The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-12-25

through Salt Lake city on June 26, 1858,
and encamped fifty miles southeast of the
city were a few brothers who had been
made Masons in various parts of our COM
mon country. At that time Utah was not
much known to and was almost isolated from
the rest of the world. Those few Masons,
wishing to practice in their solitude the
teachings of Masonry, as body, resolved
to organize lodge.
They obtained a dispensation from the
grand Masonic master Of Missouri. This
dispensation was used until June /, 1850,
when charter was issued by the
Grand lodge and Rocky Mountain
lodge No POS was duly instituted
at Camp Floyd. The membership was
composed principally of officers and soldiers
OF the U. s. Army then quartered there
Later, when their location was changed to
New Mexico, the charter was surrendered.
Thus ended the first attempt to plant
Masonry on Utah soil.
In 1865 a second attempt was made to
establish Masonic lodge in Utah. On
November 18th of that year number of
brethren met at the ODD Fellows nall in
this city. Amongst those present were
James M. Ellis, VIM. G. Higley, Louis
Cohn, VIM L. Halsey, Theodore H. Auer-
bach, Oliver Durant, Chas. Pepper and
James Thurmond.
resolution was passed to organize a
lodge. James NJ. Ellis was the first mas
ter, VIM. q. Higley, senior warden, and
VIM. l.. Halsey, junior warden. a dispen-
sation for Mount Moriah Lodge to be
located in Salt Lake City, was granted by
Joseph Du Bell, the then Grand Master of
Masons in Nevada
The first meeting of Mount Moriah
Lodge was held February 9Th, 1866. The
2OGO soldiers stationed at Camp Douglas
and the discovery Of gold mines in Montana
made Salt Lake City lively; business i'm
proved and with this the lodge pros
pered for while. At the third
annual communication of the Grand Lodge
Of Nevada, however, petition for a char
ter was refused and the dispensation dis
continued. Thus ended the short career of
Mount Moriah Lodge, under the Grand
Lodge of Nevada; but the seed it had sown
in Utah had fallen on good ground aud
soon brought forth flowers and wholesome
fruit.
In June, 1866 craftsman arrived in
Salt Lake City, to whose ability as
Masonic organizer and to whose skill as
master builder, Free Masonry in Utah is
more indebted for its present standing than
to any other Mason, living or dead. Most
Worshipful Reuben Howard Robertson,
past grand master of Utah, came here
from the territory of Montana, and opened
a law Office on Main street. His far-seeing
eye soon discerned that another lodge
could be built up. His knowledge of
Masonry in all its branches and his estim-
able character soon gathered around him
the sojourning Masons in the city and
Camp Douglas, who passed resolutions to
petition the grand master of Montana for
dispensation to open Wasatch Lodge,
which was duly granted.
The first meeting of the lodge was held
Friday evening, November 80, 1866. The
lodge had unusual success but with such
master as Brother Robertson it could not
be otherwise. In September, 1867, Brother
Robertson went to Montana to attend the
second annual communication of the Grand
Lodge, and on his return he held in his
hand charter for Wasatch Lodge No. S.
dated October I, 1867.
On the 25th day of November, 1867 dis
pensation was granted by the grand
master of Kansas, to open Mount Moriah
Lodge. Under this dispensation the lodge
held its first meeting December IS, 1851
The following brethren were the first
officers: Joseph F. Nounnan, master;
William G. Higley, senior warden; Theo-
dore H. Auerbach junior warden; Sol
Siegel, treasurer; E. p. Johnson, secre-
tary; Louis Cohn, senior deacon; George
b. Moulton, junior deacon: n. Boukofsky
and Paul Engelbrecht, stewards.
Mount Moriah made no great mark
whilst working under this dispensation
In October, 1868, it was granted charter
under the Grand Lodge of Kansas and in
accordance it held its first meeting on
November Q, 1865. Brother Robertson
installed the officers. Chris Diehl, who
has been grand secretary of the grand
lodge of Utah almost from it's infancy, was
initiated in this lodge Sept. 2 1868, being
passed therein Nov. Q, 1865, and raised Dec.
| 9, 1868, and who has occupied for five con-
secutive years the Office of secretary, for
one year of senior warden, and for two
years of master. The grand Masonic mas
ter of Colorado, in April, 1871, issued dis
pensation to open Argenta Lodge at Salt
Lake City, and on Sept. 26 of the same
year charter was granted to this lodge
The third lodge was now established and
the foundation of the main ediice could be
laid. Wasatch, Mount Moriah and Argenta
lodges agreed to establish a grand lodge.
The preliminary arrangements were soon
made, and on the 10Th of January, 1872, the
grand lodge was instituted with the fol
lowing as officers
Bros. o. F. Strickland grand master;
Louis Cohn, deputy grand master; E. b.
Zabriskie, senior grand warden; A. S..
Gould, junior grand warden; Charles F.
Smith, grand treasurer, and Joseph f.
! Nounnan, andisecretary. Bro. Nounnan