Freemasonry in Stillwater goes back to the
days before statehood; back to our pioneer ancestors. For
Freemasonry to begin anywhere, a group of men must get together
and request a “charter”. Charters are required for every Masonic
lodge in order for it to be fully sanctioned and accepted by the
Grand Lodge of their jurisdiction and other Masonic lodges in
the delineated area.
Frontier Lodge has operated under three
charters, the first under the Indian Territory Grand Lodge, the
second under the Oklahoma Territory Grand Lodge and lastly,
under the Grand Lodge of Oklahoma. On July 4, 1891, the Indian
Territory Grand Lodge granted authority for dispensation for a
group of Stillwater Masons to meet in order to select a name for
their lodge and apply for charter. J.S. Hunt acted as leader of
the group. They selected ”Frontier” for their name and applied
for their charter.
The Stillwater Lodge was
given the number 48 since it was the 48th lodge to be
chartered in the Indian Territory.
The first record of
minutes for the lodge were recorded on July 15, 1891 under
dispensation from the Indian Territory Grand Lodge. The minutes
of this first meeting were entered and signed by Joseph S.
Murrow, father of Oklahoma masonry !
On October 2, 1891, District
Deputy Grand Master A.J. Spiegel presented the charter and
installed the new officers.
J.S.
Hunt was installed as the first Worshipful Master, but served
only the last three months of 1891. Amos W. Swoope was elected
Worshipful Master for the first full year of 1892.
Meetings were held on
the Friday before or after the full moon and on the 2nd Friday
thereafter. Dues were $3 per year (probably the equivalent of
$200 in today's economy).
During that
same year, the Oklahoma Territory Grand Lodge was formed. There
were ten of the Indian Territory Lodges which fell under the
jurisdiction of the newly formed Grand Lodge and Stillwater’s
lodge received the designation of “Frontier Lodge No. 6”, along
with a new charter.
Minutes from the
early days of Frontier Lodge indicate one thing: there was lots
and LOTS of degree work being done. Almost every meeting,
either a petition was being read or a degree was being
conducted.
The lodge was shared
by a number of groups in Stillwater. The Payne County
Sheriff used the lodge room as the Grand Jury room for the
County. Unfortunately, he got on the brother's wrong side
by not straightening up after jury duty, and was assessed a $1
additional fee for janitorial services after a couple of
warnings.
Also sharing the
building were Woodsmen of the World, Oddfellows, and Knights of
Pythias.
At one point, the
lodge considered purchasing six cots so brothers could "bunk" at
the lodge instead of traveling home late at night.
That idea was eventually voted down.
In
August of 1893, the meeting nights were changed to 1st and 3rd
Fridays of each month.
After statehood in 1907,
the two territorial Grand Lodges consolidated to become the
“Grand Lodge of Oklahoma”. By agreement of the two territorial
lodges, the ten lodges had their original numbers restored to
them. After that, the Stillwater Lodge went from “Frontier
Lodge No. 6” back to “Frontier Lodge No. 48”.
The current lodge building was a
schoolhouse at one time. The lodge room was an auditorium, the
East was the stage and, until recently, there was a hole over
the Senior Warden's station where the projector was located for
showing movies.
The lodge had, and has, a
close relationship with Oklahoma State University. Many of its
past and present members were students, faculty and staff at the
school. In 1928, Frontier Lodge assisted the Grand Lodge of
Oklahoma and the governor with a cornerstone ceremony at the
Dairy Building on campus (the time capsule from that ceremony
was opened in 2007, shortly after the Dairy Building was
demolished).
Cornerstone ceremony of the OSU Dairy Bldg
Frontier Masonic Lodge#48
322 W.Miller
Stillwater, OK 74074
(405)372-7520
e-mail -
stillwater.masons@gmail.com
