Ancient Free & Accepted Masons This history appears in Chapter LXXXIX of "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904), pages 512-515 and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm CHAPTER LXXXIX ANCIENT FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS. Among the very first settlers of South Dakota were several Masons, and as early as 1862, during the first session of the territorial legislature, consultation began looking to the organization of a lodge, but the Indian troubles of that season suspended operations in that line for a period. However, no sooner was safety to the community assured that the matter was again taken up and Melancthon Hoyt, Episcopal missionary; John Hutchinson, secretary of Dakota territory; Henry C. Ash, the pioneer hotel keeper, of Yankton; Nelson Miner, captain of Company A, Dakota Volunteer Cavalry; Justus Townsend, physician, and auditor of Dakota territory; Downer T. Bramble, legislator and pioneer merchant; G. N. Propper; James M. Allen, who was secretary of the provisional government established at Sioux Falls, and Frank M. Ziebach, founder of the Dakotan newspaper, petitioned for a dispensation to establish a lodge of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons at Yankton. The dispensation was duly granted and the lodge instituted with the petitioners above named as charter members, the charter bearing date June 3, 1863. The lodge was called St. John's, No. 166, of the jurisdiction of Iowa. For six years thereafter it was the only lodge in the territory. The genealogy of Dakota Masonry is as follows: From England to North Carolina, from North Carolina to Tennessee, from Tennessee to Missouri, from Missouri to Iowa, from Iowa to Dakota territory, from Dakota territory to South Dakota. The first officers of St. John's lodge were as follows: Melanchton Hoyt, master; Downer T. Bramble, senior warden; John Hutchinson, junior warden; George W. Kingsbury, treasurer; Moses K. Armstrong, secretary; George N. Propper, senior deacon; F. M. Ziebach, junior deacon; Thigh E. Wood, tyler. The next lodge to be instituted in Dakota territory was Incense No. 257, of Vermilion, chartered February 10, 1869. Alpheus G. Fuller, of Yankton, who had been elected delegate to congress by the Sioux Falls provisional government in 1858, was the instituting officer. A year later, April 16, 1870, Elk Point Lodge, No. 288, was instituted, with H. H. Blair as master; Elias Hyde, senior warden; E. H. Webb, junior warden; P. E. Maynard, treasurer; John Lawrence secretary; C. W. Beggs, senior deacon; J. A. Wallace, junior deacon; Eli B. Wixson, tyler. On June 10th Minnehaha Lodge, No. 328, was chartered at Sioux Falls, with Thomas H. Brown, R. C. Hawkins, E. Sharpe, T. Pomeroy, G. B. Sammons, W. H. Holt, J. H. Moulton, and George Hill as charter members. On June 3, 1875, Silver Star Lodge, No. 345, was organized at Canton, and W. H. Miller, Sr., M. W. Bailey, S. H. Stafford, Jr., W. M. Cuppett, D. H. Hawn and others were charter members. Delegates from these five lodges met in the hall of Elk Point Lodge on June 22, 1875. These delegates were empowered to take such measures as were necessary in order to form a grand lodge of Freemasons within and for the territory of Dakota. This convention adopted a constitution and by-laws and elected officers for a grand lodge and petitioned the Iowa grand lodge, to which they were still subject, for an organization. Pursuant to this action and petition the Iowa grand lodge sent T. S. Parvin to Dakota and at Vermilion, on July 21, 1875, the grand lodge of Dakota was duly instituted by Mr. Parvin in the old Baptist church. The delegates who met in the convention at Elk Point on June 22d and took the preliminary steps toward the organization of the grand lodge of Dakota were as follows: St. John's Lodge No. 166. Yankton, George H. Hand, L. M. Purdy, F. J. DeWitt; Incense No. 257, Vermilion, Horace J. Austin, A. H. Lathrop, Vernette E. Prentice; Elk Point No. 288, J. A. Wallace, H. H. Blair, D. W. Hassen; Minnehaha No. 328, Thomas H. Brown, J. W. Callendar, Richard I. Pettigrew; Silver Star No. 345, Canton, William H. Miller, Sr., Mark W. Bailey, S. H. Stafford, Jr. The first officers of the grand lodge were as follows: T. H. Brown, master; Mark W. Bailey, secretary. The grand masters have been Henry H. Blair, 1876; George H. Hand, 1877 to 1880; Thomas H. Brown, 1881; Oscar S. Gifford, 1882 and 1883; John F. Schrader, 1884; William Blatt, 1885 and 1886; Henry M. Wheeler, 1887; John Q. A. Braden, 1888; George V. Ayers, 1889; Theodore D. Kanouse, 1890; George A. Johnston, 1891; Harvey J. Rice, 1892; Richard C. McAllister, 1893; William C. Allen, 1894; Frederick H. Files, 1895; James Lewis, 1896; Albert W. Coe, 1897; J. G. Bullen, 1898; Louis G. Levoy, 1899; W. H. Roddle, 1900; John A. Cleaver, 1901; Charles E. Hill, 1902; Frank A. Brown, 1903, and Byron P. Dague, 1904; Mark W. Bailey was secretary for two years until his death, in 1877; W. E. Caton succeeded him for one term and Charles T. McCoy was secretary from 1878 until 1893, when he was succeeded by George A. Pettigrew, who still serves in that capacity. The meetings of the grand lodge have been held as follows: 1875, Elk Point and Vermilion; 1876, Yankton; 1877, Yankton; 1878, Sioux Falls; 1879, Yankton; 1880, Yankton; 1881, Sioux Falls; 1882, Watertown; 1883, Rapid City; 1884, Aberdeen; 1885, Fargo; 1886, Bismarck; 1887, Huron; 1888, Deadwood; 1889, Mitchell; 1890, Madison; 1891, Watertown, 1892, Sioux Falls; 1893, Yankton; 1894, Hot Springs; 1895, Pierre; 1896, Huron; 1897, Mitchell; 1898, Sioux Falls; 1899, Yankton; 1900, Aberdeen; 1901, Sioux Falls; 1902, Huron; 1903, Deadwood; 1904, Yankton. At the last report there were one hundred Blue Lodges in South Dakota, having a total of 5,444 members. The institution of the York Rites in Dakota territory date from 1885, when, on the 25th of February, charters were issued to the following chapters: Yankton No. 1, Yankton; Sioux Falls No. 2, Sioux Falls; Dakota No. 3, Deadwood; Siroc No. 4, Canton; Huron No. 10, Huron; Watertown No. 12, Watertown; Aberdeen No. 14, Aberdeen; and on June 8th of that year Mitchell No. 15, Mitchell; Denver No. 17, Arlington; Brookings No. 18, Brookings; Orient No. 19, Flandreau, and Redfield No. 20, Redfield, were chartered. It will be observed that the above numbers do not run in regular order, this fact being due to the North Dakota chapters then in this jurisdiction. The grand chapter was organized at Sioux Falls, July 8, 1885, the first fourteen chapters taking part in the organization. The meetings of the chapter since the first have been held at the same place and approximate time as the grand lodge. The grand high priests have been as follows: 1885 and 1886, William S. Pratt; 1887, Peter Picton; 1888, Collins D. Pratt; 1899, John F. Schrader; 1890, John Davidson; 1892, Henry S. Williams; 1893, Park Davis; 1894, William J. McMackin; 1893, Edward B. Bracy; 1894, Robert T. Sedam; 1895, Louis G. Levoy; 1896, Harvey T. Rice; 1897, George V. Avers; 1898, Samuel J. Coyne; 1899, George A. West; 1900, B. F. Ives: 1901, Martin G. Carlisle; 1902, Samuel J. Moore; 1903, Ed S. Ames; 1904, Samuel H. Jumper. The grand secretaries: Thomas T. Wilder, from organization until statehood, when the jurisdiction was divided, and since that date George A. Pettigrew has held the position. There are now twenty-nine chapters having at the last report 1,784 members. The commandery preceded the chapter in this jurisdiction. There are now fourteen of these bodies, the first of which is Dakota No. 1, organized at Deadwood August 19, 1880. The grand commandery was organized at Sioux Falls on May 14, 1884, by Theodore S. Parvin, of Iowa, under warrant of the grand commandery of the United States. The right eminent grand commanders since organization have been: 1884, Samuel Roy; 1885, Levi B. French; 886, Daniel S. Glidden; 1887, Marc A. Brewer; 1888, Joseph A. Colcord; 1889, William D. Stites; 1890, John F. Schrader; 1891, Samuel H. Jumper; 1892, George W. Burnside; 1893, George H. Rathman; 1894, William J. McMackin; 1895, Frank A. Brown; 1896, J. J. Casselman; 1897, Joseph T. Morrow; 1898 William T. Doolittle; 1899, George V. Ayers, 1900, E. W. Coughran; 1901, Morris H. Kelly; 1902, Ed S. Lorimer; 1903, Fred A. Spafford. Edwin E. Sage was the first grand recorder, but was succeeded at the first election by Bruce M. Rowley,- who held the office from 1885 until 1892. William H. Holt then held it for two years, when, in 1895, he was succeeded by George A. Pettigrew, who continues in the office. For the history of the Scottish Rite bodies in South Dakota we are under obligation to T. W. Taubman, of Aberdeen, who writes: "I have had some difficulty in gathering the authentic history of the Rite in the territory of Dakota and the state of South Dakota. In 1874 Albert Pike, the sovereign grand commander, attached Dakota territory to the state of Minnesota and placed the same under the jurisdiction of A. T. C. Pearson, inspector general of that state, but it seems that he did not do any work within the territory. On January 6, 1883, the territory was annexed to Nebraska and was in charge of Robert C. Jordon, the inspector general of that state, but prior thereto and on January 1, 1882, Arthur James Carrier, thirty-second degree, was appointed deputy for the territory of Dakota. He did the first work within the territory and established Alpha Lodge of Perfection No. I, in Yankton, on February 3, 1882, but I am informed that the date of its charter was February 8th of that year. "Brother William Blatt writes me that Brother Carrier was an Indian trader and boarded with Mrs. Dawson on the southwest corner of Third and Linn streets in that city, where he occupied the parlor and there communicated to him and several others whose names he was unable to recall the degrees from the fourth to the fourteenth. who immediately thereafter applied for a charter, bought nine hundred dollars worth of paraphernalia, and, in unison with the other Masonic bodies, leased the west half of the present hall, remodeled it at great expense and began work hopefully and energetically, but fearfully in debt. Brother Jordon inaugurated Mackey Chapter, Rose Croix, in Yankton February 27, 1883, and Dr. D. Frank Etter was elected wise master, and Brother Fleming writes me that John B. Dennis was appointed deputy for Brother Jordon. About the last of July or the first of August of that year Brother Pike visited Yankton and Sioux Falls and he states in his allocution for that year that Brother Dennis accompanied him for the purpose of establishing bodies at Yankton and Sioux Falls. Brother Dennis was appointed deputy for the supreme council for the southern part of Dakota April 25, 1884. Robert B. Bruce Council of Kadosh No. 1 was not chartered until March 10, 1887, but I do not know by whom nor when it was inaugurated, but find that it is mentioned as paying dues in 1886. Brother Rufus E. Fleming, thirty-third degree, who had been deputy for the northern part of Dakota territory, was, on October 19, 1886, made an active inspector general for the entire territory, and Dr. Etter was his deputy until his death. He was succeeded by Brother Blatt and he by Brother Beadle. Oriental Consistory was chartered at the 1888 session of the supreme council and was instituted by Brother Fleming, on December 10th of the same year, when George A. Archer was elected master of Kadosh. When first chartered it was known as No. 2, but Occidental Consistory No. 1 at Sioux Falls having forfeited its charter in 1889, the supreme council authorized Oriental to be known as No. 1, which it now is. Other bodies of the Rite which have been instituted in the state are Webster Lodge of Perfection, June 13, 1887; Cyrus Lodge of Perfection, at Watertown, August 1, 1887; Khurum Lodge of Perfection, at Sioux Falls, September 15, 1884; and Albert Pike Chapter, Rose Croix, at Sioux Falls, September 15. 1884. At the session of the supreme council in 1884 there was a petition for a consistory at Sioux Falls, but the same was rejected because there was no council of Kadosh, but one was subsequently established. The application for a consistory was again rejected in 1888, but a recess vote was taken and a charter granted and a consistory at Sioux Falls inaugurated by Brother Fleming on either the day before or after the one at Yankton. Their council of Kadosh was known as Cour DeLain No. 2 and was instituted by Brother Fleming May 2, 1888. The lodge and chapter at Deadwood was constituted May 21, 1892, the council May 23, 1892, and the consistory October 20, 1892. A lodge of perfection was located at Hot Springs in November, 1894; at Aberdeen a lodge and chapter was instituted April 6, 1894; the council February 21, 1895, and the consistory January 16 1896, and the Albert Pike Lodge of Perfection at Eureka January 18, 1898, but the charters were never granted either to Watertown, Hot Springs or Eureka and those at Sioux Falls were forfeited in 1892 or 1894, they never having done any work. At the present time the total membership in the state in about eight hundred." After the division of Dakota territory; North and South Dakota remained one jurisdiction, under the supervision of Rufus Eberly Fleming, thirty-third degree, inspector general, until October, 1899, when the supreme council divided the territory and made South Dakota a separate jurisdiction and elected Edward Teare Taubman, thirty-third degree, of Aberdeen, the inspector general for the state. There are thirty-six chapters of the auxiliary Order of the Eastern Star in South Dakota. The grand chapter was organized at Watertown July IO, 1889, delegates from the chapters at Watertown, Flandreau, Webster, St. Lawrence, Aberdeen and Madison taking part in the organization. The grand matrons have been: 1889 May H. Monks ; 1890, Florence M. Mudgett ; 1891, L. Leslie McBride; 1892, Lurancy W. Norton; 1893, Mary Brown; 1894 Sarah J. Clark; 1895, Hettie Downie; 1896, Fannie R. Roddle: 1897, Jennette E. Herreid; 1898, Jennie E. Bradley; 1899, Jennie Shirk; 1900, Margaret V. Hitchcock; 1901, Eudora Z. Pettigrew; 1902, Annie Marston; 1903, Eva G. Davison.- Mrs. A. C. McAllister has been secretary from the organization. At the last report there were 2,439 members Magnificent temples for the Masonic bodies have been erected at Yankton, Aberdeen and Deadwood. The Masonic bodies meeting at Chamberlain own a very commodious and well arranged temple. There are in South Dakota two temples of the dependent order of Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, El Riad Temple, at Sioux Falls, organized May 25,1888, and Naja Temple, at Deadwood, founded September 19, 1892. An application for a charter has been made at Aberdeen for the establishment of a temple there.