Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-01-09
Brief Sketch Of the Growth Of
the Fraternal Organiza>
tons Of Lewistown.
GROWTH HAS BEEN HEALTRFUL
No Other Town in the State
Can Compare With the
Record Of Past Years,

No other town of like size in the
state Is SO strong in fraternal organ
izations as Is Lewistown. Almost
every leading fraternal organization
in the country Is represented by n
lodge here, and weare pleased tonote
that all of them report n h%ealthful,
steady growth in membership and n
prosperous financial condition. Be-
low is u brief sketch of all the lodges
= of Lewistown from their organiza-
ton to the present time. as compiled
from Information furnished by the
secretary, or corresponding officer, of
each OF them:
Masonic Lodge, No. 81 A. T. and A. NJ.
Lewistown Lodge, No. 81, A. +.
and A. NJ, was organized on the 23d
day vi June, 1855, with a membership
of twenty-five. James W. Dough-
I. erty was appointed Its first Worship
full Master, and under his wise and
faithful guidance the lodge became a
permanent ana prosperous institu-
ton. The lodge has had a steady
growth since its organizations up to
the present time, as is shown by its
constantly increasing membership
roll. The numerical strength Of the
lodge at the present day Is several
= times its charter membership, and in
many other ways the order is shown
to be in n prosperous condition. At
the last regular meeting the follow.
ing officers were elected to serve for
the ensuing Masonic year: w. NJ,
VIM. NJ. Blackboard; S. W.. Horace A.
Moulton; j. james NJ. Croft; Sec,
=. VI. Blackboard; Treas, Geo. j. Bach;
s. d.. Dana L. Hemphill; j. d., Thos.
NJ. Shaw; 5. s., Walter =. Smith; j.
s, Donald Fowler; Trustee, Frank
Day: Marshall, Geo. w. Cook, and
Tyler. j. w. Luton. 81
Judith Lodge No. 30, l. o. o. r.
Judith Lodge No. 80. /. o. o. F.,
WIS organized July ., 1881, with II
membership of nine. From thattime
until the latter part Of the year 1880
the ludge enjoyed a fairly prosperous
cxistclc GO, but from the latter date
until the first of February, 1896, there
was no regular organization main
tanned. February 18th Of that year
the lodge IA reorganized with an
increased membership Of twenty, and
since that time 1t has had n steady
and continuous growth. The first
, officers elected In 1883 were: n. g..
L. f. Wright; V. G., X. W. Noble;
Sec, E. Swope, and Treas, j. Holze-
mer. At the time of reorganization
the following officers were elected
and installed: Fl. A. Moulton, n. G.,
NJ. j. Garrett, V. g.; j.. w. Gray, Sec,
and L. Il. Wright, Treas.
As previously stated the growth Of
the lodge has been steady and con-
.tinuous since reorganization and at
the present time the membership roll
contains eighty members In good
standing.
During the entire period OF its ex-
istence there have been ~ individuals
connected with the lodge. of whom
two, James II. Noe and VIM. Logan,
have died. The membership from the
first has been OF a high order and en-
braces many of the most prominent
and influential citizens of the county.
Financially the lodge has had a re-
markably prosperous existence and
at this time has greater resources
than any similar organization In the
city. The present officers are: Burr
Z. Vinson. n. c.; John W. Foster, v.
c.; Jas. III. Croft, Sec, and p. C..
Weydert, Treas: Trustees, II. A..
Moulton, John W. Foster and W. C..
Waldorf.
Hiram Chapter, No. IS, r. A. NJ.
Hiram Chapter. U. d., was organ
lied Sept. Is, 1897, with n charter
membership Of nine, the first NJ. f.
High Priest being Frank Il. Wright,
and the first secretary George j.
WieIeman. The lOdgs worked under
n dis%pensation issued by the Grand
Lodge OF the state OF Montana, from
Sept. Is, 1885,. until Nov. q, 1889,
when Hiram Chapter No. IL wasduly
TIE RIGHT THINE IN Dit np