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Ruben Howard Robertson
MWPGM-Utah 1873

Ruben Howard Robertson (1836- could be established. His knowledge
1879) was born on September 30, of Masonry and being a Past Master
1836 in Burlington Iowa. He attended helped him locate masons at Salt Lake
Madison University in New York. and Camp Douglas. On October 22,
Brother Robertson was made a Mason 1866, they petitioned the Grand Lodge
in Bellair Lodge, No. 133, Numa, of Montana for a dispensation to form
Appanoose County, Iowa, in 1858. He Wasatch Lodge U. D., at Salt Lake City.
dimitted from the Lodge in 1860, and In September 1867, Brother Robertson
went to Arkansas to practice law. In went to Montana to attend their
1863 he emigrated to Montana to seek Annual Communication. He returned
his fortune in mining, but not meeting to Salt Lake with the Dispensation to
with satisfactory success, opened a law offi ce in the form Wasatch Lodge Under Dispensation (U. D.) The
town of Nevada city he was one of the fi rst attorneys fi rst Lodge meeting under dispensation was held on
admitted to practice law in the Montana Territory. November 30, 1866.
Brother Strickland and R.H.Robertson established a law
practice there under the name Strickland & Robertson. In September of 1867, Brother Robertson again traveled
Ruben Robertson was elected county Judge of Madison to Montana to attend their Annual Communication; he
County. returned with the Charter for Wasatch Lodge No.8 under
the jurisdiction of Montana dated October 7, 1867. The
He participated in the formation of Nevada Lodge No fi rst meeting of the lodge under Charter was November
4 at Nevada City, Montana Territory, and served as its 4, 1867. Brother R. H. Robertson was the fi rst Worshipful
fi rst Worshipful Master (Nevada City No 4 surrendered Master from November 30th, 1866, until December 10th,
its Charter in 1888). Brother Robertson served as the 1869. In December 1870, he was again elected Master.
Installing Marshal during the fi rst Grand Lodge of
Montana session in January 1866. Robertson had been On completion of his term as Most Worshipful Grand
appointed Senior Grand Deacon of the Grand Lodge of Master, in November 1873, MW Past Grand Master
Montana on October 11, 1866. Robertson was appointed Chairman of the Committee
on Jurisprudence, a position he held until his death.
In June, 1866, he moved to Salt Lake City to reside Brother R. H. Robertson died on January 4, 1879 at Salt
and practice his profession where he became one of the Lake City. He was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Salt
most prominent lawyers. Upon arrival in Salt Lake City, Lake City, Utah.
he discovered that a Masonic Lodge was operating there.
Brother Robertson was of the opinion that another Lodge

Montana Freemason Page 36 Jan/Feb 2022 Volume 98 No.1