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. 

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
You've likely heard me referencea particular book.

(00:03):
It's become a real favorite.
It's simply titled Centen 1853to 1953.
He was compiled in 1953 byEdward Johnstone.
He was a pass master of bothJoppa Lodge number 300 and
Educational Lodge number 1002.
and as written in the forwardquote, his scholarly papers have

(00:25):
greatly contributed to thespreading of Masonic knowledge
in Minnesota unquote, at thetime of publishing.
Grandma George w Christie said,quote, this history is brief.
We believe that BrotherJohnstone has well reviewed the
highlights in our Grand Lodge.
Now a century old.
We commend him for this finework he has done for the benefit

(00:48):
of the fraternity unquote Ontoday's episode, we are
revisiting our 1853 working toolseries with some excerpts from
Centen, which focus on thebeginning of Masonry in
Minnesota.
On the first Steamboat to arrivein St.
Paul in the spring of 1849 cameJames m Goodhue.

(01:11):
He brought with him a printingpress in the first news that
Congress had on March 3rd,passed the Organic Act, creating
a government for the territoryof Minnesota.
Goodhue was a native of NewHampshire.
A graduate of Amherst Collegeand a member of Lancaster Lodge,
number 20 in Wisconsin, where heresided prior to his coming to

(01:33):
St.
Paul on April 28th, 1849, hepublished the first newspaper in
the territory, the MinnesotaPioneer, 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 aroom over the Pioneer office on

(01:55):
Thursday evening, next May 31stat six o'clock unquote.
This was the first Masonicnotice to appear in the
territory, and it marked thebeginning of Masonry in
Minnesota.
This was a remote country inthose days.
It could be reached only bySteamboats up the Mississippi.

(02:16):
The nearest railroad was a linethen under construction near
Chicago, Illinois.
This vast country then calledthe Territory of Minnesota,
stretched from the St.
Croix and Mississippi Rivers tothe Missouri River in the west,
and was bounded on the north bythe territory of British North
America and on the South by therecently constituted state of

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Iowa.
It was a beautiful wilderness ofhills and valleys with
picturesque groves of hardwoodin the south and magnificent
forests of stately pine in thenorth.
Studded with silvery lakes andinterlaced with crystal clear
rivers beyond which were thegreat plains stretching away to
the west.

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Wildlife was an extravagantabundance and its waters were
teeming with fish.
It was a paradise that fartranscended the most fantastic
dreams of any hunter orfishermen.
No land had been surveyed.
A settler merely acquiredsquatters rights.
The historic Peba Trail was aroute taken by the Hudson's Bay

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Company for their convoys of RedRiver Oxcarts from Fort Gary in
the Red River settlement nowManitoba to the head of
navigation on the Mississippi.
They came down in the springwith rich cargoes of furs and
buffalo hides that broughtfortunes on the European and
Asiatic markets, and returnedwith a year's supply of

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miscellaneous goods suitable fortheir needs.
It took four to five months tomake the journey to Fort
Snelling and back to Fort Gary.
we are forced to stop and wonderwhere.
Within these outposts on thefrontier of civilization, could
this ancient order of Freemasonssteeped in the traditions of the

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most highly cultivated societiesof the old world find a place to
take root?
Where among these ruggedpioneers all coming from distant
parts.
With an ax in one hand and arifle on the other.
Could this discriminatingfraternity find eligible men
worthy and well qualified towear its insignia and assume its

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responsibilities?
This is explained as we proceedand find that these early
settlers in Minnesota cameprincipally from the New England
states with some sense of theirown kind from the states of New
York and Pennsylvania.
They were the sons of Protestantpioneer stock of high moral
education and deep-seated,enduring character.

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They came here to make a homeand a future for themselves and
their families to rootthemselves in this land and
become a part of it.
They were not adventurers norexplorers as were many who had
come and gone before them.
They were builders.
The type of men who, by theirvery nature, are attracted to

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masonry and most acceptable toit.
Which brings us to St.
John's Lodge, number one,cataract number two, and St.
Paul three.
These lodges received theircharters from Grand Lodges of
other jurisdictions before theGrand Lodge of Minnesota was
founded.
St.

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John's number 39 of Wisconsinwas the first to receive its
charter dated June 9th, 1852.
At that time, it had ninemembers on its roster.
On the afternoon of October 23,2 stout teams made their way
through the woods to distillwater, carrying two parties of

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Masons, one from St.
Anthony, the other from St.
Paul, for the purpose ofconstituting this lodge in due
and regular form.
And to further bolster up thework of these nine Stillwater
Masons.
Those from St.
Anthony were brothers, AmesStearns and Lenin of Cataract
Lodge.
Those from St.

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Paul were brothers.
Brawley, Dunwell, and Cave ofSt.
Paul Lodge.
Ames, the master of cataractacting as proxy for the Grand
Master of Wisconsin conductedthe ceremony and duly installed
the officers.
Thus, St.
John's became the firstconstituted lodge in Minnesota.

(06:37):
This lodge Balloted on its firstpetition January 29th, 1853 when
Theodore e Parker was electedand initiated and entered
apprentice.
It was laser raised to a MasterMason on August 3rd, 1853
Cataract Lodge number 1 21 ofIllinois received its charter

(06:59):
dated October 5th, 1852.
The officers were installed inthe lodge duly constituted by E
Emmanuel Case, acting as proxyfor the Grand Master of Illinois
In the eight months this lodgehad worked under dispensation.
It had initiated 35, passed 31,and raised 30 master masons.

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When constituted it had 42members on its roster.
St.
Paul Lodge number 2 23 of Ohioreceived its charter, dated
January 24th, 1853.
In a ceremony conducted onFebruary 7th, 1853 by a TC
Pearson acting as proxy for thegrand of Ohio.

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The officers were installed inthe lodge, duly constituted
during its dispensation.
This lodge had raised 20 mastermasons and had conferred one or
more degrees on seven othercandidates.
This was Pearson's entry into alifelong service to the
fraternity.
He came from New York state toSt.

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Paul in 1851 in the service ofthe Department of Indian
Affairs.
He belonged to painted postlodge number one 17 of New York
where he received his degrees in1851 at the age of 34 returning
East in 1852, he received thedegrees of the royal arch in New

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York.
He was a profound student ofmasonry and very few have
grasped the spirit and gainedthe knowledge he possessed of
its laws and traditions.
In so short a time on the sameevening that he acted as
installing officer.
He placed his petition foraffiliation with St.
Paul Lodge and was elected andhis membership made official

(08:49):
that evening In this lodge roomon the same evening, Pearson
planted the seed from which grewthe Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
He presented a resolution whichprovided that there are now
being three constituted lodgesin Minnesota.
The minimum number required toform a legal grand lodge That

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the masters and wardens of thesethree lodges be requested to
meet in this lodge room onFebruary 23rd, 1853 for the
purpose of discussing theadvisability of forming their
own grand lodge, and if theydeemed it expedient and in the
best interest of the fraternityto do so to immediately proceed

(09:32):
with its organization.
I'm sure we will revisitCentennial again on this
podcast.
In the meantime, I thank you forlistening to Minnesota Masonic
Histories and Mysteries.
This has been another episode ofour ongoing 1853 Working Tool
series I.