MASONIC REFERENCES IN A NEW MURAL HUNG IN STATE CAPITAL
The Grand Lodge of Texas History Committee has announced that the Grand Lodge of Texas History Committee was successful in working with Bro. Jonathan Pascoe and his father, Bro. Chuck Pascoe, to have several Masonic references included in a new MURAL that was unveiled at the Texas General Land Office this past week. This mural hangs in the hallway of the main lobby of the Stephen F. Austin Building at the State Capitol, and will serve to show the Masonic connection to the formation and development of TEXAS through illustrations of Bro. Stephen F. Austin, Erasmo Seguin, and members of the OLD THREE HUNDRED original settlers in Austin's Colony.
The Save Texas History project of the Texas General Land office, headed by Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, unveiled today a new mural of Stephen F. Austin, the Father of Texas. The General Land Office is housed in the Stephen F. Austin building at the state capitol, and the new mural is displayed in the main lobby hallway of the building.
The unveiling program, which was attended by over 100 Texans, consisted of a welcome from General Land Officer Commissioner Jerry Patterson and a brief description of how the mural was created. After an excellent program on Stephen F. Austin, Grand Master David Counts was introduced, and he spoke about the role that the Masonic Fraternity played in early Texas History.
Stephen F. Austin was a Mason when he came to Texas, and he was named the Worshipful Master of the first lodge in Texas. It was organized in San Felipe in 1828, and a petition for a charter was sent to Mexico City. The petition was never answered, and that first lodge was never fully realized. Brother Austin died soon after Texas Independence was won, and thus never saw the foothold that Masonry obtained in the Republic of Texas.
The "Masonic connection" was made when Sara Cely, the artist, was made aware of Austin's Masonic background by Brother Jonathan Pascoe. Jonathan contacted his father Chuck, and Chuck contacted the Texas History Committee of Grand Lodge, who provided information to the artist. Part of this information included pictures of a
MASONIC RIFLE that was built sometime after the Texas Revolution, but was of the same type used during the 1830's. The rifle is shown in the Mural, slung over the shoulder of a rider, and the Masonic emblems are clearly visible on the stock. Square and Compasses are also shown on the buttons on the coats of both Stephen F. Austin and Erasmo Seguin, and on the butt of the pistol carried in Austin’s belt.