Page 35 - Jan Feb 2022 Mag. Base.indd

Obed F. Strickland, Senior Deacon; J. K. Sutterly, The eighth Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge
Junior Deacon; H. Ruben, Tyler; Felix Rheinbold, Elias of Montana was held on October 7, 1872, at Helena; it
B. Zabriskie, Samuel Davis, Louis Englar, John Meeks, was noted that Wasatch Lodge No 8 had surrendered its
(illegible) Gardner, Louis Goldstein, Henry Myers, a total Charter from the Grand Lodge of Montana to form the
of sixteen. Wasatch Lodge U. D. held its fi rst meeting on Grand Lodge of Utah.
November 30, 1866.

Brother Robertson attended the Third Annual Secretary's Offi ce, Wasatch Lodge No. 1
Communication of the Grand Lodge of Montana, Salt Lake City, March 12, 1872, A.L. 5872
October 7-12, 1867, in Virginia City. He returned to Salt
Lake with the Charter for Wasatch Lodge No.8, under At the regular communication of Wasatch Lodge No. 1,
the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Montana. The held at their hall in this city, March 8, 1872, A.L. 5872, the
fi rst meeting of Wasatch Lodge 8 under the Charter took following resolution were unanimously adopted:
place on November 4, 1867; A. H. Robertson was the
fi rst Worshipful Master from November 30, 1866, until WHEREAS, The several Lodges located in the Territory of
December 10, 1869. He was elected Worshipful Master Utah, including this Lodge, have combined in the formation
again in December 1870. of a Grand Lodge to be known as the Most Worshipful
Grand Lodge of Utah, and as heretofore this Lodge has
The annual proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Montana worked under a charter from the Most Worshipful Grand
for 1868 show little information on the activities of Lodge of Montana; Therefore, be it
Wasatch Lodge No. 8 in their fi rst year as a Lodge.
Petitions for degrees were being received at every Resolved, That we surrender, and we hereby surrender
regular meeting. to the Worshipful Grand Lodge of Montana it Charter,
fraternally granted to us on the seventh day of October,
In 1869, the Grand Lodge met at Helena. There was A.L. 5867; Be it further
no mention in the minutes that Wasatch Lodge was
represented; the Grand Secretary of Montana named Resolved, That we hereby tender to the M.W. Grand Lodge
Wasatch among those Lodges that had complied and of Montana our hearty and sincere thanks for the great
provided an annual return that reported that the Lodge Masonic favor conferred on us, by the granting of the
had forty-two members. aforesaid Charter, as well as for its fraternal protection
and fostering care, during the time we have worked and
The Grand Lodge of Montana met in Virginia City on enjoyed the inestimable benefi ts, privileges and pleasures
October 31, 1870; the Grand Secretary reported that of Freemasonry under its jurisdiction; Be it further
the membership of Wasatch Lodge No 8 had dropped
from 42 to 33 Master Masons. No report was fi led with Resolved, that we hereby request the M.W. Grand Lodge of
the Grand Lodge of Montana for Wasatch Lodge No.8 Montana, if consistent with its laws, rules and regulations,
in 1871. to return to this Lodge the Charter now surrendered, after
it shall have been abrogated as surrendered, that it may be
Mt. Moriah Lodge and Wasatch Lodge assisted in placed among the archives of this Lodge, as a memento of
forming a third Lodge in Great Salt Lake City, to be our fraternal and most profi table Masonic relationship to
known as Argenta Lodge; the request was granted for said Worshipful Grand Lodge; Be it further
Argenta No 21 under Charter from the Grand Lodge of
Colorado. Resolved, that the W.M. and Secretary of this Lodge be,
and are hereby, instructed to forward to the M.W. Grand
On January 16, 1872, according to a previous agreement, Lodge of Montana, with aid Charter, a copy of these
the Masters and Wardens of the three Utah Lodges met resolutions, under the seal of this Lodge.
in convention to organize a Grand Lodge for the territory
of Utah. These three Lodges, all located in Salt Lake City
were, Wasatch Lodge No. 8 (Chartered by the Grand
Lodge of Montana), Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 70 (Chartered
by the Grand Lodge of Kansas), and Argenta Lodge №
21 (Chartered by the Grand Lodge of Colorado).

When the Utah Grand Lodge was organized in
January 1872, Brother Robertson was appointed
Grand Lecturer. In October 1872, Brother Obed F
Strickland was elected Grand Master of Masons in Utah
during the fi rst Annual Communication, and Brother
R. H. Robertson was elected Deputy Grand Master. Reid Gardiner, Grand Secretary Emeritus

Montana Freemason Page 35 Jan/Feb 2022 Volume 98 No.1