How a cargo brig became a vessel of transformation: the story of the USS Advance, the Grinnell Expeditions, and the enduring themes of discipline, ordeal, and brotherhood.

A history of Advance Lodge No. 635 in Astoria, Queens—its founding, endurance through hardship, and the legacy that lives on in the Advance Masonic Temple.

In November 1915, hundreds of Freemasons marched through Astoria to lay the cornerstone of Advance Lodge’s new temple, marking a major moment in local history.

A look at the 1867 charter of Advance Lodge in Astoria, the twenty-two founding members, and the river village that gave rise to a lasting brotherhood.

Elisha Kent Kane entered the Arctic in search of Sir John Franklin, but returned as something else: one of America’s most unlikely heroes. Frail in body yet formidable in discipline, Kane helped transform a rescue mission into a story of national ambition, scientific discovery, and endurance in the ice.

A 1915 cornerstone speech and a 1917 letter from explorer Donald B. MacMillan reveal a surprising connection between Advance Lodge No. 635 in Queens, Dr. Kane, and the brig Advance.

Founded in 1873 in old Newtown, Mizpah Lodge No. 738 grew alongside Elmhurst itself, preserving ritual, memory, and continuity as a rural Queens village became a modern urban neighborhood.

Founded in 1865 at Hunter’s Point, Island City Lodge No. 586 grew alongside Long Island City itself—from ferry-house beginnings to a temple on Jackson Avenue, and eventually to consolidation with Mizpah Lodge in Elmhurst. Its story reflects the making of Queens through fellowship, charity, and civic life.

From the ferry-house at Hunters Point to the great temples of Elmhurst and Astoria, this article traces the story of three historic Queens Masonic lodges whose legacy now lives on in Advance Service Mizpah Lodge No. 586. It is a story of builders, brotherhood, and an unbroken chain stretching across more than 150 years of New York history.

Advance Service Mizpah Lodge No. 586 carries forward more than 160 years of Masonic history, uniting the legacies of six predecessor lodges across Manhattan, Long Island City, Astoria, Elmhurst, and Flushing. From Civil War–era meeting halls to the enduring Advance Masonic Temple in Astoria, this remarkable lineage reflects the growth of New York City itself and the enduring strength of Freemasonry in Queens.