The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1941-06-05
More Early History Of
Libby Lodges, Clubs
Libby Lodge No. IS, A. r. & A. NJ

LlDOy LOQ&c NO. %, ~ - q "a NA-
During May 1910, Mason named
John Johns, miner, passed away
in Libby and while no organization
had been effected, number of So
journing Masons gathered together
and gave him Masonic funeral.
This was the first public gathering
of the Masonic fraternity in Libby.
In the summer of 1911, John Ross,
postmaster of Libby, passed away,
and being a member of Black Oak
Lodge No 49l, of Leighton, Iowa,
the Masons here gathered together
and called on the worshipful master
of Whitefish Lodge No. "a, togeth-
er with the senior deacon of that
lodge and another Masonic funeral
was held.
Shortly after this event, meet
ing was called and the brothers
gathered in Plummer's Hall, just
north of the present Libby Cream
cry building, and plans were in
augurated toward establishing
lodge in Libby.
A question arose as to what ad
joining city would have jurisdiction
and after some correspondence
with the then grand secretary Of
Masons in Montana. c. Hedges, it
was decided that Whitefish was
closer than Kalispell, by a very
narrow margin. However, why
Thompson Falls was not considered
is not known as it is closer than
either Kalispell or Whitefish and
should have been the sponsor.
The following brothers then
signed petition for dispensation:
w. W. Blew, ST., Pendleton Lodge
No. 81, Pendleton, Ore; Portus Bax-
ter, Osceola Lodge No. 421, Elk
land, Pa; James NJ Blackboard, Sr.,
Claremore Lodge No. So, Claremore,
Okla; Charles B. Morris and John
D. Brooks, Ossea Lodge No. SIT,
Wellsboro, Pa; William Criderman,
Lemhi Lodge No. II, Salmon, Ida;
E. w. Doe, Leo H. Faust and Louis
G. Klenck, Kalispell Lodge No. AZ.
Kalispell, Mont, w. Scott Fleek,
Bicknell Lodge No. "a, Broadhead,
Vic; F. M. Finn, Pilot Lodge No.
467, Rolfe, Iowa; G. p Caring, Bad
ger Mountain Lodge No. ST, Water
vile, Wash; H. l.. Godfrey, Hamp-
shire Lodge No 443, Hampshire,
I'LL; William H. Gray, Long Prairie
Lodge No. 159, Long Prairie Mimi;
John D. Hunter, Goose River Lodge
No. 10, Portland, Ore; George W.
Millett, Cass Lake Lodge No. 243,
Cass Lake, Mimi; Andrew G. Ross,
Black Oak Lodge No. 49l, Leighton,
Iowa; Morris D. Rowland, Aurora
Lodge No. so, Milton, Iowa; Dorr
Skeels, Henrietta Lodge No. 447,
Henrietta, Mich; E. A. Southwick
Whitefish Lodge No. 81, Whitefish
Mont; E. S. Williamson, Temple
Lodge No. At, Greencastle, Ind, and
w. w. Wilder, Temple Lodge No
40, Bonner, Mont, as charter mem
bers, OF these, charter members
there are sti11 four living and active
in Libby lodge No. IS: Louis G
Klenck, James M. Blackboard, ST..
John D. Brooks and Morris D. Row
land.
After the organization had beer
effected and a dispensation granted
the first meeting was called anC
held in the present |. 0. O. K. Tenn
pie, on October a., 1911, with Louis
g. Klenck worshipful master, Will.
liam H. Gray as senior warden, Z
w. Doe as junior warden, W. Scot
! Fleek as treasurer, G. P. Caring al
secretary, Morris d. Rowland as sen
! Tor deacon, E. A. Southwick as jun
ior deacon, w. w. Blew as senior
steward, E. S. Williamson as jun
Tor steward and John D. Brooks a.
tiler.
The first initiate in the new lodge
was Leroy r. Book, who received
the Master Mason degree on Dec
is, 1911.
For a number of years, the Ma
. sons rented and used the /. O. O. +
Hall as their meeting place, and ii
the spring of 1919, they rented thu
lodge room in the present Masonic
building, from School District No.
and in May, 1919, purchased thu
/. building, where they have sine
. made their home.
: This building, originally the Lib
I by public school building, was thel
fitted for lodge purposes, with
| large auditorium and dining room
on the second floor, club room
and the office rooms of the Lincol
, County Abstract Co occupying tn
Y ground floor.
s In 1886, the lodge room was re
!, modelled, and walls and ceiling cel
: otexed. In 1899 the building wa
a reprinted and new room put on.
:. The lodge has had a stead
!. growth and now has a membershi
: of l49, with several candidates VIII
have received a part of the degree
and by the end of the year will bt
come Master Masons.
s Libby Lodge No. IS has been hor
: ored in having one of its charte
: members, Morris D. Rowland, {
e grand master of Masons of the stat
Of Montana and also having bee
v grand commander of the Knigh
: Templer, grand patron of the O
i der of Eastern Star and is now
v grand officer in the Royal Arch M;
d sons, and an officer of the Shrine.
. Present officers of the lodge ar
Donald c. Hargreaves, worshipfl
d master; Merrill E. Tester, senit
Y.~~~~ NJ DJ,,1rf-~J +,