The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-04-07
Records Destroyed in Fire o
1895; Organization Boasts
Fine Temple

Masonic history in Bismarck dates
from June, 1874, according to infor-
nation assembled by J. L. Bell, for
Merly Of Bismarck but now Of Min
neapolis, in the absence Of records
destroyed In the big fire Of Aug. 8
1893.
In 1874 Grand Master Charles Girls
void Of the Grand Lodge OF Mime
sofa granted dispensation for q
lodge at Bismarck, Bell wrote. At the
meeting Of the Grand Lodge Of Min
nesota Jan. II, 1875, charter was
voted to the Bismarck Lodge. which
became No. 100 under the jurisdiction
Q. the Grand Lodge Of Minnesota.
For several years this jurisdiction
was sharply questioned by the Grand
Lodge of Dakota, organized In 1875
but the Bismarck lodge preferred to
remain affiliated with the Minnesota
Grand Lodge until 1880, when the
Minnesota charter was surrendered
and Bismarck entered the Grand
Lodge Of Dakota as No. Is.
In 1889 the Grand Lodge Of North
Dakota was established and Bismarck
was granted charter No. S.
Lounsberry First Master
9. A. Lounsberry. pioneer newspa-
perman and first editor OF the Bis
marck Tribune, was the first master
of the lodge, when chartered in 1876.
For some time the lodge met over
the general merchandise store Of Nc
Lean and Macnider on the site Of the
+. g. Grambs plumbing establishment
From here it moved to the Raymond
block, on the site Of the Gussnel
building at the intersection Of Main
avenue and Third st. The next re-
moval was to the third floor OF the
Bismarck National Bank building
which was occupied by the lodge un-
til 1896, when the lodge moved t.
well-appointed quarters on the third
floor Of the old First National Bank
building.
The great fire OF Aug. 3, 1898, en-
tailed serious loss to the lodge by wip-
Ing out the valuable equipment which
had been acquired for the new quar-
tiers and by the destruction of all the
records.
The first meeting after the fire was
held Nov. IA. 1898. For several months
the lodge met in the G. A. r. hall In
the Raymond block and then In the
A. O. U. w. hall on the third floor
on the west side Of the Dakota Block,
which was taken over later by the
lodge for its own use. In 1906 the
lodge removed to the knights of Pyth-
las hall in building at the present
site Of the J. G. Penney and Co.
store.
In the meantime plans for the erec-
ton Of temple were maturing and
In 1902 the trustees purchased the
site. Three years later the
foundation for the present temple was
built. For some time the property reA
manned in the unfinished condition
but on July 10. 1911, the cornerstone
Of the temple was laid by Grand Mas
ter Frank Morrison Of the Grand
Lodge Of North Dakota and the build
ing was pushed to completion rapidly.
The first meeting Of the lodge in the
temple was conducted Jan. 20. 1912,
and since then the many wanderings
Of the craft have found the temple
permanent home.
Wiley Present Master
James H. Wiley is the present wor-
shipful master Of the Bismarck lodge.
Other officers include Lester s. Diehl,
senior warden; L. A. French, junior
deacon; Marvin Ness, secretary: H. s.
Lobach. treasurer; Lorenzo Belk, sem
Tor deacon: H. G. Groves, junior dea-
con; T. w. Settle. senior steward; Otto
A Convert, junior steward: George S.
Register, tyler: and Tom Hall. Ma
sonic service officer.
Past masters of the Bismarck
lodge. many OF whom either are dead
or have moved away are as follows
Tin chronological order): C. A. Louns-
berry, w. M. Falconer, John David
son. Joseph Hare, John Davidson, Or
lsndo s. Golf, Frank Donnelly, JOS
eph Hare, Harry v. Wetherby, John
Davidson, William A. Bentley, w. H
Winchester. w. T. Perkins, Emery S
Eeardsley, Frank Reed. James w. Fo-
ley, Asa T. Patterson, Henry L. Reade
Maurice M. Cook, William F. Coch-