Brief History of Council 803

A Brief History of Houston Council 803, Knights of Columbus 1905-2005
Houston Council 803 was the sixth Knights of Columbus Council to be instituted in Texas. El Paso Council 638, instituted on April 13, 1902, was the first Council in Texas; the next four, all instituted during the week ending May 16, 1903, were Fort Worth 759, San Antonio 786, Galveston 787, and Dallas 799. On March 13, 1905, an Application for Charter was filed with the Committee on Charters, National Council, Knights of Columbus, stating, Herewith are respectfully submitted the names of Applicants for a Charter for a Subordinate Council of Knights of Columbus, said Council to be located in the City of Houston, State of Texas, to be known as Houston, Council, No. 803, and to be instituted March 26th, 1905. The Application contained the names of 28 Insurance members and 24 Associate members, for a total of 52. Additional charter members were approved, so that when the Charter was issued on March 26, 1905, the names of 72 members appeared on the Charter or on the Application. Names of the 72 charter members, together with their occupations and residences, are presented at charter member list. Information in this list has been developed from a number of sources. In addition to the obvious Charter and Application for Charter, reference has also been made to the Council membership directory of 1908, city directories, newspapers, censuses, obituaries, and church and cemetery records. The charter members were a varied group. They included accountants, barbers, blacksmiths, brakemen, clerks, conductors, doctors, lawyers, machinists, merchants, priests, real estate brokers, and stenographers. They ranged in age from 19 to 66. About 40% worked in some capacity for one of the dozen or so railroads serving Houston at that time. The first Grand Knight was Dr. Zachariah Ford Lillard, M.D. The 53 men who have served as Grand Knight during the Council’s first 100 years are listed at Past Grand Knights list . Membership grew rapidly. There were 200 members by 1907 and 350 in 1912. A Fourth Degree Assembly, then called Houston Assembly 803, was organized by 1911 with Thomas J. Donoghue as its first Faithful Navigator. It had 85 members in 1912. From its founding until 1912, the Council met in Rooms 301-304 of the Temple Building, 615½ Main Street (northeast corner of Main and Capitol), home of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas. The building, with its entire contents, was destroyed by fire on May 19, 1912. The fire forced a move. A week later, on May 28, 1912, Council 803 Grand Knight John R. Young purchased the elegant former home of Judge Harris Masterson at 820 Crawford for $22,500. Judge Masterson built the home about 1898 on property that was the homestead of Judge Peter W. Gray from 1857 to 1868, and the homestead of Benjamin A. Botts from 1868 to his death in 1885. The property measured 75 feet on Crawford and 150 feet on Walker. The Knights of Columbus Building Corporation was organized on September 12, 1912 to handle matters pertaining to the Council Home. Gustave A. Mistrot, Sr. and John R. Young were its first President and Vice President, respectively. The home and property were conveyed to the Building Corporation on December 11, 1912, and became the first permanent home of Council 803. Council 803 and the Fourth Degree Assembly participated in numerous events and projects of the day, including: Future members of Council 803 helped raise funds for construction of the monument to Dick Dowling and the Davis Guards that is now located in Hermann Park (dedicated on March 17, 1905 in front of city hall). Assisted in forming Council 1358 in Waco (October 25, 1908). Contributed to Knights of Columbus social centers at various military establishments before and during World War I. Participated in the dedication of the Knights of Columbus Hall at Camp Logan (dedicated December 16, 1917). Sponsored a 100-piece marching band that played at Council, civic, and patriotic events. On December 27, 1925, the band played in a special concert in Houston under the direction of John Phillip Sousa. Participated as a Council in Armistice Day and Texas Independence Day Parades. Sponsored baseball, football, and bowling teams. On Armistice Day 1925, in a drenching rain, the Council 803 football team defeated the Rice Reserves, 6-0. Over this period of time, there were numerous items in the Houston newspapers attesting to the civic, religious, and patriotic bent of the Council and the Order. Membership continued to grow, reaching 500 by 1915, 700 by 1919, and 900 by 1923. A larger Hall was needed. The Knights of Columbus Building Corporation increased the capital stock from $25,000 to $110,000 in 1923, and engaged a young architect named Maurice Joseph Sullivan, to design the new building. He designed many local Catholic buildings, including Villa de Matel, Catholic Women’s Club, St. Anne’s Church, Holy Rosary Church, St. Thomas High School, and St. Mary’s Seminary. Ground was broken for the new building on Columbus Day 1924 in a ceremony that included the surprise debut of the then newly-organized Knights of Columbus Band. On Washington’s Birthday 1925, Council 803 celebrated its 20th anniversary by laying the cornerstone of its new $230,000 Hall on the same site at 820 Crawford. The public was invited to the grand opening on September 1, 1925, and several thousand people attended. The following description of the building is condensed from the Houston Chronicle’s three full pages on August 30, 1925, describing the new building and the history of the Knights of Columbus in Houston. The four-story brick building in the Italian style was described as one of the most attractive and well equipped club buildings in the state, combining athletic facilities, reading rooms and library, club room, dance floor, kitchens, and more, “making a complete home for rest, recreation, and sports.” The first floor was devoted to sports, including a 22´x60´ heated swimming pool; a 72´x42´ gymnasium equipped with weights, bars, basketball and tennis equipment; rooms for training in boxing and wrestling; bowling alleys; and locker rooms for men and women. The ceiling of the gymnasium rose two stories, and the balcony surrounding it was equipped with card tables and a variety of board games, such as chess and checkers. During athletic events, up to 250 spectators could be seated on the balcony, and another 1000 could be accommodated on collapsible bleachers on the main floor. The second floor housed the council hall, the library and reading room, the ladies’ parlor, and the cafeteria with its kitchen. On the third floor was the 75’x150’ auditorium and dance floor, complete with stage for dramatic presentations and double tiers of dressing rooms. Seating capacity of the auditorium was 1360. A second kitchen, adjacent to the auditorium, provided banquet service for up to 600 people. There were also smoking rooms for men and restrooms for ladies. On the fourth floor were the Boy Scouts room and a motion picture gallery. A roof garden was planned, with elevator access. The athletic club was open to the public, and the athletic director set a goal of 2000 members by January 1, 1926. Times were great, but it didn’t last. The Council became financially unable to maintain the expansive home on Crawford. On May 22, 1929, Council 803 and the Elks Lodge 151 exchanged property. Council 803 moved into what had been the Elks Home at 1202 Rusk, situated on a 50 by 100 foot lot across the street from the main Post Office, and the Elks took over the property at 820 Crawford. (Neither structure exists today.) On August 1, 1931, the Knights of Columbus Building Corporation sold the property on Rusk for $100,000 cash, but continued to meet there for several more years. During the 1930’s, even though the economy was tight, the Council continued to participate in various civic and religious activities. Entries in the 1934-35 minutes book cite support for the Texas Historical Commission, a student loan fund, financial assistance to St. Mary’s Chapel at Texas A&M, and a donation to the Shrine Crippled Children’s Hospital. On September 27, 1938, Council 803 purchased the Colonial-style home at 2616 Louisiana Street from the estate of Judge Sam Streetman. The business office was adjacent to the front hall, and the second floor was converted to a meeting room. By 1950, Council membership reached 1200, making it the largest in Texas. A new meeting room was built on the back side of the home, and a kitchen was added. The second floor became a game room and room for special meetings. This was the Council’s home until it was destroyed by fire on October 31, 1967 as a result of a fire in the kitchen. For the next 15 months, the Council met at Sacred Heart Parish Hall. On January 27, 1969, the Council purchased the vacant Catholic Women’s Club building at 920 Crawford, and met there until Texas Eastern Corporation purchased the property for a sum sufficient to build a new home at 2616 Louisiana. The new home was dedicated on February 21, 1971, and Council 803 was back in business at the home it occupies today. In 1960, the Council donated $7000 for construction of a new building at St. Joseph’s Hospital. For several years, the Houston Chapter, Knights of Columbus and B’nai B’rith cosponsored a charity professional football game, the Interfaith Charity Bowl. The Council continues to carry out its duties of Charity, Unity, and Fraternity, as well as good citizenship. Ongoing Council activities of long standing include regular visits to the patients at the Veterans Administration hospital, Christmas baskets for the poor, college scholarships, and financial support for seminarians. Fraternal and family activities include Chili and Gumbo Cookoffs, Red Roosters, Ethnic Dinners, Hamburger Nights, and Friday Lenten Fish Frys. The hall can be rented for various social activities. Council 803 has also embraced 21st century technology with its own website: http://www.kc803.org. From humble beginnings in 1905, the Knights of Columbus have seen steady growth. For forty years, until the chartering of Council 2917 in April 1945, Council 803 was the only Knights of Columbus Council in Houston. Growth in the Order has kept pace with the growth of the Houston metroplex. Today, there are 49 Councils in the City of Houston, and over a dozen in adjacent cities. In addition, there are at least six Fourth Degree Assemblies in the Houston area. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Council 803 History compiled by Gustave Mistrot, III, PGK Robert Downs Bernice Mistrot Catherine Fitch The assistance of the following in compiling this history is gratefully acknowledged. Viola Appuzzo Membership Records, Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, New Haven, CT Donna Brady Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery, Houston, TX Susan H. Brosnan Archivist, Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, New Haven, CT Dianne Brownlee Archives and Special Collections Librarian, St. Edward's University, Austin, TX Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research Houston, TX Stephen Fox Rice University, Houston, TX Peggy Hensley Houston, TX Houston Metropolitan Research Center Houston, TX Houston Public Library: Texas Room and Bibliographic Department Houston, TX Crickett Lala Catholic Cemeteries, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Dickinson, TX Lisa May Archivist, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Houston, TX See Also: Charter Members of Houston Council 803 Knights of Columbus Past Grand Knights of Houston Council 803 Knights of Columbus
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A Brief History of Houston Council 803,

Knights of Columbus 1905-2005

Houston Council 803 was the sixth Knights of Columbus Council to be instituted in Texas. El Paso Council 638, instituted on April 13, 1902, was the first Council in Texas; the next four, all instituted during the week ending May 16, 1903, were Fort Worth 759, San Antonio 786, Galveston 787, and Dallas 799. On March 13, 1905, an Application for Charter was filed with the Committee on Charters, National Council, Knights of Columbus, stating,

Herewith are respectfully submitted the names of Applicants for a Charter for a Subordinate Council of Knights of Columbus, said Council to be located in the City of Houston, State of Texas, to be known as Houston, Council, No. 803, and to be instituted March 26th, 1905.

The Application contained the names of 28 Insurance members and 24 Associate members, for a total of 52. Additional charter members were approved, so that when the Charter was issued on March 26, 1905, the names of 72 members appeared on the Charter or on the Application. Names of the 72 charter members, together with their occupations and residences, are presented at charter member list. Information in this list has been developed from a number of sources. In addition to the obvious Charter and Application for Charter, reference has also been made to the Council membership directory of 1908, city directories, newspapers, censuses, obituaries, and church and cemetery records.

The charter members were a varied group. They included accountants, barbers, blacksmiths, brakemen, clerks, conductors, doctors, lawyers, machinists, merchants, priests, real estate brokers, and stenographers. They ranged in age from 19 to 66. About 40% worked in some capacity for one of the dozen or so railroads serving Houston at that time.

The first Grand Knight was Dr. Zachariah Ford Lillard, M.D. The 53 men who have served as Grand Knight during the Council’s first 100 years are listed at Past Grand Knights list .

Membership grew rapidly. There were 200 members by 1907 and 350 in 1912. A Fourth Degree Assembly, then called Houston Assembly 803, was organized by 1911 with Thomas J. Donoghue as its first Faithful Navigator. It had 85 members in 1912.

From its founding until 1912, the Council met in Rooms 301-304 of the Temple Building, 615½ Main Street (northeast corner of Main and Capitol), home of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas. The building, with its entire contents, was destroyed by fire on May 19, 1912. The fire forced a move.

A week later, on May 28, 1912, Council 803 Grand Knight John R. Young purchased the elegant former home of Judge Harris Masterson at 820 Crawford for $22,500. Judge Masterson built the home about 1898 on property that was the homestead of Judge Peter W. Gray from 1857 to 1868, and the homestead of Benjamin A. Botts from 1868 to his death in 1885. The property measured 75 feet on Crawford and 150 feet on Walker.

The Knights of Columbus Building Corporation was organized on September 12, 1912 to handle matters pertaining to the Council Home. Gustave A. Mistrot, Sr. and John R. Young were its first President and Vice President, respectively. The home and property were conveyed to the Building Corporation on December 11, 1912, and became the first permanent home of Council 803.

Council 803 and the Fourth Degree Assembly participated in numerous events and projects of the day, including:

Future members of Council 803 helped raise funds for construction of the monument to Dick Dowling and the Davis Guards that is now located in Hermann Park (dedicated on March 17, 1905 in front of city hall).
Assisted in forming Council 1358 in Waco (October 25, 1908).
Contributed to Knights of Columbus social centers at various military establishments before and during World War I.
Participated in the dedication of the Knights of Columbus Hall at Camp Logan (dedicated December 16, 1917).
Sponsored a 100-piece marching band that played at Council, civic, and patriotic events. On December 27, 1925, the band played in a special concert in Houston under the direction of John Phillip Sousa.
Participated as a Council in Armistice Day and Texas Independence Day Parades.
Sponsored baseball, football, and bowling teams. On Armistice Day 1925, in a drenching rain, the Council 803 football team defeated the Rice Reserves, 6-0.

Over this period of time, there were numerous items in the Houston newspapers attesting to the civic, religious, and patriotic bent of the Council and the Order. Membership continued to grow, reaching 500 by 1915, 700 by 1919, and 900 by 1923. A larger Hall was needed.

The Knights of Columbus Building Corporation increased the capital stock from $25,000 to $110,000 in 1923, and engaged a young architect named Maurice Joseph Sullivan, to design the new building. He designed many local Catholic buildings, including Villa de Matel, Catholic Women’s Club, St. Anne’s Church, Holy Rosary Church, St. Thomas High School, and St. Mary’s Seminary.

Ground was broken for the new building on Columbus Day 1924 in a ceremony that included the surprise debut of the then newly-organized Knights of Columbus Band. On Washington’s Birthday 1925, Council 803 celebrated its 20th anniversary by laying the cornerstone of its new $230,000 Hall on the same site at 820 Crawford.

The public was invited to the grand opening on September 1, 1925, and several thousand people attended. The following description of the building is condensed from the Houston Chronicle’s three full pages on August 30, 1925, describing the new building and the history of the Knights of Columbus in Houston.

The four-story brick building in the Italian style was described as one of the most attractive and well equipped club buildings in the state, combining athletic facilities, reading rooms and library, club room, dance floor, kitchens, and more, “making a complete home for rest, recreation, and sports.”

The first floor was devoted to sports, including a 22´x60´ heated swimming pool; a 72´x42´ gymnasium equipped with weights, bars, basketball and tennis equipment; rooms for training in boxing and wrestling; bowling alleys; and locker rooms for men and women.

The ceiling of the gymnasium rose two stories, and the balcony surrounding it was equipped with card tables and a variety of board games, such as chess and checkers. During athletic events, up to 250 spectators could be seated on the balcony, and another 1000 could be accommodated on collapsible bleachers on the main floor.

The second floor housed the council hall, the library and reading room, the ladies’ parlor, and the cafeteria with its kitchen.

On the third floor was the 75’x150’ auditorium and dance floor, complete with stage for dramatic presentations and double tiers of dressing rooms. Seating capacity of the auditorium was 1360. A second kitchen, adjacent to the auditorium, provided banquet service for up to 600 people. There were also smoking rooms for men and restrooms for ladies.

On the fourth floor were the Boy Scouts room and a motion picture gallery. A roof garden was planned, with elevator access.

The athletic club was open to the public, and the athletic director set a goal of 2000 members by January 1, 1926. Times were great, but it didn’t last.

The Council became financially unable to maintain the expansive home on Crawford. On May 22, 1929, Council 803 and the Elks Lodge 151 exchanged property. Council 803 moved into what had been the Elks Home at 1202 Rusk, situated on a 50 by 100 foot lot across the street from the main Post Office, and the Elks took over the property at 820 Crawford. (Neither structure exists today.) On August 1, 1931, the Knights of Columbus Building Corporation sold the property on Rusk for $100,000 cash, but continued to meet there for several more years.

During the 1930’s, even though the economy was tight, the Council continued to participate in various civic and religious activities. Entries in the 1934-35 minutes book cite support for the Texas Historical Commission, a student loan fund, financial assistance to St. Mary’s Chapel at Texas A&M, and a donation to the Shrine Crippled Children’s Hospital.

On September 27, 1938, Council 803 purchased the Colonial-style home at 2616 Louisiana Street from the estate of Judge Sam Streetman. The business office was adjacent to the front hall, and the second floor was converted to a meeting room.

By 1950, Council membership reached 1200, making it the largest in Texas. A new meeting room was built on the back side of the home, and a kitchen was added. The second floor became a game room and room for special meetings.

This was the Council’s home until it was destroyed by fire on October 31, 1967 as a result of a fire in the kitchen. For the next 15 months, the Council met at Sacred Heart Parish Hall. On January 27, 1969, the Council purchased the vacant Catholic Women’s Club building at 920 Crawford, and met there until Texas Eastern Corporation purchased the property for a sum sufficient to build a new home at 2616 Louisiana. The new home was dedicated on February 21, 1971, and Council 803 was back in business at the home it occupies today.

In 1960, the Council donated $7000 for construction of a new building at St. Joseph’s Hospital. For several years, the Houston Chapter, Knights of Columbus and B’nai B’rith cosponsored a charity professional football game, the Interfaith Charity Bowl.

The Council continues to carry out its duties of Charity, Unity, and Fraternity, as well as good citizenship. Ongoing Council activities of long standing include regular visits to the patients at the Veterans Administration hospital, Christmas baskets for the poor, college scholarships, and financial support for seminarians.

Fraternal and family activities include Chili and Gumbo Cookoffs, Red Roosters, Ethnic Dinners, Hamburger Nights, and Friday Lenten Fish Frys. The hall can be rented for various social activities.

Council 803 has also embraced 21st century technology with its own website: http://www.kc803.org.

From humble beginnings in 1905, the Knights of Columbus have seen steady growth. For forty years, until the chartering of Council 2917 in April 1945, Council 803 was the only Knights of Columbus Council in Houston. Growth in the Order has kept pace with the growth of the Houston metroplex. Today, there are 49 Councils in the City of Houston, and over a dozen in adjacent cities. In addition, there are at least six Fourth Degree Assemblies in the Houston area.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Council 803 History compiled by
    Gustave Mistrot, III, PGK
    Robert Downs
    Bernice Mistrot
    Catherine Fitch

The assistance of the following in compiling this history is gratefully acknowledged.

Viola Appuzzo

Membership Records, Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, New Haven, CT

Donna Brady

Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery, Houston, TX

Susan H. Brosnan

Archivist, Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, New Haven, CT

Dianne Brownlee

Archives and Special Collections Librarian, St. Edward's University, Austin, TX

Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research

Houston, TX

Stephen Fox

Rice University, Houston, TX

Peggy Hensley

Houston, TX

Houston Metropolitan Research Center

Houston, TX

Houston Public Library: Texas Room and Bibliographic Department

Houston, TX

Crickett Lala

Catholic Cemeteries, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Dickinson, TX

Lisa May

Archivist, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Houston, TX

Charter Members of Houston Council 803 Knights of Columbus

Past Grand Knights of Houston Council 803 Knights of Columbus

HOME E-mail us your comments.

See Also:

Charter Members of Houston Council 803 Knights of Columbus

Past Grand Knights of Houston Council 803 Knights of Columbus