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Credit for the information contained in this history goes to Past Master Leon Stracener who first published it in a booklet titled, "History of Sam Todd Lodge No. 182". We are indebted to Brother Stracener for gathering and sharing this information. Sam Todd Lodge Number 182, Free and Accepted Masons was chartered at Sugartown, Louisiana on February 16, 1867. According to information gathered from older people in the surrounding communities of our Lodge, there were meetings held over on Sandy Creek and also around the Shilo Community before this lodge was organized, but no charter was ever issued from these groups. These men were banded together not altogether for Masonic reasons, but also for protection and other reasons that were so important right after the Civil War. Some of the information that was given us was a little vague, and for this reason we did not include it in this record. A copy of the first minutes of this Lodge shows that they actually organized in August, 1866. The minutes are a copy of the original minutes that are in the Lodge at this time.
The first minutes of the Lodge under dispensation on the 28th of August
A. l. 5866 or 1866 A.D. A dispensation was issued by Right Deputy Grand Master
Abel J. norwood to Bros. Wiley E. Akin of Burnsville Lodge No. 162, as Master, John Dove of Burnsville lodge No. 162, Senior Warden, Burwell J. Ford, Jr., Warden of Lake Charles No. 165,
John A. Rowel of Concorde no. 77, Texas, Alford Burnell of Lake Charles No. 165,
S.S. Garlington, Lisbon Lodge No. 121, Samuel Harper of Rapides Lodge No. 158,
and David Morrow of Palestine Lodge No. 159, Arkansas, to open the above
named Lodge at Sugartown, Calcasieu, Louisiana, and the petition for the same
was recommended by Rapides lodge No. 158. The first meeting of the Lodge
was held on October 2nd 1866. During this year, four meetins were held
and 25 degrees were conferred, and 5 brethern affiliated.
A Charter No. 182 was granted by the Most Worshopful Grand Lodge of Louisiana, Dated February 15, A.L. 5867 and the Lodge was chartered April 27, 1867 with the following officers, viz:
The following are the petitioners for the Charter Viz Brothers:
The first year their number had grown to 38 members. On December 25, Christmas Day, 1866, they conferred one E.A. Degree, eight F.C. Degrees and two M.M. Degrees. In the year 1867 they conferred fifteen E.A. Degrees, fifteen F.C. Degrees and nineteen m.M. Degrees for a total of forty nine conferred in 1867 with four affiliations. The Lodge was named in honor of Sam Todd who was secretary of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana at the time the Lodge was organized. He was a Past Grand Master at this time. He served as Grand Master in 1859. Later he served four consecutive years from 1869 through 1872. He came to Sugartown from New Orleans in a buggy. He was on the road a week one way. Sam Todd had a Proxy from the Grand Master Abel J. Norwood to organize the Lodge. Sam Todd Lodge was the first Masonic Lodge west of the Calcasieu River and was the mother lodge of several other lodges of this section of the country. The first building of Sam Todd Lodge No. 182 was a two story building of rough lumber, with a roof hipped off at the first story to cover a porch all around the building. A picture shows this building with a number of the members at that time. Few of these members can be definitely identified today.  Pictured above is Sam Todd Lodge Hall 1866-1910. Members are from left to right are Brothers I.H. Wagnon, G.W. Richardson, W.M. Jessie Gill, James Roberts, G.W. Miller, Benjamin Strachener, Bud Nolen, Harvey Morrow, W.H. Parker, J.P.L. Smith, joe Sigler, R.E. Sigler, Dr. M.E. Singleton, D.J. Ford, John Wells, Alfred Bailey, Offie Singletary, Tom Turner, and others. The first Master of the Lodge U.D. was Wiley E. Akins. B.J. Ford was the first Master after it was chartered. He served two years as Master 1867 and 1868. Bros. H.C. Lyles and David L. Simmons followed him in 1860 and 1870 respectively. Bro. George W. Richardson was first elected Master in 1871 and served five consecutive years. The Bro. George W. Miller was elected in 1876 and served five consecutive years. Bro. George W. Miller served eleven years as Master in all and Bro. George W. Richardson served as Master twenty seven years. He was elected and served sixteen consecutive years from 1893 through 1908. He served his first term in 1871 and his last in 1912. A span of some forty two years including both. At one time Bro. George W. Miller missed only one meeting in his home lodge for a period of twenty five (25) years and on that occasion he was District Deputy Grand Master and was away attending another lodge in his district. The old brothers were very sincere in their Masonery. In the old minutes at one time if a member of the Lodge was in Sugartown on meeting day and did not attend Lodge he was suspended for siz months period following that date. We find that in the early days of the Lodge it served as a bank for members to a great extent. There being little banking facilities in this section in those days. The Lodge would make loans to worthy brethern for periods of up to a year. We haven't found where anyone failed his obligation to return the money. No interest was charged. In 1909 and 1910 a new building was erected and served until 1964 when the present building was built. 
The present building was planned for several years and a plan was devised to finance it. Pledges were made by several members to donate $100.00 each or what they thought they could afford. We had some old members that had no income only what received in old age pension. Some of these dedicated men paid $10.00 monthly on their pledge unti they paid $100.00 on a building fund. This money was put on interest in a building fund and finally amounted to a little over $8,000. The committee that had been appointed to finance the building ask the Master to summons the membership and ask for a raise in dues to take care of the building of a new lodge hall. This was done and the present lodge hall was erected in 1964. 
We have had the honor of having one Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana from our Lodge. Brother Howard M. Sigler served as Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana in the year 1965. Brother Sigler layed the cornerstone for the present lodge. This record would not be complete without giving credit to Brother William (Uncle Bill) Hamilton who served as secretary for 22 years. Also Brother Isaiah Smith who served as secretary for 25 years. Some of the names of members on the pictures are not available and some may be in error. If we have the wrong name for anyone, please bear with us for we have made a real effort to get each one correct. Some members we could not find anyone to identify so we can not name them. The following is a list of Worshipful Masters of Sam Todd Lodge from 1866 through 1967.
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History: Sam Todd Lodge No. 182