Page 7 - August 2018

The Hands of the Workmen

Reid Gardiner, R.W. Past Grand Secretary, Editor

Henry Lupin Frank Note: The Jewish Grand Masters of the Grand
40th Grand Master Lodge of Montana included: Sol Starr, Moses

Henry L. Frank was born in Ironton, Ohio, Morris, Sol Hepner and Henry L. Frank.
July 5, 1851. He was educated in Ironton’s
public schools and obtained his mercantile Notes from the Archives - by John Hughes,
knowledge by working in his father's store. Archivist at the Butte-Silver Bow Archives.
After leaving home, he spent two years in Prior to 1893, the mayor of Butte was elected
Colorado and New Mexico and then moved to to a one-year term. Although three mayors were
Butte in 1877. Henry Frank was a prominent elected to more than one consecutive term until
early Jewish businessman he became the Lewis Duncan in 1913. The strange thing about
owner of a log cabin saloon, later he engaged the lists of Butte mayors published over the
in the retail and wholesale liquor business in years is that the year 1886-87 is unaccountably
Butte. Brother Frank founded the Butte Water missing. A check back through the city records
Company and the Silver Bow Electric Company. He shows that H. L. Frank, who had been elected in
owned the Southern Cross gold mine. Henry Frank was 1885, was still signing city ordinances through April 1887.
on the Executive Board of the Montana School of Mines. Thus Frank is the "phantom" mayor of 1886-87, and he is
He served as mayor from 1885-87 and served two terms also the fi rst man elected to the offi ce twice in succession.
in the Montana Legislature 1889-1891. In 1886, Henry
Frank was the chosen as a Presidential Elector of the In 1900, Henry Frank and Sam Gebo formed the
Democratic National Convention. Henry Frank was also Canadian American Coal and Coke Company. In 1901.
appointed a Commissioner for the State of Montana at the Frank and Gebo developed the fi rst of many coal mines
Pan-American exposition, in Buff alo, New York. He fi lled in the Crowsnest Pass, around Turtle Mountain in Alberta,
the same role at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition also Canada. In May that year, the fi rst buildings were erected
known as the St Louis World’s Fair, in 1903. Bro. Frank in the new community of Frank, located on fl at land
was interested in mines in Montana, Idaho, and Alberta between the Canadian Pacifi c Railway tracks and the mine.
which added materially to his wealth. He was the founder Frank became the fi rst incorporated village in the Pass
of the town of Frank, Alberta, Canada. He as liberal in his and by 1903 and served 1000 people. A mountain slide in
giving and very enterprising, he had many friends and was destroyed much of the mines infrastructure, several rural
popular wherever known. businesses, and some homes. However a period of decline
soon followed, fears of a second slide led to a government-
Brother Frank received his degrees in Livingston Lodge ordered closure of the south townsite in 1911. By 1905
No. 32 where he was raised to the sublime degree of Master Frank is a quiet residential community of about 200 people.
Mason on February 19th, 1874. He helped form Silver Bow It was formerly incorporated as a village prior to 1979 when
Lodge U.D., and served as the fi rst Master of Silver Bow it amalgamated with four other municipalities to form the
Lodge No. 48. His administration was most creditable to community of Crowsnest Pass.
himself and valuable to the Grand Lodge. He visited all
the Lodges at his own expense, for which he received a
special vote of thanks. He
was a member of the York Brother Gebo received his degrees in St. Thomas Lodge
Rite; Scottish Rite and was No. 54 in Washington State. He helped form Star In The
Sovereign Grand Inspector West Lodge U.D., and was a member of Star In The West
General 33; and a member Lodge No. 40 in Red Lodge where he served as Treasurer
of the Shrine. He also in 1892.
belonged to the Knights of
Pythias and Elks. Note: Between 1895 and 1897, Sam Gebo’s Clarks Fork
Coal Company developed the Gebo Mine near present
MWPGM Henry Frank day Fromberg (originally named Gebo) in Carbon County,
died at the age of 57 on Montana). Gebo also developed the Spring Creek Mine
August 17, 1908, while in near Lewistown, Montana and the Owl Creek Coal Mine
Cincinnati, Ohio. He was in Gebo, Wyoming. In 1910 Gebo purchased the Citizens’
buried at the Walnut Hills Electric Company and the Spring Creek Power and Electric
United Jewish Cemetery Company and later merged them with the Lewistown Coal,
Evanston, Ohio. Gas and Light Company.

Volume 94 Number 6 Montana Freemason Page 7