History of Freemasonry

Freemasonry is a fraternity that dates back to at least the late 16th century. It is believed to have evolved from the guilds of stonemasons who built the great cathedrals and castles of the Middle Ages. Freemasonry is a fraternity that aims to promote personal development, moral and ethical values, and community service.

The history of Freemasonry can be traced back to the early 17th century when the first Grand Lodge was established in London. This was followed by the establishment of Grand Lodges in other parts of the world, including Scotland, Ireland, and the United States.

During the 18th century, Freemasonry gained popularity and acceptance among the social elite in Europe and America. Many notable figures, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, were members of the fraternity. Freemasonry played a significant role in the American Revolution, as many of the founding fathers were members of the fraternity.

Freemasonry has its own unique system of symbols, which are used to convey moral and ethical lessons. These symbols are derived from the tools of the stonemason’s trade and include the square, compasses, and the plumb line. The fraternity also has its own system of rituals, which are used to teach moral and ethical values.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, Freemasonry continued to grow and evolve. The fraternity played a significant role in the development of the modern welfare state, as many of its members were active in social and political reform movements.

Today, Freemasonry continues to be a popular and respected fraternity around the world. It has a strong tradition of charitable work, and its members are actively involved in their communities. The fraternity remains committed to promoting personal development, moral and ethical values, and community service.

History of Colorado Freemasonry

Late in the year 1858 a number of gold-seekers had gathered at the junction of Cherry Creek and the Platte River, on land which was then a part of the Territory of Kansas, but which now is within the State of Colorado. This settlement was known as Auraria, and by the first of November a number of cabins had been erected there.

On the evening of November 3, 1858, seven Masons, including William M. Slaughter, held an informal meeting in one of those cabins; and throughout the following winter these brethren and others continued to meet from time to time, having in mind the formation of a new Masonic Lodge at Auraria, provided the proper authorization could be obtained from some Grand Lodge.

Gold was discovered in May, 1859, in what is now Gilpin County, Colorado; and within a month thereafter several thousand men had rushed to the Gregory Diggings in that section of the country, and were engaged there or in the vicinity in a search for the precious metal. Among them were many Masons (including some who had become acquainted by having participated in the Masonic meetings that had been held throughout the preceding winter at Auraria), a number of whom, after discussing the matter, reached the conclusion that it would be desirable to have a meeting place at the Gregory Diggings for members of the Masonic fraternity.

Accordingly, on June 12, 1859, a committee of three brethren preempted, as shown by an entry in Book A, page 59 of the records of the Gregory Mining District (now a part of the records of Gilpin County), a block of ground on which to erect a “Masonic Temple.”

Within a few days thereafter the building, which was of logs, “chinked and plastered with mud inside and out,” and about thirty feet square, was completed; and about the 20th of June, 1859, an informal, though tiled, meeting of more than two hundred Masons, known to the committee in charge to be such by information or examination, was held in what was probably the first “Masonic Temple” erected in the vast territory between the Missouri River and the Pacific Coast.

Some of those who participated in this meeting took prominent parts in the organization a few months later of the first Masonic Lodge in Colorado.

In 1929 the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Colorado appointed a committee to investigate a proposal that the Grand Lodge erect a monument to mark the site of the first Masonic Temple (that is to say, a building used exclusively for Masonic purposes) in the State of Colorado. Later the Grand Lodge appropriated funds for the creation of such a monument, and appointed a committee to take charge of the work. Some delay was encountered in perfecting the title to the land, but the monument has been completed and it will be unveiled and dedicated on June 17, 1933.