ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
3051 UNIVERSITY AVENUE STOP 9000
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202-9000
NORTH DAKOTA MASONIC RECORDS
COLLECTION: OGL# 1031
DATES: 1876-1972
SIZE: 2.75 linear feet
INTRODUCTION
ACQUISITION: The North Dakota Masonic Records were deposited in the
Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection in 1985. The records were originally part
of the Chester Fritz Library's circulating collection (Acc. #85-1404).
ACCESS: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the
Department of Special Collections.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
Masonic organizations entered the Dakota Territory in 1875 through the
Masonic groups already existent in Iowa. The Grand Lodge of Dakota was the
first official large-scale association in the territory; many of its activities
were based in what would become South Dakota, though the north's activity was
not marginal. In 1889, when both North Dakota and South Dakota gained
statehood, each state drew a new constitution for a Grand Lodge according to
its area.
Masonic organizations are not by definition secretive, but because of their
various rituals and often-unwritten constitutions and history, they could be
considered enigmatic. "Freemasonry, as the most ancient and universal of
all societies, is governed by its laws or rules of action, which either spring
out of its organization . . . or which are derived from the enactment of its
superintending tribunals," wrote Albert Mackey (1807-1881), one of the
foremost Masonic historians. Each Grand Lodge and lodge many enact different
customs, and evolution is sometimes undocumented.
North Dakota has or once had the following distinct Masonic groups: a Grand
Chapter of Royal Arch Masons; a Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters; a
Grand Commandery of Knights Templar; an Order of the Eastern Star, which is a
Masonic group for women; and DeMolay, which is for youth and young men. A lodge
is the term given to a chapter of the organization that is limited to a smaller
geographical area. Many towns in North Dakota host lodges of these
organizations.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The North Dakota Masonic Records are mainly comprised of annual minutes and
proceedings for the different Masonic organizations quartered in the state. At
times the various Masonic groups' records merge, such as the booklets with
Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings for 1933-1967, which contain proceedings for
the annual meetings of both the Royal Arch Masons and the Royal and Select
Masters of the State of North Dakota. The "Code Books" contain
general Masonic information such as by-laws and trial procedures, the
"Grand Chapter" refers to meetings of the Royal Arch masons, and the
"Grand Council" refers to Royal and Select Masters. Other records
make obvious in the title the group to which it pertains. Several national
guides are included that document Masonic expansion and famous historical
figures.
BOX AND FOLDER INVENTORY
Box 1
Folder
- Masonic Code Books - 1876-1886
- Masonic Code Books - 1886
- Masonic Code Books - 1897
- Masonic Code Books - 1906
- Masonic Code Books - 1916
- Masonic Code Books - 1916-1922
- Masonic Code Books - 1928
- Masonic Code Books - 1939
- Masonic Code Books - 1954
- Laws of Knight Templarism - 1902-1906
- Dakota Consistory - 1908
- Grand Lodge Constitution and By-laws - 1891; Amendments, 1916-1920
- Grand Chapters of Royal Arch Masons - 1893
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1948
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1949
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1950
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1952
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1957
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1958
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1959
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1960
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1961
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1962
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1964
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1965
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1967
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1968
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1970
- Grand Commandery of Knights Templar - 1972
- Order of the Eastern Star - 1961
- Order of the Eastern Star - 1965
- Memoriam of Frank Sprague (1938) and Alfred Steel (1929)
- Masonic Biographical Sketches - 1954
- "From Whence Came We?" - 1941
- Demolay Torch for March - 1925
- Masonic Membership Record - 1915
- Masonic Homes - 1908
- Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter - 1970
- Fiftieth Anniversary - Crescent Lodge 1933, Temple Lodge 1938, Fidelity
Lodge 1899
- Grand Council Proceedings - 1970-1971
- Grand Chapter / Council Proceedings - 1967
Box 2
Folder
- Grand Chapter Proceedings - "Golden Jubilee Convocation" - 1939
- International Masonic Celebration, June 21, 1921
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings -1933-1934
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1935
- Grand Chapter/council Proceedings - 1937
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1938
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1939
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1940
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1941
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1944
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1945
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1946
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1947
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1948
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1949
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1950
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1951-1952
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1953
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1954
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1955
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1956
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1957
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1958
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1959
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1961
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1962
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1963
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1964
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1965
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1966
- Grand Chapter/Council Proceedings - 1967
- Grand Chapter - 1910
- Grand Chapter - 1911
- Grand Chapter - 1912
- Grand Chapter - 1921
- Grand Chapter - 1922
- Grand Chapter - 1923
- Grand Chapter - 1924
- Grand Chapter - 1925
- Grand Chapter - 1928
Box 3
Folder
- Grand Chapter - 1929
- Grand Chapter - 1930
- Grand Chapter - 1931
- Grand Chapter - 1932
- Grand Chapter - 1933
- Grand Chapter - 1968
- Grand Chapter - 1969
- Grand Chapter - 1970
- Grand Chapter - 1971
- Grand Council - 1929
- Grand Council - 1930
- Grand Council - 1931
- Grand Council - 1968
- Grand Council - 1969
- Grand Council - 1971
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