From The Connecticut River Valley in Southern Vermont and New Hampshire: Historical Sketches by Lyman S. Hayes, Tuttle Co., Marble City Press, Rutland, VT., 1929, page 332:
MASONRY IN BELLOWS FALLS DURING THE "ANTI-MASONIC CRAZE" OF 1826-1855
During the "anti-Masonic craze" which swept the entire country between the years 1826 to 1855 King Solomon's Lodge No. 45, of Bellows Falls, which had been chartered by the Vermont Grand Lodge in October, 1816, held no meetings from June 1828, until December, 1857, a period of over 41 years. The cause of the excitement throughout the country was the unfounded report that a man named William Morgan had been abducted and maltreated in northern New York because he had divulged the secrets of Masonry. The excitement spread and was the cause of formation of anti-Masonic political parties in practically all the states of the Union.
Vermont was the only state in the Union in which the anti-Masons came into power. In 1830, William A. Palmer of Danville was the candidate of the party for Governor, and this party was large enough to prevent an election by the people. Governor Crafts was elected by the legislature. In 1831, Palmer and the anti-Masons had the largest vote, but not a majority. He was elected by the legislature, after nine ballots, by a majority of one. The same thing happened the next year, and Palmer was re-elected by the legislature, after forty-nine ballots, by a majority of ,two. In 1833 Palmer was re-elected by the people. In 1834, the anti-Masonic party had begun to go to pieces. A large part of it had joined the Whig party, but Palmer was again elected by the legislature. In 1835, although PaImer still led the popillar vote, the Whig party, led by Horatio Seymour, was strong enough to prevent an election by the people, [333] and to defeat Palmer in the legislature, but not strong enough to elect anyone else, and after 63 ballots the effort was given up, and Silas H. Jennison, who had been elected lieutenant governor, had to take the governor's chair. This ended one of the strangest chapters in the history of Vermont politics.
When the local lodge suspended its meetings they were being held in Carter Whitcomb's hall in the village of Saxtons River. The lodge records do not contain any record of the intention to suspend, or any mention whatever of that period of excitement. During the years when Masonry was dormant in this town the old members frequently wondered what had become of the charrter and records of the former organization, but it was not until 1869 that any but one person knew their whereeabouts. In the spring of that year Mrs. Benjamin Smith, an aged woman of Saxtons River, informed members of the order that a small trunk had been in her custody since the death of her husband over 30 years before. It had come into the possession of Mr. and Mrs. Smith from Carter Whitcomb, in whose hall the last meeting was held, and had been guarded secretly by them, as the feeling against Masonry was so strong during the first few years that it was feared the possession of anything pertaining to the order would work injury to the person in whose house it might be found. Mrs. Smith had carefully guarded the secret after her husband's death, knowing his deep regard for the order.
She was now becoming aged, and wishing to relieve herself of the care of the precious trunk she told a member of the order of her secret. All records and documents pertaining to the lodge were found intact except [334] the charter, which was found by L. S. Hayes in 1877 among the debris in the basement of a business block in the Square, and by him cleaned up and framed, and now adorns the walls of a room in the present Masonic Temple on Westminster Street. The faithfulness of Mrs. Smith to her husband's order was fully appreciated by them and on July 7, 1869, a large delegation of memmbers of the order gathered at her residence in Saxtons River village, and Past Master Samuel C. Fleming, in behalf of the lodge, presented her with a beautiful tea set on which was engraved, "Presented to Mrs. Benjamin Smith, by King Solomon's Lodge F. & A. M., as a testimonial of her fidelity in preserving the ancient records of the lodge." The presentation was accompanied by appropriate remarks by other members of the order present at the time, and the silver testimonial is still carefully treasured by descendants of her family. The recovery of these records makes the local records commplete, with the exception of the interim described, from 1816 to the present time. The order is in a most prosperous condition, nearly all the present reputable busiiness men of the town being members, with very few havving knowledge of such a widespread antagonism to the order here.