Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1902-10-25
From the New Mexican.

From the New Mexican.
Organized Masonry took foothold
In New Mexico ut the time of the Am
erican occupation. A military travel
ing lodge was organized. at Santa FEE
AZ early as 1S47 In an Illinois regiment
under a dispensation by the grand
master of the grand lodge Of Missouri.
This travelling lodge was known as
Hardin Military Travelling lodge. Col.
John Rails, the grand master OF Mis-
souri,. was mt that time at Santa Fe
with a regimen: OF Missouri volun-
teers. According to the records still
in existence and which are the prop
erty OF Montezuma lodge. No 1. this
travelling lodge worked for two years
In Santa te until the close Of the war
with Mexico. the withdrawal of the
United States volunteers and the es.
tablishment Of Fort Marcy as q regular
army post.
The grand lodge Of Missouri. in re-
Spouse to prayer Of several Of the
members Of Hardin Military Travelling
lodge which had surrendered it's char
ter. and number of citizens of Santa
Fee. on May 10. 1850. granted charter
to MOntezuma lodge. No. 10, which
afterwards became Montezuma lodge.
No. 1, under the Jurisdiction Of the
grand lodge Of New Mexico.
II was ten years afterwards. In 1860.
that Bent lodge. No. 204. was chartered
at Taos by the grand lodge of Mis-
souri, Five years later II surrendered
It's charter. Chapman lodge at Las
Vegas received Its charter in 1866
after several years of effort. which On
account OF Irregularities In the work
had been denied before and the name
Of the lodge ordered stricken from the
records Of the grand lodge. Aztec lodge
at Las Cruces. Kit Carson lodge ut
Elizabethtown. Cimarron lodge at CT.
marion. Silver City lodge ut Silver
City. and Union lodge ut Fort Union
were the other New Mexico lodges
granted charters under the Jurisdiction
Of the grand lodge OF Missouri.
On August 8. 1877. pursuant to call,
q convention of delegates from several
lodges OF the territory met at the hall
Of Montezuma lodge In Santa Fe to or.
ganize grand lodge OF the territory
of New Mexico. the following lodges
being represented: Aztec. No. 1903:
Chapman, No. 95 Montezuma. No.
1909; and Union. No. $50. On August
Z. 1877. the convention elected officers
of the grand lodge. William w. Grimm,
Of Montezuma. No. l. being chosen
grand master. He was installed and
the grand lodge of New Mexico was
opened in ample form and declared
duly organized.
During the session constitution
and by laws were prepared and adopt
ed and or the night Of August 10. the
first Communication OF the grand lodge
of New Mexico adjourned.
The first annual communication OF
the grand lodge of Ancient. Free aud
Accepted Masons OF New Mexico con
vened at Masonic hall. in Santa Fe. on
Monday. January 6. 1879, Grand Mas
ter William w. Grimm presiding.
Since that date charters have been
granted to twenty four lodges. three
of which have surrendered their char
tiers. one on account of taking part In
the organization Of the grand lodge oi
Arizona, another. owing to consolida
ton with another lodge, and the third
on account OF the abandonment Of q
mining camp In which It was located
This leaves twenty-one working lodges
In the Jurisdiction OF the grand lodge
Of New Mexico. with a membership ol
100.
The following Is a list Of the grand
masters of the grand lodge from It's or
ganization In August. 1877. to 1902;
1877 to 1879. william ". Grimm; 1880
william l.. Rynerson: 1881. 8. II. New
comb; 1881. Henry l.. Waldo: 1882
John Il. Wooten; 1883. w. b. Childers
1884. Cornelius Bennett; 1885, Maxi
milan Frost; 1886. c. N. Blackwell
1887 to 1883. w. 8. Harroun; 1889. A
II. Moorehouse; 1890. +. II. Kent
1891. C. II. Dane; 1891. Richard Eng
fish; 1892. J. II. Kuhn; 1898. c. II
Sporleder: 1894. J. J. Kelly; 1895
James II. Wroth 1896. Charles Bow
mer: 1897 John W. Poe; 1898, II. c
Stewart; 1899. e. r. Day: 1900 to 1901
II. 8. Slower; 1901 TO 1902, A. Il. Harl
lee.
During it's existence the grand Lodge
had hut two grand secretaries. one o
these was David