Brief History of Alcona Lodge #292

On January 12, 1871, Alcona Lodge #292 Free & Accepted Masons was chartered in Harrisville, MI.  The first Worshipful Master was Joseph VanBuskirk.  The honorable Mr. VanBuskirk served as Worshipful Master of Alcona Lodge #292 for the first 5 years and 14 of its first 18 years in existence.  The first Lodge meetings were held in his home.  Subsequently, Alcona Lodge #292 met in various locations in Harrisville until 1989.  The VanBuskirk home still stands today and is now the Springport Inn on US-23 just south of Harrisville.

On May 12, 1923, Twin Lakes Lodge #523 first met on the second floor of a downtown Lincoln, MI, business on 2nd Street and later moved to the present Twin Lakes Masonic Temple here on Traverse Bay State Road.  The first Worshipful Master of Twin Lakes Lodge #523 was Charles M. Dyer.

In 1989, the two Lodges were consolidated into one Lodge.  The name “Alcona Lodge #292” was retained (keeping the name and the lower of the two Lodge numbers) and “Twin Lakes Masonic Temple” name was likewise retained.  The new lodge became known as Alcona Lodge #292 F. & A. M. – located in Lincoln and met at the Twin Lakes Masonic Temple.

Herman “Bucky” Knight was the first Master of consolidated Alcona Lodge #292 and Alcona Lodge still meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month at the Twin Lakes Masonic Temple in Lincoln, MI.

Past Masters of Alcona Lodge #292 (since consolidation)

1989       Herman Knight                     2004       Steve Kitzman

1990       Michael Kerr                         2005       Robert Merkel

1991       William Hastings                   2006       Gary Malone

1992       Charles Stern                       2007       Donald Cowsert

1993       Walter Johnson                    2008       Mark Lewis

1994       Richard Manser                   2009       Bruce Frappier

1995       Curtis Gerow                       2010       John Guynn

1996       Curtis Gerow                       2011       Charles Snyder

1997       Norm Welch                        2012       David Shores

1998       Ralph Klann                        2013       Norman Buckler

1999       Curtis Gerow                       2014       Norman Buckler

2000       Charles Stern                     2015       Eric Wagner

2001       Charles Stern                     2016       Kevin Friddle

2002       Leonard Briggs                   2017       Eric Wagner

2003       Charles Stern