Missouri Masonic Lodges

About Freemasonry in Missouri

A deep look at Masonic history, the oldest lodges, the admission process, and notable Freemasons connected to Missouri.

History of Freemasonry in Missouri

Missouri Freemasonry has one of the deeper histories west of the Mississippi, and it traces back to the very beginning of American territorial expansion. The first lodge in Missouri territory was Saint Louis Lodge No. 111, chartered in 1808 under the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania - five years after the Louisiana Purchase made Saint Louis American territory. The lodge included some of the most prominent figures in early Saint Louis: fur traders, Indian agents, lawyers, and merchants who turned the city into the gateway to the West.

By 1816, Missouri had three lodges operating under different out-of-state grand jurisdictions, and on April 23, 1821 - the same year Missouri achieved statehood - delegates from those lodges met in Saint Louis to organize the Grand Lodge of the State of Missouri. Thomas F. Riddick was elected the first Grand Master. From the start, Missouri Masonry was deeply tied to westward expansion.

Lodges followed the trails: Boonville, Independence, Westport, Saint Joseph, and Kansas City became Masonic outposts on the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails. Lewis and Clark expedition veterans settled in Missouri and joined lodges. By the 1850s, Missouri had hundreds of lodges and was sending Masons west to organize jurisdictions in California, Utah, Nevada, and Oregon. The Civil War nearly tore Missouri Masonry apart - the state was bitterly divided, and lodges contained both Union and Confederate members.

The Grand Lodge famously instructed its lodges to set aside political differences inside the lodge room, and many did, though some halls were used by both armies during the conflict. After the war, Missouri became home to one of the most active Scottish Rite jurisdictions in America, and the Grand Lodge headquarters in Columbia became a hub for Masonic education, charity, and youth programs. Today the Grand Lodge of Missouri oversees roughly 280 lodges and is among the larger jurisdictions in the country.

Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in Missouri

Missouri Lodge No. 1 in Saint Louis is the oldest lodge in the state, descending from the original 1808 charter granted by Pennsylvania to Saint Louis Lodge No. 111. When the Grand Lodge of Missouri was formed in 1821, the lodge was renumbered as No.

1 and has held that distinction ever since. Some of the earliest members included Auguste Chouteau, the co-founder of Saint Louis, and Meriwether Lewis (yes, that Lewis - though his Masonic membership originated in Virginia). Missouri Lodge No. 1 still meets and is one of the most historic lodges west of the Mississippi.

Saint Louis Lodge No. 20, chartered in 1838, and George Washington Lodge No. 9, chartered in 1842, are among the senior lodges in the city. In central Missouri, Cooper Lodge No.

36 in Boonville, chartered in 1842, served Santa Fe Trail traders. Howard Lodge No. 4 in Fayette dates to 1825 and is one of the oldest in the state outside Saint Louis. Joachim Lodge No.

164 in DeSoto and Tipton Lodge No. 56 are also among the senior rural lodges. In the Kansas City area, Heroine Lodge No. 104 dates to the 1850s.

Belton Lodge No. 450 in Belton, Missouri - just south of Kansas City - is famously the lodge where Harry S. Truman was raised in 1909, served as Worshipful Master, and later became Grand Master of Missouri. The Grand Master Hiram Lodge No.

362 in Liberty has hosted multiple Grand Masters. These older lodges often meet in beautiful 19th-century buildings, with original Tracing Boards, charters, and minute books still on display. Missouri lodge buildings, especially in the Bootheel and Ozark regions, often double as the oldest brick structures in their towns.

Missouri Masonic Lodges by the Numbers

The Grand Lodge of Missouri oversees approximately 280 to 290 active lodges with a total membership of around 33,000 to 36,000 Master Masons - making Missouri one of the largest Masonic jurisdictions in the United States. The state's mid-20th-century peak was over 130,000 members. Lodge density is highest in the Saint Louis metro, the Kansas City metro, Springfield, Columbia, Jefferson City, and Joplin. Missouri also has hundreds of small-town lodges in the Ozarks, the Bootheel, and the northern farming counties - many with under 50 members but still meeting regularly.

The Grand Lodge headquarters and Masonic Center are located in Columbia, near the University of Missouri. The Masonic Home of Missouri operates senior care facilities and a charitable foundation that distributes millions annually. The Missouri Lodge of Research, founded in 1941, is one of the most respected research lodges in American Masonry. The Grand Lodge holds its annual communication in late September.

How to Become a Freemason in Missouri

Petitioning a Missouri lodge follows the standard process with a few specifics. You need to be at least 18, believe in a Supreme Being, and be of good moral character. Find a lodge near you using a directory or by attending a public event - many Missouri lodges hold spring fish fries, summer ice cream socials, and fall chili cookoffs that are open to the community. Once you've decided on a lodge, ask for a petition.

Two current Brothers must sign your petition as recommenders. You'll pay an application fee with the petition. An investigation committee of two or three Brothers will then visit you - usually at your home, sometimes with your spouse or partner present. They'll ask about your background, employment, family, and motivations for joining.

After their report, the lodge votes by secret ballot. Missouri lodges follow the traditional unanimous-ballot rule: even a single negative vote can reject the candidate, though it's rare for a properly investigated candidate to be rejected. If accepted, you're scheduled for your Entered Apprentice degree. Missouri requires that candidates demonstrate proficiency in each degree before advancing - meaning you'll be assigned a coach who teaches you portions of the ritual to memorize and recite from memory before the lodge.

The full Three Degrees take roughly four to six months at a typical pace, though some lodges offer faster paths. Initiation fees range from about $200 to $600 across the state, and annual dues are usually $80 to $250.

Notable Missouri Freemasons in History

Harry S. Truman is Missouri's most famous Mason, and his Masonic story is unmatched. Truman was initiated in Belton Lodge No. 450 in 1909, became Worshipful Master of Grandview Lodge No.

618 (which he helped found), and rose to serve as Grand Master of Masons in Missouri in 1940-41 - while sitting as a U.S. Senator. He's the only U.S. President to have served as a sitting Grand Master at the time of his presidential candidacy, and he remained an active Mason throughout his presidency and retirement.

He attended lodge meetings, signed dispensations, and personally raised candidates to the Master Mason degree even after leaving office. Beyond Truman, Missouri claims Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), who was raised in Polar Star Lodge No. 79 in Saint Louis in 1861. General John J.

Pershing, commander of American Expeditionary Forces in World War I, was a member of Lincoln Lodge No. 19 in Lincoln, Nebraska, but lived much of his early life in Missouri. Stuart Symington, U.S. Senator and Air Force Secretary, was a Mason.

Christopher "Kit" Carson, the famous frontiersman, has Missouri connections though his actual lodge membership is disputed. Walt Disney's father Elias Disney was a Mason in Marceline, Missouri, where Walt grew up - some sources mention young Walt's exposure to Masonry through his family. Senator Roy Blunt and former Senator John Danforth have Masonic connections. The list of Missouri Masonic governors, congressmen, judges, and business leaders is extensive enough that the Grand Lodge maintains its own historical roster.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in Missouri

Prince Hall Freemasonry in Missouri is organized under the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Missouri and Its Jurisdiction, headquartered in Saint Louis. The first Prince Hall lodge in Missouri, Widow's Son Lodge No. 1, was chartered in 1865 in Saint Louis - just months after the end of the Civil War, when Missouri's African American community began organizing for the freedoms they had only just gained. The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Missouri was organized in 1866 and is one of the oldest Prince Hall jurisdictions west of the Mississippi.

Throughout Reconstruction and the Jim Crow era, Prince Hall lodges in Saint Louis, Kansas City, Sedalia, Saint Joseph, and Jefferson City served as critical institutions for African American men seeking fraternal connection, mutual aid, and a space for civic organizing. The Saint Louis Prince Hall scene was particularly active and produced ministers, doctors, lawyers, and politicians who shaped Black Saint Louis from Reconstruction through the modern civil rights era. Notable Prince Hall Masons in Missouri history include Homer G. Phillips, the lawyer and civic leader for whom the famous Black hospital in Saint Louis was named, and a number of African American Missouri legislators and ministers.

The mainstream Grand Lodge of Missouri and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Missouri have had ongoing conversations about formal mutual recognition; visit the official Prince Hall Grand Lodge website for current information about lodges, leadership, and recognition status. Prince Hall affiliated organizations - the Eastern Star, Heroines of Jericho, and youth groups - remain active throughout the state.

Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in Missouri

Sources & Further Reading

• https://momason.org/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Lodge_of_Missouri
• https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/
• https://www.mophgl.org/