Wyoming Masonry is a railroad and frontier story from the very beginning. The first lodges in Wyoming Territory were chartered out of Colorado, Nebraska, and Utah in the late 1860s as the transcontinental railroad pushed across the territory. Cheyenne, founded as a railroad town in 1867, had Masonic activity almost immediately, with traveling brethren among the engineers, surveyors, and merchants who arrived with the rails. Laramie, Rawlins, and Evanston followed within a few years as the rails advanced westward.

The Grand Lodge of Wyoming was constituted in December 1874 in Laramie, when only six constituent lodges were operating in the entire territory: Cheyenne Lodge No. 1, Wyoming Lodge No. 2, Laramie Lodge No. 3, Evanston Lodge No.

4, and a couple of others. That makes Wyoming's Grand Lodge one of the youngest in the United States, born during the territorial era well before Wyoming achieved statehood in 1890. Early Wyoming Masonry reflected the realities of the frontier: lodge halls were often above stores or in railroad-town hotels, members included cattlemen, soldiers, miners, and territorial officials, and travel between lodges could mean days on horseback in summer or impassable trails in winter. The cattle boom of the late 1870s and 1880s brought waves of new members into ranching communities like Buffalo and Sheridan.

The harsh winter of 1886-1887 and the related collapse of the open-range cattle industry hit Wyoming hard, but Masonry persisted. The Johnson County War of 1892 pitted neighbors against neighbors and even split lodge membership in some communities, though the fraternity itself maintained continuity. The 20th century saw the construction of substantial Masonic temples in Cheyenne, Casper, and Sheridan, and Wyoming Masonry rode the same general arc as the rest of American Masonry: steady growth through the World War II years, a postwar boom, and gradual decline since the 1960s. Today's Grand Lodge of Wyoming is headquartered in Casper and continues a tradition that's now coming up on 150 years of continuous operation in one of the most rugged and sparsely populated jurisdictions in the country.

Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in Wyoming

Cheyenne Lodge No. 1 is the oldest Masonic lodge in Wyoming and was the first lodge chartered in the territory, with origins going back to 1868 under a charter from the Grand Lodge of Colorado. When the Grand Lodge of Wyoming was constituted in 1874, Cheyenne Lodge took the No. 1 designation.

It's met continuously for more than 150 years and counts a long line of Wyoming governors, U.S. senators, and territorial officials among its members. Wyoming Lodge No. 2 in Laramie, also dating to the late 1860s, was the second lodge chartered in the territory and has been continuously active since.

Laramie Lodge No. 3 was a separate body in the same town and remains active today, serving the University of Wyoming community. Evanston Lodge No. 4 in southwestern Wyoming served the railroad and mining communities along the Union Pacific main line through the late 19th century.

Casper Lodge No. 15 in Casper became the most prominent lodge in central Wyoming as that city grew into the state's energy industry hub during the 20th-century oil boom. Rawlins Lodge No. 8 served the railroad town of Rawlins and the surrounding ranching country.

Sheridan Lodge No. 8 in Sheridan and Cody Lodge No. 35 in Cody are notable lodges in the northern part of the state, with Cody Lodge having particular ties to Buffalo Bill himself. Buffalo Lodge No.

22 in Buffalo, in the heart of the Powder River country, has roots dating to the cattle-drive era and a building rich with frontier-era artifacts. Each of these lodges has navigated the unique pressures of operating in one of the most sparsely populated states in the country.

Wyoming Masonic Lodges by the Numbers

The Grand Lodge of Wyoming oversees approximately 40 to 45 active constituent lodges, organized into a small number of districts. Total membership in Wyoming Masonry currently runs in the range of 1,800 to 2,500 Master Masons, making it the smallest Grand Lodge in the United States by raw membership numbers. That smallness is mostly a function of Wyoming itself being the least populous state in the country. Lodge density is highest in Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie, and Sheridan.

Many Wyoming lodges are small, with active rolls of fewer than 100 members, and several rural lodges have struggled with consolidation in recent decades. The Grand Lodge meets annually each August. The Wyoming Masonic Charity Foundation supports scholarships, the Wyoming Masonic Home for Children, and various community programs. Lodge directories and event information are at wyomingmasons.com.

How to Become a Freemason in Wyoming

Joining a Masonic lodge in Wyoming follows the standard American process, with one practical wrinkle: in such a sparsely populated state, your nearest lodge might be a substantial drive away, so plan accordingly. The first step is to find a lodge through wyomingmasons.com. Wyoming, like every U.S. jurisdiction, requires that you ask to join.

After making contact, you'll typically attend a lodge open event or meet members socially before petitioning. Wyoming requires two current Master Masons of the lodge to sign your petition as recommenders. The completed petition is read at a stated communication, and the lodge appoints a three-member investigation committee to interview you. Their report is presented at the next meeting, and the lodge votes by secret ballot.

Initiation fees in Wyoming generally fall between $150 and $300 for the three degrees combined, with annual dues typically between $75 and $150. After being elected to receive the degrees, you'll go through Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason, with proficiency demonstrations between each. Wyoming lodges sometimes coordinate joint degree work given the small membership in many lodges, so you might travel to a neighboring lodge for a particular degree conferral. The pace varies, but most candidates complete all three degrees within six to twelve months.

Notable Wyoming Freemasons in History

Francis E. Warren, the longtime U.S. Senator and former Wyoming territorial and state governor, was a prominent Wyoming Mason and a member of Cheyenne-area lodges. He served four decades in the Senate and was instrumental in much of Wyoming's early federal infrastructure investment, including the irrigation projects that bear his name.

Joseph M. Carey, U.S. Senator, governor, and a key figure in Wyoming statehood, was also a Mason and one of the territorial era's most influential political figures. John B.

Kendrick, U.S. Senator, governor, and a major cattle rancher, was a member of Sheridan Lodge No. 8 and remained an active Mason throughout his political career. William F.

'Buffalo Bill' Cody, the showman and frontier celebrity who founded the town of Cody, was raised in Platte Valley Lodge No. 32 in North Platte, Nebraska, and remained active in Masonic circles throughout his life, with frequent affiliations and visits in Wyoming. Frank Wolcott, the Cheyenne ranching figure tied to the Johnson County War of 1892, was a Mason. Nellie Tayloe Ross, the first female governor in U.S.

history (Wyoming, 1925-1927), was not herself a Mason, but her husband and predecessor in office, William B. Ross, was an active member of Cheyenne Lodge. Curt Gowdy, the legendary sportscaster who was born in Green River, Wyoming, was a 33rd Degree Mason and a frequent ambassador for the fraternity in his later years. Alan K.

Simpson, longtime U.S. Senator from Wyoming, has Masonic family ties, and his father Milward Simpson, a former Wyoming governor and U.S. Senator, was an active Mason in Cody. These figures span the Wyoming territorial and statehood eras and show how thoroughly Masonry was woven into the state's political and civic establishment.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in Wyoming

Prince Hall Masonry in Wyoming has historically been very small, reflecting the state's small Black population, but it has a documented presence going back well over a century. Wyoming's Black community has always been concentrated in a few towns, particularly Cheyenne, where the Union Pacific Railroad and Fort D.A. Russell (later F.E. Warren Air Force Base) brought African American workers and soldiers throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries.

Prince Hall Masonic activity in Wyoming has been documented since the 1880s, generally operating under the jurisdiction of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Colorado or other neighboring Prince Hall jurisdictions rather than maintaining a freestanding Wyoming Prince Hall Grand Lodge of its own. The famous Buffalo Soldier units of the U.S. Army, including portions of the 9th and 10th Cavalry stationed in Wyoming, included a number of Prince Hall Masons, and lodge meetings sometimes accompanied military deployments to the territory. Mainstream-Prince Hall recognition between the Grand Lodge of Wyoming and the relevant neighboring Prince Hall Grand Lodges has been formalized for several decades, with inter-visitation permitted under standard protocols.

Wyoming was relatively early among western states in extending recognition. Notable Wyoming Prince Hall figures have generally been military service members and civic leaders in Cheyenne, including educators, ministers, and railroad-era community organizers. The history is modest in scale but represents a continuous thread in the state's broader Masonic story, and its preservation owes a great deal to historians at the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming State Archives.

Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in Wyoming

Is Wyoming the smallest Grand Lodge in the United States?

Yes, the Grand Lodge of Wyoming is generally the smallest Grand Lodge in the United States by raw membership numbers, with roughly 1,800 to 2,500 Master Masons currently. That reflects Wyoming being the least populous state in the country.

How many Masonic lodges are in Wyoming?

The Grand Lodge of Wyoming oversees approximately 40 to 45 active constituent lodges. Most are concentrated along the southern transcontinental rail corridor and in the northern cities of Sheridan, Cody, and Casper.

What is the oldest Masonic lodge in Wyoming?

Cheyenne Lodge No. 1, with origins going back to 1868 under a Colorado charter, is the oldest Masonic lodge in Wyoming. It was the first lodge in the territory and took the No. 1 designation when the Grand Lodge of Wyoming was constituted in 1874.

When was the Grand Lodge of Wyoming founded?

The Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Wyoming was constituted in December 1874 in Laramie, with six original constituent lodges, well before Wyoming achieved statehood in 1890.

Was Buffalo Bill Cody a Freemason?

Yes. William F. 'Buffalo Bill' Cody was raised in Platte Valley Lodge No. 32 in North Platte, Nebraska, and remained active in Masonic circles throughout his life.

He had affiliations and visits with Wyoming lodges, particularly in the town of Cody, which he founded.