4 in Galveston

    Widow's Son No. 5 in Marshall

    Mt. Morial No. 6 in Waco

    Holloway No. 7 in Downsville

    Roosevelt No. 8in  Kendleton

    Paul Drayton No. 9 in Dallas

    Pilgrim No. 10 in Denison

    Western star No. 11 in Victoria

    St. John No. 12 in Chapel Hill/(Mt. Lebanon in Brenham)

    Gulf No. 13 in Corpus Christi

    Reed No. 14 in Luling

    Jackson No. 15 in San Angelo

    Baldwin No. 16 in Ft. Grant, AZ (Military Lodge)

Brother Matthews Dismissed

* 1876:  Missouri dismissed Bro. Matthews and his Grand Lodge reported in its proceedings of 1876 that "It is the practice of society, as soon as one individual steps down and out, another takes its place.  When an organization has accomplished its mission, and life is hanging by a thread, a new one comes into being and begins its work where the other left off."  And with that it reported on a new Grand Lodge of Kansas made up of Western Star No. 5, Euclid No. 39, Topeka and Mt. Olive No. 4 of Leavenworth working under PHGL of Ohio, meeting in a convention in Lawrence, Kansas to form a new grand Lodge independent of the national Grand Lodge independent of the National Gran Lodge for Kansas.

Actions taken concerning Bro. W.D. Matthews by Texas

M.W.G.L.O.F.F.A.A.Y.M for the State of Texas and it Jurisdictions on June 19, 1876, "The committee on the Grand Master Richard Allen's Address:  we the committee on the G.M. Address stating Deploring the unfortunate differences that exist in the country between Colored Masons, hail with joy any movement in the keeping with the ancient land marks that will tend to bring the Craft together again in the bounds of unity and brotherly love.  We would therefore recommend that the M.W.G. Master strike out so much of his Address as alludes to Brother. Wm. D. Matthews of Kansas informed him, concerning the call of the National Masonic Convention, called for the 4th of Sept. A.L. 5877 in the city of Chicago, as the language is not such as ought to go to the Masonic world from the Grand Lodge.

*1877:  The M.W.G.L. of F.A.A.Y.M for the State of Texas and Jurisdictions, June 18, 1878, on a motion by Bro. Cuney offered the following resolution,

Whereas,  on the 8th day of May, 1878, there was assembled in the City of Wilmington, Delaware, a Masonic Convention, called to consider the unfortunate differences that have long existed among the Colored Masons of this country, and 

Whereas,