Masons in the Old West
October 10, 2007
In recent years, since the publication of Dan Brown’s book, Da Vinci Code, Masonry, also called Freemasonry or the Masons) is a fraternal organization that has become unduly associated in the minds of some people, with secret or even occult practices.
Except for one year as a Rainbow Girl, back in 1960, I personally have had no association with the Masons or any related organization. However, I do know that the “secrets” involved in it had to do with the betterment of self and society. The Masons, Eastern Star, Odd Fellows and other Masonic organizations have been extremely valuable additions to American society. There are over two million Masons in the United States and they provide charitable monies and work to many projects. Even more important, they provide a way for people to improve themselves and the world they live in. “The mission of Freemasonry is to promote a way of life that binds like minded men in a worldwide brotherhood that transcends all religious, ethnic, cultural, social and educational differences; by teaching the great principles of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth: and, by the outward expression of these, through its fellowship, its compassion and its concern, to find ways in which to serve God, family, country, neighbors and self.”
Anyone in the Masons would know that if I was a Rainbow Girl, I probably had a relative in the Masons, and this would be true. My great grandfather joined the Masons in Provo, Utah in 1872, and was active all his life. He joined the Masons for the same reasons others did–because it was the main social and charitable organization (outside of churches) in the mining camps in the West. When they moved from Provo to the Tintic Mining District he organized another lodge there.
The Masonic Order is a fraternal organization that dates back several centuries and had its origins in the construction guilds of Europe. Building tools like those used by medieval stonemasons are evident in its symbols. The Masons are organized into Lodges and once a man is a member, he is recognized as a brother anywhere in the world. Membership in the Masons requires a belief in certain ideals, including charity, equality, morality and service to God, although it is not a religious organization. Members take part in elaborate secret ceremonies, which has led outsiders to speculate on their motives and intentions. However, this is part of the attraction of the organization. Masonry as we know it developed in England and Scotland throughout the 17th-19th centuries. The grand Lodge of England was united in 1717, and lodges quickly spread throughout the British Isles. Many of the American founding fathers, like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, were Masons, hence the symbolism on the American seal and dollar. Besides the Masons, there are a number of somewhat affiliated organizations such as the Odd Fellows, Eastern Star, Foresters, DeMolay and others.
The symbols and rites in Masonry are most important because they point the individual toward the spiritual realm where the ideal life is conceived. They may be couched in secrecy, but to the individual member, as part of a like-minded group, they assist in the positive development of the whole person.
According to University of Exeter history professor Roger Burt, who has studied the influence of Masonry on the mining industry, the Masons were not elitist. Members included foreigners and blue collar members, not necessarily rich, although some were. Its emphasis on equality was a factor in the movement of laborers into the middle class. Men could move up in society if they were a part of the Masons. This was a way to network with others in your business, to get a job, or have a social life. Although it started with the construction guilds, Masonry eventually accepted other professions, such as miners, as members. Mining communities in England were cemented together through membership in the masons. Every town had Masons, Odd Fellows or Foresters. Members received a certificate that granted you access to all the benefits wherever you might go. When the Cousin Jacks (miners) from Cornwall immigrated to the United States, they immediately found a lodge to join. Moving to Nogales in 1898, A.H. Noon joined the lodge there, although there was not one in Oro Blanco or Arivaca. To the pioneers, the Masons provided respectability, support, spiritual fulfillment, fellowship, ritual, social stability, insurance, and as a result, strengthened civil society. It bridged economic and social groups. Volunteerism was promoted. Looking around the West, you can usually find the Masonic Hall appearing as the largest building in town, or at least rivaling the largest church in size. In Tucson, the old Masonic Hall is a large building just behind the old Carnegie Public Library building, now used as the Children’s Museum. Perhaps the Masons raised the standard of construction in the towns of the West. One might find it difficult to gauge just how important the Masons were in creating the society we live in.
The intent of this article is to present one of the influences that existed as a civilizing and unifying force in what we may think of as the Wild West. Masonry provided both of these. There were some negative elements, including racial divisions, which caused a separate branch of Masons to be formed for the African American. Exclusivity and cronyism could occur. Some churches found Masonry to be a competitive force, although it didn’t have to be, and many members also attended a church. But on the whole, positive influences were paramount.
References: “The Secret History of Freemasonry: its origins and connection to the Knights Templar” by Paul Naudon; Mining History Conference paper by Roger Burt of the University of Exeter in England.
Copyright 2007 Mary Kasulaitis
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