William Liberty Lane

William Liberty Lane was born on the Fourth of July, 1862, at Morrison, Illinois, and came to Texas in the 1880s. From 1888 until 1913 he held a series of positions in the general office of the Southern Pacific lines at Houston, among them assistant general manager of the Trinity Valley and Northern Railway.

He received the Blue Lodge degrees in Gray Lodge No. 329 in 1889: the Entered Apprentice on April 23, the Fellowcraft on June 8, and the Master Mason degree on July 9. He was appointed Senior Deacon in 1890 and elected Junior Warden for 1891–1892. The Secretary’s minutes for January 20, 1892, give a glimpse of his faithfulness in that chair: “No Meeting. Very cold and stormy. Present Bros. Bryan, Lane and Taylor,” the Senior Warden, Junior Warden and Secretary.

He was installed as Master in 1892 by T. U. Lubbock, District Deputy Grand Master and one of the lodge’s charter members. His year saw Gray Lodge help bring the Order of the Eastern Star to Houston. The lodge had declared itself in favor of a Chapter in the city, and in October 1892 it lent the new Chapter its organ. On March 15, 1893, Gray Lodge conferred a degree at a stated meeting for the first time, raising E. E. Shackford, after more than two decades of conferring every degree at called meetings.

He served twice as High Priest of Washington Chapter No. 2, R. A. M., in 1897–1898 and again in 1903–1904, and received the Order of High Priesthood on December 7, 1898. He was made a Knight Templar in Ruthven Commandery No. 2 on December 20, 1892, and was its Commander in 1901. He was also a 32° Scottish Rite Mason and a Past Patron of Ransford Chapter No. 135, Order of the Eastern Star.

He died on November 9, 1918. Gray Lodge laid him to rest with Masonic honors and a Ruthven escort on November 11, the very day the Armistice was signed ending World War I.