Episode 68. 18:53 Working Tools Series - The Beginning of Masonry in Minnesota

Minnesota’s first three Lodges and the Grand Lodge were formed by pioneers who had tremendous difficulties to overcome. They were handicapped by lack of money, buildings, equipment, transportation facilities and by both open and hidden opposition. 

“Members of the Masonic Fraternity, in and near St. Paul, intend to meet together in a room over the Pioneer Office.” This was the first Masonic notice to appear in the Territory and it marked the beginning of Masonry in Minnesota.

Calling all history buffs: check out the book “Centennium 1853-1953” for the full story. 

Transcript

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You've likely heard me reference a particular book. It's become a real favorite. It's simply titled Centen 1853 to 1953. He was compiled in 1953 by Edward Johnstone. He was a pass master of both Joppa Lodge number 300 and Educational Lodge number 1002. and as written in the forward quote, his scholarly papers have greatly contributed to the spreading of Masonic knowledge in Minnesota unquote, at the time of publishing. Grandma George w Christie said, quote, this history is brief. We believe that Brother Johnstone has well reviewed the highlights in our Grand Lodge. Now a century old. We commend him for this fine work he has done for the benefit of the fraternity unquote On today's episode, we are revisiting our 1853 working tool series with some excerpts from Centen, which focus on the beginning of Masonry in Minnesota. On the first Steamboat to arrive in St. Paul in the spring of 1849 came James m Goodhue. He brought with him a printing press in the first news that Congress had on March 3rd, passed the Organic Act, creating a government for the territory of Minnesota. Goodhue was a native of New Hampshire. A graduate of Amherst College and a member of Lancaster Lodge, number 20 in Wisconsin, where he resided prior to his coming to St. Paul on April 28th, 1849, he published the first newspaper in the territory, the Minnesota Pioneer, in the issue of May 26th. The following notice appeared, quote, members of the Masonic fraternity in the near St. Paul. Intend to meet together in a room over the Pioneer office on Thursday evening, next May 31st at six o'clock unquote. This was the first Masonic notice to appear in the territory, and it marked the beginning of Masonry in Minnesota. This was a remote country in those days. It could be reached only by Steamboats up the Mississippi. The nearest railroad was a line then under construction near Chicago, Illinois. This vast country then called the Territory of Minnesota, stretched from the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers to the Missouri River in the west, and was bounded on the north by the territory of British North America and on the South by the recently constituted state of Iowa. It was a beautiful wilderness of hills and valleys with picturesque groves of hardwood in the south and magnificent forests of stately pine in the north. Studded with silvery lakes and interlaced with crystal clear rivers beyond which were the great plains stretching away to the west. Wildlife was an extravagant abundance and its waters were teeming with fish. It was a paradise that far transcended the most fantastic dreams of any hunter or fishermen. No land had been surveyed. A settler merely acquired squatters rights. The historic Peba Trail was a route taken by the Hudson's Bay Company for their convoys of Red River Oxcarts from Fort Gary in the Red River settlement now Manitoba to the head of navigation on the Mississippi. They came down in the spring with rich cargoes of furs and buffalo hides that brought fortunes on the European and Asiatic markets, and returned with a year's supply of miscellaneous goods suitable for their needs. It took four to five months to make the journey to Fort Snelling and back to Fort Gary. we are forced to stop and wonder where. Within these outposts on the frontier of civilization, could this ancient order of Freemasons steeped in the traditions of the most highly cultivated societies of the old world find a place to take root? Where among these rugged pioneers all coming from distant parts. With an ax in one hand and a rifle on the other. Could this discriminating fraternity find eligible men worthy and well qualified to wear its insignia and assume its responsibilities? This is explained as we proceed and find that these early settlers in Minnesota came principally from the New England states with some sense of their own kind from the states of New York and Pennsylvania. They were the sons of Protestant pioneer stock of high moral education and deep-seated, enduring character. They came here to make a home and a future for themselves and their families to root themselves in this land and become a part of it. They were not adventurers nor explorers as were many who had come and gone before them. They were builders. The type of men who, by their very nature, are attracted to masonry and most acceptable to it. Which brings us to St. John's Lodge, number one, cataract number two, and St. Paul three. These lodges received their charters from Grand Lodges of other jurisdictions before the Grand Lodge of Minnesota was founded. St. John's number 39 of Wisconsin was the first to receive its charter dated June 9th, 1852. At that time, it had nine members on its roster. On the afternoon of October 23, 2 stout teams made their way through the woods to distill water, carrying two parties of Masons, one from St. Anthony, the other from St. Paul, for the purpose of constituting this lodge in due and regular form. And to further bolster up the work of these nine Stillwater Masons. Those from St. Anthony were brothers, Ames Stearns and Lenin of Cataract Lodge. Those from St. Paul were brothers. Brawley, Dunwell, and Cave of St. Paul Lodge. Ames, the master of cataract acting as proxy for the Grand Master of Wisconsin conducted the ceremony and duly installed the officers. Thus, St. John's became the first constituted lodge in Minnesota. This lodge Balloted on its first petition January 29th, 1853 when Theodore e Parker was elected and initiated and entered apprentice. It was laser raised to a Master Mason on August 3rd, 1853 Cataract Lodge number 1 21 of Illinois received its charter dated October 5th, 1852. The officers were installed in the lodge duly constituted by E Emmanuel Case, acting as proxy for the Grand Master of Illinois In the eight months this lodge had worked under dispensation. It had initiated 35, passed 31, and raised 30 master masons. When constituted it had 42 members on its roster. St. Paul Lodge number 2 23 of Ohio received its charter, dated January 24th, 1853. In a ceremony conducted on February 7th, 1853 by a TC Pearson acting as proxy for the grand of Ohio. The officers were installed in the lodge, duly constituted during its dispensation. This lodge had raised 20 master masons and had conferred one or more degrees on seven other candidates. This was Pearson's entry into a lifelong service to the fraternity. He came from New York state to St. Paul in 1851 in the service of the Department of Indian Affairs. He belonged to painted post lodge number one 17 of New York where he received his degrees in 1851 at the age of 34 returning East in 1852, he received the degrees of the royal arch in New York. He was a profound student of masonry and very few have grasped the spirit and gained the knowledge he possessed of its laws and traditions. In so short a time on the same evening that he acted as installing officer. He placed his petition for affiliation with St. Paul Lodge and was elected and his membership made official that evening In this lodge room on the same evening, Pearson planted the seed from which grew the Grand Lodge of Minnesota. He presented a resolution which provided that there are now being three constituted lodges in Minnesota. The minimum number required to form a legal grand lodge That the masters and wardens of these three lodges be requested to meet in this lodge room on February 23rd, 1853 for the purpose of discussing the advisability of forming their own grand lodge, and if they deemed it expedient and in the best interest of the fraternity to do so to immediately proceed with its organization. I'm sure we will revisit Centennial again on this podcast. In the meantime, I thank you for listening to Minnesota Masonic Histories and Mysteries. This has been another episode of our ongoing 1853 Working Tool series I.