And Now You Know: Morgan Gwalchmai Davies was a civic servant, outstanding Mason

Published 12:19 am Saturday, August 7, 2021

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Mike Louviere
And Now You Know

Morgan Gwalchmai Davies was born in 1861 in Rhymney, Monmouthshire, Wales, in the British Empire. He immigrated to the United States and landed in New York in May 1879.

His Father had immigrated years earlier and found work in the steel rolling mills in Cleveland. Morgan followed him into the mills and worked there until 1883 when he left and joined the U.S. Army. He served in the calvary in I Troop of the 3rd Calvary and became First Sergeant of the troop. In 1888 he left the army.

One of the states he served in was Texas, after he left the army in Texas he located in Galveston and found a job driving a wagon delivering beer for a Galveston brewery.

Having heard of work in the mills in Birmingham, he boarded a freight train heading in that direction. When he awoke the day after boarding the train, he found himself in Orange, Texas. He decided to leave the train and explore employment in Orange.

Davies went to work in the Bancroft and Miller Lumber Company mill and worked there 23 years. After leaving the sawmill, he went to work at Orange Iron Works and spent 10 years working there.

In 1894, he married Miss Effie Pattie, of Orange, in the Methodist Church after the 11:30 a.m. service.

After spending 33 years in private industry, Davies took the job of Secretary-Treasurer of the City of Orange. He would spend 21 years in that job serving under nine mayors. His service was under mayors O.R. Sholars, W.E. Lea, S.M. White, Frank Dearborn, Ed S. McCarver, Monroe Colburn, W.L. Blanchard, S.M. Depwe, and again under W.E. Lea.

Davies was an active Mason. He was initiated into the Madison Lodge, 126 A.F & A.M. on June 27, 1898. He earned the Degree of Fellowship on July 25,1898 and was raised to Master Mason on August 22, 1898. He received the Master Mason, Past Master, and Most Excellent Master in December 1898 in the Orange Chapter No. 78, R.A.M.

He became a 33rd Degree Mason in 1921, He had served 33 consecutive years as secretary of three local Masonic Lodges at the time of his death in 1940.

It was said at this death that he “served with efficient care as ‘Watchman of the Treasury.’”

He died at the age of 78 at his home located at 502 Cypress Street having worked up to January 8, ten days before his death.

“And now you know.”