UNION LODGE 7

It was in November, 1863, that Union Lodge # 7 was born.  Denver was a small frontier town with perhaps two to three thousand people.  Only five years old but even then with a history.  The first discovery of gold in this country was made by the Russell party in the fall of 1857 in the sands of the upper reaches of Cherry Creek.  Russell and his party then moved down Cherry Creek, prospecting as they went, until they reached the Platte River.  The date of October 23, 1858 marks the birth of the settlement, named Auraria, after their home town in Georgia, and was soon to be known as Denver.  Word got out about the discovery of gold and soon there was an influx of men.  Some of these men, the Larimer party, crossed over and named their encampment after the Territorial Governor of Kansas, James W. Denver.

With a combination of local events and the pending war back East, tension was rapidly increasing within the population of Denver, which also included the Masons.  However, it is well known that Masonry functioned beautifully across the battle lines during the Civil War.  William McKinley, then a Major for the Federal Army, and a future President of the United States, received the Degrees of Masonry in a Virginia Lodge by Confederate officers.  (A good many incidents involving Masonic brotherly love are detailed in Allen Roberts’ book House Undivided, including the formation of Union Lodge No. 7 on p. 189.
 

The vast majority of Denver Lodge No. 5 believe the cause of the Southern Confederacy  to be a just one.  Opposed was the Administration party represented by the Governor of the Colorado territory, his Secretary, and the Army group.

On November 3, 1863, a petition was presented to the Grand Lodge of Colorado to form Union Lodge in order to preserve the peace and harmony of the craft.

On November 20, 1863 the Lodge building was duly constituted.  The first Lodge building was the “O.K.” building located on the North East corner of F and McGaa (now Market) Streets over Clark and Company’s Bank (1863-1866).  Since that time is has relocated to the Hoyt building (1866-1868), Tappan block (1868-1873), Fink block (1873-1883), City Hall (1883-1890), and the Masonic Temple Building (1890-present).

-Excerpts taken from the 75th Anniversary Edition
Compiled by George B. Clark