BBs Cedar Bayou Masonic Lodge #321 Traditional Cache

Cedar Bayou Masonic Lodge #321 was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Texas on June 18th, 1870. The lumber for the building was sawed to order at Pensacola, Florida, and brought to Cedar Bayou by schooner. The vessel that brought the lumber barely escaped being caught in the Gulf by the great storm that swept the Texas Gulf Coast so destructively in September of 1875. The Lodge building was finished on July 7th, 1876, and is the second oldest Masonic Lodge building still in continuous use in the State of Texas.

The bottom floor of the Lodge was opened so that it could be used as the first public school in east Harris county. It was used as such from 1876 to 1911. Cedar Bayou Lodge has the oldest Eastern Star Chapter in the state, Cedar Bayou Chapter No. 11 Order of the Eastern Star. Their Charter was received on May 17th, 1884, and they still meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month at 7:30 pm.

In 1970, the Lodge was given the distinction of being a Texas Historical Landmark. It marked the 100th anniversary of Cedar Bayou Lodge and over 1,200 people attended the celebration.

The masonic cemetery behind the lodge contains interrments that date back 115 years, including many early community founders. The adjoining Cedar Crest Cemetery includes a section of veterans graves known as "Little Arlington". Veterans of the Civil war, the Spanish-American war, WW I and WW II are interred in Cedar Crest.

Cedar Bayou, Texas

Although the founding date of the community of Cedar Bayou is uncertain, the first recorded burial in the area was in 1810. In its early years and even as late as the 1930s, the community was used as a shipping port for bricks and other materials to Galveston Bay. A Methodist church was organized at Cedar Bayou in 1844, and the community's first school was founded in 1845. In 1870 a Masonic lodge was started in the area, and in 1871 John Peter Sjolanderqv arrived at the community from his native Sweden. From 1870 until sometime after 1930 Cedar Bayou had a post office. In 1880 the community had thirty students under the instruction of William K. Gourley, and by 1900 there were sixty students with two teachers. By 1884 Baptist and Christian churches had been organized at the community. In 1890 the town had a population of 200, three general stores, several steam gristmills and cotton gins, and two brick manufacturers. In 1905 one Cedar Bayou school had six black students and one teacher, and a second school had ninety white students and three teachers. By 1914 Cedar Bayou had a population of 400, as well as five general stores, a boatbuilder, and an undertaker. In 1947 it reported a population of 500 and five businesses. The town was annexed in 1955 by the City of Baytown.

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