BLUFF CITY LODGE NO. 71, A. F. & A. M.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA

FROM THE RECORDS

As civilization advanced westward into the new  frontier, during the early history of these great United States, Masonry with its teachings, its ideals and the comrades of its members undeniably exerted much influence, not only in the formation of our federal government, but on the state and local governments as well. The lodge in those early days, was the center of most of the social activities of the frontier settlements and it served the purpose of our present service and community clubs.

In the year 1855, Council Bluffs, City, Iowa, was just a frontier settlement. There were among its residents a number of men who were Masons, members of lodges in their home towns, who were desirous of reactivating their masonry in their new home. These men were the nucleus of the group that met with the intention of organizing a Masonic Lodge in Council Bluffs City.

The May 17, 1955 minutes of the Evening Star Lodge at Winterset, Iowa, show that a group of ten Council Bluffs masons  appeared before that lodge on that date to apply for a recommendation to the Grand Master of Masons in Iowa for a dispensation to form a Masonic Lodge in Council Bluffs, City, Iowa.

These ten men were headed by Brother Leavitt Bowen, an attorney, who was to become the first Worshipful Master of the new Bluff City Lodge No. 71. No information as to his previous Masonic affiliations is known. He did serve as Senior Warden of Nebraska Lodge No. 1 during the time he was Worshipful Master of Bluff City Lodge. At the formation of the Nebraska Grand Lodge in September of 1857, he became the first Deputy Grand Master of that body, although he did not demit from Bluff City Lodge until April of 1859.

Brother McMahon, a physician, was the first Bluff City Senior Warden. He was born in Harden County, Kentucky and demitted from Morrison Lodge No. 76 of Elizabethtown, Kentucky where he has been raised on December 22, 1841.

Brother Sam Riddle, a lawyer, was the first Junior Warden. He demitted from the same lodge as Brother McMahon. Brother Riddle was raised on November 23, 1843.

Brother W. C. James, also a lawyer, served as the first Tyler. He demitted from the Elyra, Ohio lodge. Brother James supplied the sum of $43.00 to purchase the jewels and other necessary lodge furniture.

Among the other petitioners for dispensation were the following brethren:

Brother William Clancy, a merchant, demittd from Grand River Lodge No. 34 of Grand Rapids, Michaigan.

Brother Samuel Knepper was a physician and a farmer. This double occupation was seemingly quite common during these times.

Brother Rufus Beall was a farmer and has the distinction of being the first member to demit from Bluff City, under date of October 27, 1855.

Brother J. C. Fargo was a hotel keeper.

From records it has been determined, that in addition to these ten petitions, all members up to the time of the granting of the charter were considered to be charter members.

The first meeting of Bluff City Lodge n. 71, A. F. & A. M., under dispensation, was held Saturday, July 21, 1855, in the Odd Fellows’ hall. By-Laws were adopted and committees were appointed. The constitution of the Grand Lodge of Iowa was adopted. Following this the lodge opened in the several degrees in due and ancient form. Two petitions for the mysteries were received at this first meeting. They were from John Cook born in England, by occupation a physician and John H. Sherman, a lawyer, residing in Omaha City, Territory of Nebraska. A committee was instructed to purchase fifty white aprons. The same committee was also instructed to make a contract for the use of the Odd Fellows’ hall for a meeting place. Lodge was then adjourned for two weeks.

The second meeting was held August 4, 1855. Brother Riddle reported that the committee has entered into a contract for the rent of the Odd Fellows’ hall for one year for the sum of $50.00.

At the next meeting held August 18, 1855 the question arouse of what action should be taken concerning the application for affiliation of several Nauvoo made masons. The decision must have been favorable to these Nauvoo masons as later records show a number of them to be frequent visitors although very few of them ever became members of Bluff City Lodge.

An interesting bit of Bluff City’s history was enacted on January 5, 1856 when Bellevue Lodge of Bellevue, Nebraska, later to become Nebraska Lodge of Omaha, brought their first candidate, Peter A. Sarpy, to Council Bluffs for the purpose of conferring the Entered Apprentice degree with the aid of the Bluff City officers and their lodge paraphernalia. On the date of February 2, 1856, the Bellevue brethren returned to Council Bluffs to confer the fellowcraft degree on Brother Sarpy who was the first candidate initiated by a Nebraska lodge.

It was a the meeting of June 21, 1856 that the charter, granted by the Grand Lodge on June 4, 1856, was received and then Bluff City Lodge No. 71 proceeded to elect its officers under the new charter.

Brother Frank Street, who served as Master Pro-tem since the meeting of April 19, 1856, was elected Bluff City’s second Worshipful Master. He was elected to membership by affiliation at the same meeting.

Elected to serve with him were the following officers:

Brother T. H. Benton, Jr., Senior Warden; Brother Philip McMahon, Junior Warden; Brother E. J. Frazier, Treasure; Brother John Graves, Secretary; Brother William Chase, Tyler.

It was at the meeting of June 28, 1856 that the lodge instructed the Secretary to inform the Grand Lodge that the charter had been received and that the Grand Master be requested to visit Bluff City lodge to install its officers or to deputize Brother L. L. Bowen for that purpose.

Right Worshipful Brother W. M. Stone, Deputy Grand Master was present at the meeting of July 16, 1856 and officially installed the officers in the name of the Grand Lodge of Iowa, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.

The first funeral recorded in Bluff City’s records was that of deceased Brother P. D. Dorsey Gray. Held November 30, 1856.

Another important incident in the history of the lodge took place December 6, 1856. The minutes of that meeting show that a “petition by twenty masons, residents of Omaha City, Nebraska Territory, to the Grand Lodge f Iowa requesting a dispensation to open a new lodge a Omaha City, to be named Capital Lodge, was presented to Bluff City Lodge for a recommendation for the same. The proposed Worshipful Master and Wardens, with Brother Sahlor in the office of master, exemplified the work. Brother Benton moved that the lodge cheerfully recommend the said petitions to the Grand Lodge, being satisfied that they have procured a suitable lodge room and that they are capable of governing the same.

Perhaps the century hence the customs, incidents and happenings of our present day will seem as peculiar or even amusing to the folks of that time as those of a hundred years ago seems to us.

Law and order, in those early days, was somewhat different from that which we know, and we find the lodge taking upon itself the disciplining of its erring members. The early records tell of many trials for unmasonic conduct. Most prevalent among the offenses were intemperance, and gambling, although a number of others were also listed. Punishment, f found guilty, ranged from reprimand to suspension or even expulsion. Even non-affiliated masons residing in Council Bluffs were not exempt from this discipline, as it is noted in the minutes that in several instances such brethren were tried and punished.

On a Sunday morning, February 28, 1858, a number of brethren from Magnolia, Iowa, exemplified the work of the three degrees after which Bluff City Lodge recommended that the Grand Lodge issue them a dispensation to form a new lodge at Magnolia.

Numerous instances of charity by the lodge are to be found in the old minutes. These include aid to needy families, widows of masons and distressed brethren.

Parades seemed to have been quite common in the early days f Council Bluffs and none were complete without the members of the Masonic lodge marching as a body.

On January 23, 1869, Brother G. W. Lininger headed a group of Bluff City members to form a new lodge in Council Bluffs to be known as Excelsior Lodge No. 259. They were recommended to the Grand Lodge by Bluff City Lodge for a dispensation.

Brother G. W. Lininger later demitted to Capitol Lodge, No. 3 of Omaha, Nebraska, where he became Worshipful Master. In 1877 he became the Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Nebraska. The George W. Lininger Lodge No. 268 of Omaha was named in his honor.

October 19, 1920 was the date on which several members of the Council Bluffs Masonic lodges appeared before Bluff City Lodge with the request for a recommendation for a dispensation to form Cobia Lodge No. 631 in Council Bluffs.

Several of Bluff City’s members were active in the life of the Grand Lodge as well as their own lodge. Most notable among these was Brother Thomas Hart Benton, Jr. In 1858 and 1859 he was Worshipful Master of Bluff City Lodge and in years 1860, 1861 and 1862 he served the Grand Lodge as Most Worshipful Grand Master. In 1893 Brother Thomas B. Lacy was Junior Grand Warden and in 1898 Brother George W. Lipe held the same office. Brother James C. Madsen filled the same office again in 1930. Brother Louis W. Whitehead was Junior Grand Deacon in 1916 and Brother Richard K. Stoufer was Junior Grand Steward in 1949.

In December of 1953 Bluff City Lodge joined with the other Masonic organizations and Eastern Star chapters in Council Bluffs in a campaign to raise enough funds, thru contributions, to build a new Masonic temple. In January 1954, the New Masonic Temple Association was formed, with membership consisting of two representatives from each of the three Blue Lodges and the Eastern Star Chapters, to complete the campaign and t build a new temple. In January, 1955, this Association purchased the “Wright” property at Sixth Street and Willow Avenue as the site for the proposed new temple. The old Temple Association then deeded the adjacent “Haas” property on Sixth Street to the New Association. The total measurement of these combined properties is one hundred seventy-five feet of frontage on Sixth Street and one hundred ninety-two feet on Willow Avenue.