The first Masonic lodge in Calhoun County was chartered as Lavaca Lodge No. 36 in 1848. After a period of inactivity during and after the Civil War, the Port Lavaca Lodge disbanded. The fraternal organization reappeared in Port Lavaca in 1886, when Indianola Lodge No. 84 moved here from Indianola following a destructive hurricane. It was known as W. P. Milby Lodge No. 84 until 1935, when the name Lavaca Lodge No. 36 was reinstated. Over the years, its members have included businessmen, soldiers, and state, county, and city officials. (1985)