North Dakota Masonry is younger than the eastern jurisdictions for an obvious reason: there wasn't much non-Indigenous settlement on the northern plains until the railroads arrived. Once the Northern Pacific pushed across Dakota Territory in the 1870s, lodges followed almost immediately. Shiloh Lodge in Pembina is generally credited as the first Masonic lodge to operate in what is now North Dakota, with meetings going back to the early 1870s under a dispensation from Minnesota. Other early lodges chartered under Minnesota or Dakota Territory authority include Bismarck Lodge, Fargo Lodge, and Acacia Lodge in Grand Forks.

When Dakota Territory was split and the new states of North and South Dakota entered the Union on the same day in November 1889, the Masonic brothers up north faced a choice. Stay under the existing Grand Lodge of Dakota? Or organize their own jurisdiction? They chose the latter.

On June 11, 1889, delegates from 35 lodges met in Mitchell to form the Grand Lodge of South Dakota and, in a separate parallel motion, the Grand Lodge of North Dakota was constituted on June 12, 1889 in Fargo. Frank J. Thompson, a prominent Fargo attorney, was elected the first Grand Master. The early years were the boom years.

Wheat farming, railroad expansion, and immigration from Scandinavia, Germany, and Eastern Europe filled North Dakota with new residents, many of whom joined the Craft as a way to plug into community life. Membership climbed steadily through the 1920s. The Great Depression and rural depopulation hit hard, but the fraternity hung on. The state's farming culture and tight-knit small towns kept lodges meeting even when the membership thinned out.

Today the Grand Lodge of North Dakota is headquartered in Bismarck and remains one of the smaller but most cohesive Masonic jurisdictions in the country.

Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in North Dakota

Pembina, in the far northeast corner of the state on the Canadian border, is where North Dakota Masonic history begins. Shiloh Lodge No. 1 traces its working back to 1872 under a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Minnesota. The town of Pembina was the oldest non-Indigenous settlement in what became North Dakota, originally a Hudson's Bay Company outpost, and the lodge reflected that frontier mix of fur traders, soldiers, and railroaders.

When the Grand Lodge of North Dakota was chartered in 1889, Shiloh became Lodge No. 1 on the new register. Bismarck Lodge No. 5 in the state capital was chartered in 1873 under Dakota Territory authority and renumbered when the new Grand Lodge formed.

Fargo Lodge No. 4 was chartered in 1873 as well, in what was then a brand new railroad town on the Red River. Acacia Lodge No. 8 in Grand Forks dates to the late 1870s.

Bismarck and Fargo lodges grew quickly as both cities became commercial hubs, and they remain among the largest in the state today. Other significant early lodges include Casselton Lodge No. 12, Jamestown Lodge No. 9, and Cass Lodge in West Fargo.

The Mandan area's Heart River Lodge No. 28 became important as a meeting place for railroad workers and ranchers along the Missouri. Many of these original lodge buildings are still standing, often the most architecturally impressive structures in their small towns, with the square and compasses still visible above the front door. A surprising number of North Dakota's century-old country lodges continue to meet, even as their host towns shrink, by sharing buildings or merging while preserving the older lodge name and number.

North Dakota Masonic Lodges by the Numbers

North Dakota is one of the smallest Grand Lodges in the United States by membership. Recent reports show roughly 3,000 to 3,500 active master Masons across about 60 chartered lodges, down from a 20th-century peak of over 16,000 members in the 1950s. The state's population is small to begin with, just under 800,000 people, and rural depopulation has thinned out lodges in the central and western counties. Lodges in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, and Minot make up a meaningful share of the state's total membership, while many country lodges have 15 to 30 members each.

The Grand Lodge headquarters is in Bismarck, and the annual communication moves between Bismarck and Fargo. Despite its size, North Dakota Masonry punches above its weight in charity, with the Grand Lodge supporting scholarships at North Dakota State University, the University of North Dakota, and other state schools, plus contributions to the North Dakota Masonic Foundation, which funds youth programs and disaster relief.

How to Become a Freemason in North Dakota

Joining a North Dakota lodge is a friendly, low-pressure process, partly because the state is small enough that word of mouth still drives most candidates to the door. To petition, a man must be at least 18 years old, of good character, professing belief in a Supreme Being, and a resident of North Dakota or a nearby jurisdiction with permission. The first move is to find a lodge. Given how spread out the state is, this might mean driving 30 or 60 miles to the nearest active lodge.

The Grand Lodge of North Dakota website maintains a list. Most lodges hold an open dinner once a month and welcome anyone curious about the fraternity. After you meet a few brothers, you can request a petition. The petition needs two members in good standing as recommenders.

Petition fees in North Dakota are modest by national standards, typically 100 to 200 dollars, and that often includes the first year's dues. After the petition is read, an investigation committee meets with the candidate, usually at his home or over coffee, to talk about expectations on both sides. The lodge votes by secret ballot. If the vote is favorable, the degrees can be scheduled.

North Dakota confers the standard three degrees: Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. Candidates are expected to learn a basic catechism between each degree, with help from a coach. The full process usually takes four to nine months, though smaller country lodges sometimes do all three in a single weekend at a special communication.

Notable North Dakota Freemasons in History

For a small jurisdiction, North Dakota has produced or hosted a respectable lineup of Masonic public figures. Lynn Frazier, the state's 12th governor and later a U.S. Senator, was a Mason. So was William Langer, governor and senator, whose colorful career included being removed from office and reelected.

Both men were members of lodges in the central part of the state. Frank J. Thompson, the first Grand Master, was a leading attorney and civic figure in Fargo. Lawrence Welk, the bandleader famous for The Lawrence Welk Show, grew up in Strasburg, North Dakota in a German Russian community, and while his Masonic affiliation is sometimes debated, several sources list him as a Mason later in life through a California lodge after his career took off.

Roger Maris, the New York Yankees outfielder who hit 61 home runs in 1961, was raised in Fargo, though his Masonic membership is not confirmed in public records. North Dakota can also claim astronaut James Buchli, who flew four Space Shuttle missions, as a native son who maintained ties to the state's lodges. Several Past Grand Masters have served as state legislators, judges, and university presidents over the decades. The pattern in North Dakota tends to be community-based rather than nationally famous: Masons who served as small-town mayors, school board chairs, and church deacons, the connective tissue of prairie life.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in North Dakota

Prince Hall Freemasonry has a thinner footprint in North Dakota than in most states, simply because the state's African American population has historically been very small. There is no separate Prince Hall Grand Lodge of North Dakota. Instead, the few Prince Hall lodges that have operated in the state, primarily near military bases like Minot Air Force Base and Grand Forks Air Force Base, have done so under the jurisdiction of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Minnesota or other neighboring Grand Lodges. Mutual recognition between the Grand Lodge of North Dakota and Prince Hall Grand Lodges in the region has been in place for many years, and brothers from both traditions can visit each other's lodges.

While the numbers are modest, the principle has been consistent: any Mason in good standing in a recognized Prince Hall jurisdiction is welcome to visit a North Dakota lodge, and vice versa. As military communities have shifted and air force missions have changed over the decades, Prince Hall presence in the state has waxed and waned. Brothers who relocate to North Dakota and want to maintain Prince Hall membership often retain their home lodge affiliation while visiting locally. The Grand Lodge of North Dakota's recognition of Prince Hall is part of a broader trend among Northern and Western Grand Lodges, most of which extended recognition during the 1990s and early 2000s.

Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in North Dakota

When was the Grand Lodge of North Dakota founded?

The Grand Lodge of North Dakota was constituted on June 12, 1889 in Fargo, the same week North Dakota was admitted to the Union. Lodges had operated in the territory under Minnesota and Dakota Territory dispensations since the 1870s.

How many Masonic lodges are there in North Dakota?

There are approximately 60 chartered lodges across North Dakota, with active membership around 3,000 to 3,500 master Masons. The largest concentrations are in Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, and Minot.

Where is the oldest lodge in North Dakota?

Shiloh Lodge No. 1 in Pembina, near the Canadian border, is the oldest. It traces its working back to 1872 under the Grand Lodge of Minnesota and became No. 1 on the North Dakota register when the Grand Lodge formed in 1889.

How much does it cost to join a North Dakota lodge?

Petition fees in North Dakota are usually 100 to 200 dollars and often include the first year of dues. Annual dues afterward typically run 50 to 100 dollars per year. Country lodges tend to be on the lower end of that range.

Is there a Prince Hall Grand Lodge in North Dakota?

There is no separate Prince Hall Grand Lodge of North Dakota. Prince Hall lodges in the state operate under neighboring jurisdictions, primarily the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Minnesota. The mainstream Grand Lodge recognizes Prince Hall and permits visitation.