Our History
The history of North Texas and the history of Masonry in North Texas are one and the same. The first settlers to the North Texas area arrived in the 1840s. Dallas was established in the 1840s and was incorporated in 1856. McKinney was founded and incorporated in 1849. Plano was named in the 1850s and incorporated in 1873 with a population near 500 people. Masonry likewise was established and growing in the North Texas area. The first lodges were established in McKinney and Dallas in 1850. Within 10 years there were no less than 12 lodges supporting and leading the North Texas communities.
The first Masonic Lodge in the area that would become the City of Plano, Texas was chartered in 1859 and ceased operations in 1888. The second Masonic Lodge was chartered six years later in 1894 and continues its operations today. By the turn of the century, there were over 30 lodges in the North Texas area. With a tradition spanning more than 147 years in Plano, more than 170 years in Texas, and more than 300 years in the United States of America, Masons have played an essential part in the cultural, social, economic, and political development of communities throughout North Texas and our Nation. The North Texas Masonic Historical Museum and Library houses and preserves this history of utilizing and disseminating this collective knowledge for Masons, historians, scholars, and the public.
Our Mission
The North Texas Masonic Historical Museum and Library was organized to preserve the complete history of Plano, Collin County, and North Texas for historical, educational, literary, scientific, and charitable purposes. This includes the history of the first Masonic Lodge in Plano, the current Masonic Lodge in Plano, other Lodges in Collin County and the North Texas area, their founders, officers, members, and their correlation and influence upon the communities history. Our mission encompasses the preservation of archives and collections and the research, exhibition, and interpretation of Masonic history and its effects on the development of Plano and the North Texas area.