Montana Masonic Lodges

About Freemasonry in Montana

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

History of Freemasonry in Montana

Montana Freemasonry was forged - literally - in mining camps and cattle towns where men needed fraternal bonds about as badly as they needed sturdy boots. The first Masonic gathering in what is now Montana took place in Bannack in 1862, when three Master Masons buried a Brother who had died on the wagon trail. They had no charter, no warrant, no lodge - just three Masons performing the burial rites their oaths required. That informal gathering is often cited as the seed of Montana Masonry.

The first chartered lodge was Montana Lodge No. 9, chartered in 1863 in Bannack under the Grand Lodge of Nebraska (Nebraska being the closest organized jurisdiction at the time). Within months, lodges were also active in Virginia City - the gold-rush boomtown that briefly served as territorial capital - and Helena, the silver-and-gold town that would later become the state capital. By 1866, three lodges (No.

9 Montana, No. 43 Virginia City, and No. 10 Helena) had been chartered under various out-of-state jurisdictions, and on January 24, 1866, delegates met in Virginia City to form the Grand Lodge of Montana Territory. John J.

Hull was elected the first Grand Master. Montana Masonry developed alongside the territory's wild frontier era - vigilance committees, road agents, the Battle of the Little Bighorn, copper kings, and homesteaders. Many of the figures from Montana's Wild West chapters were Masons, including some of the men of the Vigilantes of Montana who hanged Sheriff Henry Plummer in 1864. The Grand Lodge of Montana grew with the territory and continued growing after Montana became a state in 1889.

The fraternity reached its peak in the mid-20th century with over 20,000 members and has slowly contracted since. The Grand Lodge headquarters today is in Helena.

Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in Montana

Montana Lodge No. 2 in Virginia City carries one of the most fascinating histories in American Masonry. Originally chartered as Virginia City Lodge No. 43 by Kansas in 1864, it was renumbered as Montana Lodge No.

2 when the Grand Lodge of Montana formed in 1866. Virginia City was the heart of the Alder Gulch gold rush, and the lodge counted among its members judges, miners, and even some of the famous Montana Vigilantes who brought rough-and-ready order to the territory. Montana Lodge No. 1 in Bannack, named for the original 1862 burial, is the senior lodge and one of the oldest active lodges in the Rocky Mountain West.

Helena Lodge No. 3, chartered in 1865, served the silver and gold camps that grew into Montana's capital city; the lodge has met continuously and occupies a historic building in downtown Helena. Bozeman Lodge No. 18 dates to 1872 and became one of the most prominent lodges in the Gallatin Valley.

Butte Lodge No. 22, chartered 1877, grew enormously during the copper-king era when Butte was one of the wealthiest cities in the West. Anaconda Lodge No. 30, Missoula Lodge No.

13, Great Falls Lodge No. 118, and Billings Lodge No. 113 are all among the senior lodges still active. Many of these older Montana lodges meet in beautiful Romanesque or Italianate Masonic buildings - the Helena Masonic Temple, the Butte Masonic Temple, and the Bozeman Masonic Lodge are striking pieces of Western architecture, often featuring Tiffany glass, hand-carved woodwork, and original 19th-century furniture.

The Virginia City Masonic Hall is perhaps the oldest continuously used Masonic hall in the Rocky Mountain West.

Montana Masonic Lodges by the Numbers

The Grand Lodge of Montana currently oversees approximately 110 to 120 active lodges with around 4,500 to 5,500 Master Masons - down from a peak of around 21,000 members in 1958. Montana has one of the lower total memberships of any state Grand Lodge but a comparatively high member-to-population ratio given the state's small overall population. Lodge density is highest in Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, Bozeman, Helena, Butte, and Kalispell. Many small ranching and mining towns - including Big Timber, Lewistown, Glasgow, Glendive, Havre, and Miles City - still have active lodges, sometimes meeting in century-old buildings.

The Grand Lodge holds its annual communication in June in Helena. Montana's Masonic charities include scholarship programs and donations to the Shriners Hospitals, and the Grand Lodge supports youth groups including DeMolay, Job's Daughters, and Rainbow for Girls. Montana also has Scottish Rite Valleys in Helena, Great Falls, and Billings, and active York Rite bodies throughout the state.

How to Become a Freemason in Montana

Joining a Montana lodge means navigating the same basic steps as anywhere else, with some local flavor. You'll need to be at least 18 years old, believe in a Supreme Being, and be of good character. Step one: find a lodge. Montana is a big state with sparse population, so the nearest lodge might be 30 or 100 miles away.

Use LodgeFinder or check the Grand Lodge of Montana website for a list. Reach out to a Brother - many lodges welcome you to attend a public dinner or community event so you can meet members. Once you decide to petition, two current Brothers must recommend and sign your petition. You'll submit it with the application fee.

An investigation committee of two or three Brothers will visit you, usually at home, to learn about your background, family, work, and motivations. They report to the lodge, and the lodge votes by secret ballot. Once accepted, you'll be scheduled for your Entered Apprentice degree, which is the first of three. Montana lodges generally require proficiency demonstrations between degrees - you'll memorize portions of the ritual and demonstrate them before the lodge.

The Three Degrees usually take three to six months. In remote ranching counties, lodges sometimes confer multiple degrees in a weekend to accommodate members traveling long distances. Initiation fees range from about $150 to $400, and annual dues vary from $50 to $200 depending on the lodge.

Notable Montana Freemasons in History

Montana's Masonic ranks include some of the most colorful figures of the American West. Wilbur Fisk Sanders, the prosecutor of Montana's Vigilantes era, U.S. Senator, and one of the founders of the Montana Historical Society, was a prominent Mason. Granville Stuart, cattle king, vigilante leader, and Montana pioneer, was a Mason.

Marcus Daly, one of the famous Copper Kings of Butte, was reportedly a Mason - though some sources contest specifics, his Masonic affiliations in Butte's Anaconda Lodge are documented in some accounts. Sam Hauser, territorial governor and businessman, was a Mason. Joseph K. Toole, Montana's first state governor, was a Mason.

Senator Mike Mansfield, the longest-serving Senate Majority Leader in U.S. history (1961-1977) and ambassador to Japan, has been claimed as a Mason in some sources though specifics are not always confirmed. General Pershing, while not from Montana, served at posts in the state and interacted with Montana Masonry. Charlie Russell, the legendary cowboy artist who lived in Great Falls, had Masonic friends and connections though he himself was not a Mason.

Montana Senator Burton K. Wheeler, famous for his isolationist stand and progressive reforms, was a Mason. The Grand Lodge of Montana counts among its alumni multiple territorial and state governors, U.S. Senators and Representatives, mayors of Butte and Helena, and a long roster of judges, sheriffs, and military officers who shaped the territory.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in Montana

Prince Hall Freemasonry has had a smaller but meaningful presence in Montana, where the African American population has historically been concentrated in railroad towns, military bases, and a few key cities. Montana does not have its own independent Prince Hall Grand Lodge; instead, Prince Hall lodges in Montana have historically been chartered under the jurisdiction of neighboring Prince Hall Grand Lodges - typically the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Washington (which has long held jurisdiction over several Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain states). Prince Hall lodges have existed in Helena, Great Falls (where Malmstrom Air Force Base brought significant Black military families), and Billings. Membership is small in absolute terms but the lodges have provided the same fraternal, charitable, and community functions Prince Hall Masonry provides everywhere - especially valuable in a state where the African American community is geographically dispersed.

The Grand Lodge of Montana A.F. & A.M. and Prince Hall jurisdictions covering Montana have engaged in mutual recognition discussions over the years; the Grand Lodge of Montana extended formal recognition to Prince Hall jurisdictions in 2007, allowing for inter-visitation and fellowship. For specific information about Prince Hall lodges currently meeting in Montana and their parent jurisdiction, contact the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Washington or the Grand Lodge of Montana directly.

Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in Montana

Sources & Further Reading

• https://grandlodgemontana.org/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Lodge_of_Montana
• https://montanamasonicfoundation.org/
• https://mwphgl-wa.org/