By Nicholas Stothard 

The object that will be discussed in this article is a decorative ceremonial sword.  It belonged to a man named Lowell R. Cuthbert, a member of the local branch of the Freemasons Order. His initials and surname, “L.R. Cuthbert” are engraved into the center of the blade alongside elaborate decorative engravings that give the blade some flourish. Engraved at the bottom of the blade where it meets the hilt is “The Henderson Ames Co Kalamazoo Mich,” which indicates the manufacturer of the sword. The hilt of the blade features a white ivory handle, with one side featuring a stylized Masonic cross, and the other side featuring the initials “LRC”. The blade’s cross guard is made of solid iron or steel and engraved with a floral/fleur-de-lis pattern. The center of the cross guard features a relief of the bust of a knight on both sides of the blade.  The knight wears chainmail and a helmet. The blade’s pommel is also decorative and stylized.  It is shaped to look like a knight’s armet helmet. A chain is connected from the tip of the pommel helmet to the cross guard, which creates a strap for one’s hand. 

Included with the blade is its scabbard for its storage and protection. It is engraved with metal reliefs decorating the scabbard in sections: the top, the middle and the bottom tip. The top relief features a red cross in its center.  The surrounding engravings show a scene of the sun shining down onto a person. The middle relief depicts a knight wearing a cross on his chest plate. The bottom tip relief features basic floral patterns. Lowell Cuthbert’s initials and last name are engraved in between the top and middle sections. It also has three metal rings attached at the top and middle to allow one to wear the blade on a belt. 

The Freemasons in Michigan started in 1764 when warrants were issued by the Grand Master of New York. The Masons of Bay City were present beginning in the latter half of the 1800s, with frequent appearances in the Bay City Times Tribune news articles from 1880 to the 1920s. Their involvement in social functions and events in town was substantial. One such event was the laying of the cornerstone of the Scottish Rite Cathedral.  It was celebrated by both the Masons and the townspeople with a parade that included the Bay City Central Marching Band (2).

The sword is a part of a dress/ceremonial uniform worn by the Masons during the early decades of the 1900s. Similar to other decorative blades made to be worn, it is not sharpened or honed for any type of combat. However, it was not made lightly. The sword has some heft to it and the handle and cross guard are solid, with little to no looseness in its assembly.  The sword itself physically represents the philosophy and perspective held by the Masonic Order.  With the uniform, the sword creates a look that symbolizes and reflects the ideals, goals and ambitions of the local Masonic Order. 

 

References

1. Stillson, H.L. and Hughan, W.J. (eds.) (1912) History of Freemasonry and Concordant Orders. Fraternity Publishing Company. Privately held in the Bay County Historical Museum collection.

2. Bay City Times Tribune (Bay City, Michigan), “Laying Cornerstone of the Scottish Rite Cathedral Saturday,” 22 Mar 1925, p. 13, digital images,  NewsBank Inc. (infoweb.newsbank.com: accessed Oct 2025)

 

Written by Kate Tobbe Ptak.

We now turn to W.P.’s conservation work.  Of course, he was working for what was best for his fish business, but he was well aware that the entire commercial industry as well as other businesses and the daily life of Bay County residents were impacted by the pollutants that entered the waters of Bay County.   So, his work to save the fish did benefit the wider community.  Below are some samples of his work related to keeping River, Bay, and Lake Huron waters clean, but also ways to restock those waters with fish.

By 1916, he was seeing the effects of pollution from Dow Chemical Company plant in Midland, MI., as well as other sources, including a sugar factory that was located next to his Essexville fish house. He was very concerned that the waters of the Tittabawassee River were contaminated by chemicals from the Dow Chemical Plant were killing the fish.

 

A Saginaw Daily News article, 2/13/1917, in an article about a pending hearing on the source of pollutants that are contaminating the rivers that flow into Saginaw Bay, mentions a state official who will be arriving to take tests then testify at that hearing, states that  “W.P. Kavanaugh of Bay City, one of the biggest of the commercial fishermen on the Saginaw Bay and operating off Bay City, told the newspaper reporter that the Bay is contaminated for 6 miles out and the pollution is growing to such an extent that the entire bay may be contaminated in time.”  Among other statements he said, “Our fishing represents a business of a million dollars, and we see about $250,000 worth in a season.  Just at this time our market is the best.  Now that our fish are tainted, we have to rebuild the market.”¹

W.P. told of a test he made that indicated that deadly pollution came from the Midland plant.  He “went way out in Saginaw bay and took up 24 fish that were not tainted and were absolutely perfect.  Then he secured a barrel of water from above a chemical plant on the Tittabawassee river and a barrel from below this plant.  He put 12 of the fish in one barrel and the other dozen in the other barrel.  The fish that were placed in the water taken from below the plant are dead: the others are alive and well and untainted.  This he did to find out if the assertion that any chemical taint or contamination came from above this chemical plant was correct.”¹

An article in the Saginaw Daily News, 3/7/1917 reports the results of the hearing based on the report by the state official that his test (that was very similar to W.P.’s) about pollutants dumped into the Tittabawassee River, a tributary of the Saginaw River that flows into Saginaw Bay and then into Lake Huron.  One result warned that the cities dumping sewage into the rivers emptying into the Saginaw would soon have to seek other means of disposal. Another was the report that Dow Chemical Co. plant at Midland, MI., agreed to bar all chemicals from the stream at Midland^.2.

In our family files there is a copy of an article Titled “MOVE FOR HATCHERY AT MOUTH OF RIVER TO BE MADE SOON”.  In the subtitle is “W.P. KAVANAUGH TELLS OF BENEFITS ACCRUING FROM PLAN”

 Source: Bay City Times Tribune, Bay City, MI, January 5, 1916

In the article, W.P.  is reported as the main protagonist for establishing this fish hatchery.  The article relays his reasons for passing a bill in the legislature to allow for this to happen.  Here are a few quotes from this article:

“ W.P. Kavanaugh, undoubtably the leading figure in the fishing industry on the great lakes, advanced the idea several years ago.”  The article then quotes W.P

“The fish industry, one of our very oldest industries, can be made at least triple what it is today by just having a hatchery here in Bay City.”

W.P. noted that the population of Whitefish dramatically improved after the government “planted” a large amount of Whitefish fry into the Saginaw Bay about 20 years ago.  Based on those results, he wanted to be able to do the same for Perch and Yellow Pickerel, by establishing the fish hatchery.

“A hatchery means a good investment.  It means more fish, more business, more money coming into Bay City.”

In 1921, an anglers’ organization was formed to protect the fish business from political onslaughts.  An article announcing it states that “Michigan annually produces 30 to 40 millions pounds of fish and several millions of dollars are tied up in investments in the industry”.  It also explains that commercial fishermen feel that they have been the victims of ambitious politicians who for the last ten years or so have pushed for legislation that is ruining the fish industry. The new organization’s goal is to protect the fishing industry and promote its growth. To accomplish that it proposed:

1) encourage the propagation and planting of food fish in the great lakes and the restocking of their waters; 

2) to encourage proper legislation for the protection of food fish;

3) to protect the mutual interests of members. 

W.P. was the President of this new organization and was described as a “pioneer fisherman and shipper of this city.”³

Source: Detroit Free Press, Detroit, MI, September 4, 1921 

In 1926, fish were dying by the thousands in the Saginaw River and Bay.  This threatened a $2,000,000 fishing industry.  The evidence was clear at the end of Scheurmann Street (where W.P. had his Essexville fish house) where innumerable dead and dying fish were easily seen.  The water was contaminated from the refuse line of the local Michigan Sugar Co. plant.  Apparently, this contamination also affected the drinking water in Bay City and Essexville, giving it a bad taste.

W.P. is reported to have appeared before the city commission to tell them that he “felt the disagreeable taste in the city water was attributable to the sugar factories’ refuse.  Wastes from all three plants have been finding their way into the river.”  He mentioned that a basin built to collect and hold the refuse, primarily lime or a lime compound, had been flooded and the refuse made its way into the sewer system that flows into the river. He recommended that the sewer line be checked for leaks.   He also pointed out that other refuse from the sugar plant had also entered the river⁴ .

 

Sources:

1         Saginaw Daily News,  2/13/1917

2         Saginaw Daily News, 3/7/1917   

3         Bay City Times Tribune, Bay City, MI; January 5, 1916

4         Detroit Free Press, Sunday, 9/4/1921

5         Bay City Times Tribune, January 5, 1926, Bay City, Michigan