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never used that name. As far as it has been determined of Montana’s Chinese era, the failure of the community
the name was not used before the 1880s, whether in the was due to racism, discriminatory laws, immigration
Americas or the Pacifi c. The name fi rst appeared more laws, boycotts, as well as the shortage of Chinese female
than a quarter-century after the Hongmen is known to have emigrants in western America. By the 1940s, most of
reached California. By the late 1880s, the Chee Kung Tong the Chinese living in Montana had left, taking with them
claimed to have branches in 390 places in North and South associations such as the Chee Kung Tong that provided
America. A least some branches seem to have preferred the support and protection to their members.
older name, continuing to call themselves only Chinese
Masons, Hongmen, or Yee Hing Uey (Pinyin: Yixinghui) The Gift from Alice Otten and her Family
until the 1890s or, in the case of New York, even later. The
English language press fi rst noticed the Chee Kung Tong Alice Ayers Schmidt Otten left these important histori-
in Victoria in 1888, Indianapolis in 1890, Chicago in 1891, cal artifacts to the Montana Masonic Museum. In discus-
Sacramento in 1892, Pittsburgh in 1895, and fi nally New sion with her, Alice asked that the items be appropriate-
York in 1901. ly displayed and with the recognition that the items were
presented by her in memory of her father W. Brother Fred
The Chinese Masonic Society Changes Its Name Ayers who was raised In Oklahoma No. 4, Atoka, OK on
A name change took place; one theory is that the leaders of 01/13/1906. In 1909 he affi liated with Estancia No. 33 of
the Hongmen felt it needed a new image. As also happened the Grand Lodge of New Mexico. Her brothers Fred and
in Southeast Asia, the Hongmen in California soon began to Edgar Ayers were also Masons.
spin off smaller secret societies. These often used Hongmen
rituals and considered themselves to be, in part at least, its
heirs. Unfortunately, certain of these derivative societies
soon turned to crime. Like the Triad societies of East
and Southeast Asia, which the American spinoff s closely
resembled, they lived by extorting protection money from
gambling houses, brothels, and legitimate businesses. They
also fought fi ercely for control of those revenue sources.
Later, the white press would call these quasi-criminal
organizations, “tongs,” and their disputes over turf, “tong
wars.” The bad reputation earned by such spinoff s must have Double dragon motif brass candelabra from the Chinese
infl uenced the Hongmen’s decision to change its name, not Masonic Lodge in Helena. Photo courtesy of the Montana
once but twice. The fi rst change was to “Chinese Masons.” Masonic Foundation, Inc.
This had the eff ect of underlining an idea advanced by
Western scholars, that the Hong Men might share a common
origin with European and American Masons and that it
was not only equally old but also, although secret, equally 1. Chinese Masonic Altar Cloth, Montana Masonic Museum, he
public-spirited and opposed to crime. Montana Masonic Foundation, Inc. Helena, Montana.

One of the earliest mentions of Chinese Masons in 2. Chinese in Northwest America Research Committee (CINARC).
English language media was in 1878, in Sacramento. Ten http://www.cinarc.org/Freemasons.html#anchor_294
years afterward, organizations calling themselves Chinese 3. Baird, Kennon, "Helena As She Was", www.helenahistory.org
Masons existed in most North American Chinatowns. The
second change was to “Chee Kung Tong.” This took place 4. Photos, archives of the Montana Masonic Foundation, Inc.
in the early 1880s. The fi rst mention of an organization with Helena, Montana.
that name date to 1882 in both the U.S. and Canada. In that 5. Miller, Robert E., "The Hands of the Workmen", Grand Lodge
year, a reporter in Los Angeles described a San Francisco of Montana AF&AM, Helena, Montana, 1966.
secret society called the Chee Kung Tong, stating that it
had a temple and membership certifi cates written on linen 6. Baumler, Ellen, "Forgotten Pioneers The Chinese in Montana",
or silk. The Magazine of Western History, Summer 2015, Montana
Historical Society. And at the following:
Contributions to Montana "http://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/search?q=Chinese+Altar"
7. Merritt, Christopher William,"The Coming Man From Canton"
The Chinese immigrants who came to Montana during Chinese Experience in Montana (1862-1943)" (2010).Graduate
the 19th and 20th centuries forged a new community and Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 5. https://
contributed to the rich history and success of fl edgling scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/5
towns such as Helena and to Montana. Archaeologists Special thanks to Alice Ayers Schmidt Otten for the gift of these
and historians have studied the Chinese in Montana for a historic items and for the information she provide about them.
little over two decades, though nothing comprehensive has
ever been produced. The Chinese contributed much to the This article has been updated from its fi rst printing in the
development of Montana, in placer mining, and largely Montana Masonic News, December 2010.
in the building of the Northern Pacifi c Railroad, which
opened the state up to further development. Little remains
Volume 94 Number 6 Montana Freemason Page 17