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Hamilton Lodge No. 34 of Palatine Bridge was established in 1806, and was the parent lodge of the present Hamilton Lodge No. 79, now located in Canajoharie.  The original Hamilton Lodge was established by several petitioners from St. Paul's Lodge No. 64 located at Bowman's Creek; a lodge warranted on January 5th, 1798, only 32 years after the founding of St. Patrick's Lodge in Johnstown, NY.  Principal officers of St. Paul's Lodge at the time of petitioning were:  Simon D. Kittle, Master; Seth Wetmore, Senior Warden; and Michael VanDuesen, Junior Warden.  Other members of record included Robert Bowman, Willard R. Wheeler, William Lane, Mathew F. Chaplain and Elisha Hodge.

Those brothers of St. Paul's Lodge who signed the petition for the establishment of Hamilton Lodge No. 34, altogether eighteen in number, and all residents of the Palatine area, requested a new lodge because of the lack of a regularly-constituted lodge nearby.  The style of language used in their Petition, written nearly 200 years ago, is interesting, and reads as follows:

"To the Right Worshipful Grand Master and Grand Wardens of the Grand Lodge of the State of New York:

"The Petition of the Subscribers, Master Masons, humbly showeth -

"That your petitioners live at a considerable distance from any regularly constituted Lodge, and being desirous of associating together for the mutual information of each other and the good of the Craft in general, pray that a Master Lodge may be established and held in the Town of Palatine and County of Montgomery. 
"Your petitioners further pray that our Brother Cornelius Wyncoop may be Master, Brother Joshua Webster may be Senior Warden, and that Brother Barnet Rosebloom may be Junior Warden of the said Lodge.
"We further pray that said Lodge may be known as Hamilton Lodge No.____ and your petitioners in duty bound will ever pray.
                                                                                                    Palatine,     7th August,  1805"

"Whereas application has been made by a number of brethren from the Town of Palatine in the County of Montgomery according to the contents of the within petition-   Therefore we do recommend the within-named brethren and believe that a lodge erected in the Town of Palatine would be for the advancement of Masonry. 
                                                                                                  Attest,    George Lee,   Sec't.
                                                                                                                  Robet Bowman,  Master
                                                                                                                  Nathan Chaplain,   J.W."

The first recorded meeting was held on Tuesday, September 9, 1806 with the officers that were petitioned for.  From the beginning on October 6, 1806 through April 5,1824, there appears to have been 127 initiations, 22 affiliations, 33 demissions and one expulsion.  "From 1824 but little appears to have been done," says Dr. White, "and even that little quite irregularly up to the period of suspending work about 1829."

Early minutes contain some interesting allusions to the refreshment allowed members.  In 1812, what were then known as "refreshing fees" averaged about $2.00 each evening.  In 1815 refreshment was restricted to one glass of wine and four crackers per member.  A year later lines were still more closely drawn, a resolution having been passed to the effect that "no ardent spirits be used except beer and cider."

In 1818 a building adjacent to the seller's residence in Palatine Bridge was purchased from Jacob Hees. Some believed that the purchase was unwise, and may have led indirectly to the suspension of the Lodge some dozen or so years later.  However, Hamilton Lodge No. 34, along with Hiram Union Chapter No. 53, and a Lodge of Perfection continued to hold meetings in the Hees building.

With the spreading of anti-Masonic sentiment in the early 1830's, Hamilton Lodge No. 34 ceased to meet.  Some time after it's suspension, all rights to title in the building and other properties of the Lodge were secured by Trustee John G. VanDuesen.  Recollections vary as to just how this was accomplished.  Dr. White stated that VanDuesen secured releases from all the other Trustees; yet another account relates that the shares of all other members were purchased.  Some shares, it was said, were sold for a few dollars, some for a few shillings, and some for a glass of beer.  Upon the death of John VanDuesen, the property and possessions passed to his heirs, and no interest in them was ever retained by the Lodge.  Dr. White commented, sadly, that "the square and compass, instead of delineating plans and designs on the trestleboard, now describe circles on the tea board."

A major impediment to the revival of Hamilton Lodge in 1840 was the previous loss of it's moneys, which obediently had been sent by express to Grand Lodge.  Once again meetings were held, this time in the home of Dr. White until 1847, during which year a lodge room was outfitted in other quarters.  Misfortune struck again, when a fire in 1849 burned the building and all the property of the Lodge.  Dr. White again tells us that "the Sons of Temperance kindly offered the use of their lodge rooms, the occupation of which we gratefully embraced on January 22, 1850."

On Tuesday, January 29, 1850 authorization was received from Grand Lodge to proceed as Hamilton Lodge No. 79, with the same authority and powers that were possessed under the former Charter or Warrant. The new Charter bears the following names as the first set of principal officers: Pythagoras Wetmore, Master; Abraham Wood, Senior Warden; and Daniel S. Reed, Junior Warden.

Again, for reasons unknown, the records of Hamilton Lodge are missing for the span of years between 1868 and 1892.  Since it's revival and re-chartering in 1850, Hamilton Lodge No. 79 has had an unbroken existence for nearly one-hundred and fifty years, and prosperity has attended it's efforts.

Among the many members once on its roll were some who attained distinction in life.  Among those who have appeared prominent in public life were:  Hon. John Starin, State Senator, Member of Congress, and Member of the Board of Rapid Transit Commissioners of New York City;  Hon. James Arkell, State Senator;  Charles F. Wheelock, Chief of Examinations for the New York State Department of Education; and Webster Wagner, State Senator, and inventor of the sleeping car and the palace car.

R\W\ Robert Lindholm, Secretary