Dwight F. Lawton

Little is known about Dwight Lawton, outside of his involvement in the Masonic Temple. We do know that he was born in 1791 in Massachusetts, and that he later moved to Wisconsin as a merchant of some kind. He became involved with the Freemasons after this move, and spent much of his life helping to establish the Masonic order in Wisconsin. We also know that Dwight had a daughter, and near the end of his life he dedicated himself to her care. Ultimately, Dwight died of illness in 1856, but he remains an important figure in the Masonic history of Sheboygan County.

Dwight F. Lawton was born in 1791 in Hardwick, Massachusetts to parents James and Mary Lawton. He was baptized in 1793. Little is known about Dwight’s early life, and few records exist about him. We know that he was still living in Hardwick at age 14, and then he appears in the 1850 Census as a merchant in Milwaukee. How he came to Wisconsin or what happened between age 14 and 59 is a complete mystery to us. We also do not know who he married, but we know he had a daughter, and that he was a merchant of some kind. We also know that he eventually moved from Milwaukee to Sheboygan Falls, but again the timing is a mystery. 

With that being said, we do know that Lawton arrived in Wisconsin prior to 1850. He was one of the founding members of the Milwaukee chapter of Freemasons, which became the first chapter in what was then the Wisconsin Territory in 1844. He was then elected High Priest sometime between 1844 and 1849, and served in that role for a few years. The exact date is unknown, as the secretary took documents with him when he left to fight for the Union in the Civil War. Unfortunately when he died in battle, the documents were lost with him. 

Dwight then became a founding member of the Grand Chapter in 1850, which represented Wisconsin as an entire state. He was elected the first Grand High Priest for the Grand Chapter during the first convocation meeting held in Madison in 1850. During this time, he approved submissions for new lodge chapters. At the 1853 convocation, Dwight announced the new chapter of the Royal Arch Masons in Sheboygan. This chapter would be called Harmony Lodge, no. 19. This was in addition to the Sheboygan Lodge, No. 11, which was chartered in 1848.

Around this time, Dwight moved to the Sheboygan area to join the membership of the Sheboygan and Harmony Lodges, as well as the Masonic St. John’s Lodge, No. 24, which was later chartered in 1855 for Sheboygan Falls. Early members of these lodges included William Trowbridge, John E. Thomas, and Silas Stedman, all of whom were prominent pioneers in Sheboygan Falls. They are also all buried in the Sheboygan Falls Cemetery. 

During this time, Dwight’s daughter began to require additional attention due to her mental illness. Dwight began to dedicate all his time to caring for his daughter, and eventually hired a nurse to assist him. Unfortunately during this time, Dwight’s business began to decline until he was bankrupt.

Likely due to the stress of life, Dwight himself became very ill and was confined to his home, often restricted to his bed. His fellow Masonic brothers at St. John’s Lodge came to his aid and helped to take care of his financial needs while he and his daughter were sick. Sadly, after four months of illness, Dwight passed away on March 24, 1856. St. John’s Lodge covered the funeral costs, totalling $84.50, and erected a beautiful obelisk in Dwight’s honor. 

It was announced at the 1857 convocation of the Grand Chapter that their beloved brother and former Grand High Priest had died. The fraternity mourned the loss of one of Masonry’s “brightest ornaments and most devoted patrons” by wearing black mourning bands on their arms for a month; a tradition that would have been traditionally performed by family members. Upon learning that Dwight had left behind an orphaned daughter, the fraternity took it upon themselves to provide for her financially in honor of her father’s memory.

Bleyer, Julius. Freemasonry in Wisconsin. Biographical Sketches of Men who have Prominent in the Various Masonic Bodies in the State. 1900.

Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of WI, at the Grand Annual Communication. 5.

"Coin Represents Masonic Chapter." The Sheboygan Press (Sheboygan) June 14th, 1992. .

"Prominent Masons Here for Laying of Cornerstone Today." The Sheboygan Press (Sheboygan) June 16th, 1928. .

"90th Anniversary of Local Masonic Chapter Observed." The Sheboygan Press (Sheboygan) October 19th, 1942. .