Buda Masonic Lodge #800 A.F.&A.M.

Legacy of Light

Buda Masonic Lodge No. 800 carries forward a tradition of fellowship, charity, and service in the Buda community.

Early History

The Antioch Colony

Founding of the Colony

Antioch Colony is part of the wider history of the Buda area. The Texas Historical Commission describes it as a farming community established after the Civil War by formerly enslaved African Americans, with a school, churches, a Masonic lodge, and an Order of the Eastern Star chapter.

A Sanctuary of Fellowship

Antioch’s Masonic lodge and Eastern Star chapter belong to the community’s own history. The historical marker does not identify them as predecessors of Buda Lodge No. 800; the two histories should be distinguished.

A Tradition of Service

December 1837
Representatives of Holland, Milam, and McFarland Lodges organized the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas in Houston.
2022
The City of Buda named Lodge member Jim Hollis its first Local Legend in recognition of his service to the community.
Today
Buda Lodge No. 800 continues its work in fellowship and community service under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Texas.

LEADERSHIP THROUGH THE YEARS

Worshipful Masters of Buda Lodge

The Lodge’s surviving records note a charter dated December 3, 1896, and that the Lodge was set to work January 15, 1897. The Past Masters register preserves service years from 1897 through 2017–18; gaps and unclear entries are left as recorded.

A timeline of Buda Lodge’s Worshipful Masters, transcribed from surviving registers. Gold outlined frames are reserved for portraits after names and service years are verified.

1897–1942 · Early Lodge

Portrait
pending
1897 · January–July
D. M. Wilson
Portrait
pending
1897/98
M. S. Ward
Portrait
pending
1898–1900
J. B. Wilson
Portrait
pending
1900/01
J. S. Reagin
1901/02–1906/07
No name recorded
Surviving list gap
Portrait
pending
1907/08
B. A. Hessler
Portrait
pending
1908/09
W. E. Holteclaw
1909/10
No name recorded
Surviving list gap
Portrait
pending
1910–1912
C. C. Huddleston
Portrait
pending
1912–1914
E. J. Cleveland
Portrait
pending
1914/15
A. H. White
Portrait
pending
1915/16
W. G. Williams
Portrait
pending
1916/17
E. H. Nivens
Portrait
pending
1917/18
H. S. Barton
Portrait
pending
1918/19
Clay Lauderdale
Portrait
pending
1919/20
W. A. Chessher
Portrait
pending
1920/21
W. M. Woods
Portrait
pending
1921/22
B. Watson
Portrait
pending
1922–1924
Roscoe Watson
Portrait
pending
1924/25
R. J. Rogers
Portrait
pending
1925/26
E. A. Severn
Portrait
pending
1926/27
H. I. Bell
Portrait
pending
1927/28
E. D. Cleveland
Portrait
pending
1928/29
M. E. Rylander
Portrait
pending
1929/30
C. E. Moore
Portrait
pending
1930/31
R. W. Craven
Portrait
pending
1931/32
Jim Lindeman
Portrait
pending
1932/33
Claude Wood / Ralph Craven
Conflicting entries in the supplied records
Portrait
pending
1933/34
Clem Armbruster
Portrait
pending
1934/35
H. R. Woods
Portrait
pending
1935/36
H. V. Schmidt
Portrait
pending
1936/37
L. L. Carter
1937/38–1942/43
Names and years unclear
Older sheet cannot be aligned confidently

1943–1983 · Mid-century Lodge

Portrait
pending
1943/44
J. W. Griffin
Portrait
pending
1944/45
No name entered in typed table
Older sheet may list Clark Bostick
Portrait
pending
1945/46
Clark Bostick
1946/47
No name recorded
Typed table blank
Portrait
pending
1947/48
L. Messer
First name not recorded in typed table
Portrait
pending
1948/49
Clark Bostick
Portrait
pending
1949/50
Ralph McCaughn
Portrait
pending
1950/51
Ralph McCaughn
Portrait
pending
1951/52
Eugene Heideman
Portrait
pending
1952/53
Oliver Proffitt
Portrait
pending
1953/54
Eugene Heideman
1954/55
No name recorded
Typed table blank
Portrait
pending
1955/56
Will Ferguson
Portrait
pending
1956/57
Thomas Welch
Portrait
pending
1957/58
Cullen Farr
Portrait
pending
1958/59
E. Gage
Initials incomplete
Portrait
pending
1959/60
Jacob Bauerle
1960/61
No name recorded
Typed table blank
Portrait
pending
1961/62
Will Ferguson
1962/63
No name recorded
Typed table blank
Portrait
pending
1963/64
Charles Hodges
Portrait
pending
1964/65
John Owens
Older sheet appears to read J. B. Owens Jr.
Portrait
pending
1965/66
Lloyd Hennig
Portrait
pending
1966/67
Emmet Barnes
Portrait
pending
1967/68
Dudley Farr
Portrait
pending
1968/69
Cecil Clarence
Portrait
pending
1969/70
Bobby Doherty
Portrait
pending
1970/71
John Felps
Portrait
pending
1971/72
Lawrence Doolan
Portrait
pending
1972/73
Robert Minzenmayer
Portrait
pending
1973/74
Wesley Jones
Portrait
pending
1974/75
Sammy Powell
Portrait
pending
1975/76
Dannie Brownlow
Portrait
pending
1976/77
W. Nelson
Portrait
pending
1977/78
William Gwaltney
Portrait
pending
1978/79
Solomon Johnson
Portrait
pending
1979/80
Charles Patton
Portrait
pending
1980/81
Charles Patton
Portrait
pending
1981/82–1982/83
No names recorded
Typed table blank

1983–2018 · Later Register

Portrait
pending
1983/84
Bill Creech
Portrait
pending
1984/85
Robert Harper
1985/86
Name not recorded
No name on supplied page
Portrait
pending
1986/87
James Hollis
Portrait
pending
1987/88
Earl Mixon
Portrait
pending
1988/89
Richard Wells
Portrait
pending
1989/90
Bobby Norris
Portrait
pending
1990/91
John McKamie
Portrait
pending
1991/92
John McKamie
Portrait
pending
1992/93
Joseph McKamie
Portrait
pending
1993/94
James Graham
Portrait
pending
1994/95
Donald Collins
Portrait
pending
1995/96
James Yankovich
Portrait
pending
1996/97
Gene Payne
Portrait
pending
1997/98
Carl Snoeberger
Portrait
pending
1998/99
Arza Lawrence
Portrait
pending
1999/2000
Bill Gilkey
Portrait
pending
2000/01
Joe Pickering
Portrait
pending
2001/02
Joe Pickering
Portrait
pending
2002/03
Chuck Jones
Portrait
pending
2003/04
Elliott Wilson
Portrait
pending
2004/05
John Gruenbein
Portrait
pending
2005/06
Bill Neukam
Portrait
pending
2006/07
William Simpson
Portrait
pending
2007/08
William Foster
Portrait
pending
2008/09
Bradley French
Portrait
pending
2009/10
Bennie Hudson
Portrait
pending
2010/11
Clarence Bankston
Portrait
pending
2011/12
Richard Shaffer
Portrait
pending
2012/13
Preston Schultz
Portrait
pending
2013/14
Timothy Ford
Portrait
pending
2014/15
Eric Kolb
Portrait
pending
2015/16
Paul Adams
Portrait
pending
2016/17
Jason Payne
Portrait
pending
2017/18
Benny Courtney

The supplied register ends in 2017/18. Some gaps, spellings, initials, and conflicting entries remain under review; years and names marked here follow the supplied pages and should be confirmed before portraits are added.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

A Living Tradition

As Buda continues to grow and modernize, Lodge No. 800 remains a vibrant pillar of the community. We honor the traditions of Freemasonry through regular meetings, social events, and ongoing charitable activities. Our commitment to fellowship and service remains as central to our mission today as it was over a century ago.

Jim Hollis: 2022 Buda Local Legend

The City of Buda named Jim Hollis its first Local Legend in 2022. The city’s announcement recognizes his service as a former mayor, longtime Emergency Services District board president, and member of Buda Lodge.

Buda Masonic Lodge #800 Logo

Buda Masonic Lodge #800

Making good men better in Buda, Texas.

© 2026 Buda Masonic Lodge #800 A. F. & A. M. All rights reserved.