Ector Lodge No. 687, A. F. & A. M.

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Ector Lodge Number 687. Now settle in, because this one starts before the lodge even had its name. Back in 1887, a group of Masons in the town of Ravenna got together and decided they wanted something lasting.

So they petitioned the Grand Lodge of Texas for a charter, and that petition took root. Two years on, in 1889, the lodge picked up and moved to a new railroad town called Ector. Towns built around railroads had a way of pulling people and institutions along with them, and this lodge was no exception.

Then came 1901, and with it a new name: Ector Lodge Number 687. That name stuck. Over the years, the membership met in several different locations around the community, movin' when they had to, keepin' the thing alive through all of it, until finally, in 1980, they settled into the building where that marker now stands.

What's worth sayin' about a lodge that's kept its doors open across so many decades and so many addresses is this: throughout its entire history, Ector Lodge has maintained an active interest in the community and in charitable projects. And the men who walked through those doors weren't strangers to the land. Members of Ector Lodge have included area pioneers and prominent citizens, the kind of people who shaped Fannin County before most folks knew there was anything here worth shaping.

Started with a petition. Ended up a cornerstone.

What the marker says

This lodge began in 1887, when a group of Masons in the town of Ravenna joined together and petitioned the Grand Lodge of Texas for a charter. In 1889 the lodge was moved to the new railroad town of Ector, and in 1901 the name was changed to Ector Lodge No. 687. The membership met in several locations before moving to this building in 1980. Throughout its history, the lodge has maintained an active interest in the community and in charitable projects. Members of Ector Lodge have included area pioneers and prominent citizens.