Lodge History

Panther City Lodge No. 159 was organized during the Masonic year of 1903–1904 under the leadership of Most Worshipful Grand Master J. W. McKinney and officially received its charter number on July 21, 1904. Founded by a dedicated group of ten brethren, the Lodge was established during a pivotal era of African American institution building in Fort Worth and throughout Texas.

The original officers and members of the Lodge included William C. Carr, the first Worshipful Master; Henry Y. A. Watson; George A. Treadwell; W. C. Randall; Joseph A. Blackburn; B. D. Shaw; J. S. Daggett; A. L. Cunningham; N. H. Hill; J. E. Conner; and George A. Watson. Together, these men laid the foundation for what would become one of the historic Prince Hall Masonic lodges in Fort Worth.

Throughout its history, Panther City Lodge No. 159 has been home to many influential leaders within Fort Worth’s African American community. Notable members included Prof. Joseph A. Blackburn, who enlisted in the Tenth Cavalry Regiment of the Buffalo Soldiers in Washington City on September 10, 1867. State Representative Reby Cary, one of the first African Americans elected to the Texas Legislature since Reconstruction; Corporal Lonnell E. Cooper, the first Black police sergeant in Fort Worth; Lee G. Pinkston, Jr., owner of the historic Pinkston Mortuary; and Cecil Johnson, respected reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. These men, along with countless other brethren, helped shape the civic, political, business, and cultural life of Fort Worth while exemplifying the principles of Prince Hall Masonry.