Avon-Miami No. 542 was formed when two prominent Masonic Lodges in the Cincinnati area merged. Miami No. 46 received its charter from the Grand Lodge of Ohio on January 7, 1818. Avon No. 542 received its charter from the Grand Lodge of Ohio on October 22, 1885.
Both Lodges have enjoyed rich histories, complete with historically notable Brethren. Julius and Max Fleischmann were members of Avon No. 542. Julius was elected mayor of Cincinnati from 1900-1905. His brother Max was an industrialist who owned the famous Fleischmann Yeast & Gin Co. and sold the business in 1929 to the J.P. Morgan banking interests for approximately $20 million.
Miami No. 46 was formed just 30 years after the city of Cincinnati was settled. Miami counted Alphonso Taft and William H. Woodward as some of its most memorable leaders. Taft served twice as Worshipful Master of Miami No. 46, in 1884 and 1850. He was appointed Secretary of War in 1876 by President Grant and appointed Attorney General of the United States in the same year. President Arthur appointed Taft Minister of the United States to Austria in 1882. Taft’s son, William Howard Taft, became our nation’s 27th president. Woodward served as Worshipful Master of Miami No. 46 in 1883. He was a great educator and the founder of Woodward High School, the first public high school west of the Alleghenies.
Avon-Miami No. 542 continues to build on its more than 300 combined years of tradition by encouraging excellence in leadership, fostering brotherhood, and promoting fellowship.
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