Grand Lodge of Idaho


The Grand Lodge of Idaho is one of several bodies that govern Freemasonry in the U.S. state of Idaho as recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England. It was established in 1867 by five Masonic Lodges operating in Idaho Territory.
Membership in Freemasonry nationwide peaked during the period from 1900-1950. In Idaho "membership in Masons statewide has declined from 11,000 in 1982 to 4,388 members" in 2010, and "the number of lodges has declined to 56."
The Grand Lodge of Idaho is headquartered in Boise.

History

The first organized Masonic activity in present-day Idaho dates to 1862, when a group of Freemasons organized an informal Masonic club in Florence in what was then Washington Territory. That same year, a dispensation was granted by the Grand Lodge of Washington to form a new Masonic Lodge in Lewiston. This Lodge was chartered in 1864 but disbanded a year later after a decline in gold mining activities in the area.
In July 1863 the Grand Lodge of Oregon granted a dispensation to a Masonic group in Bannock City. This Lodge was chartered as Idaho Lodge No. 35 in 1864. The Grand Lodge of Washington, which considered all of Idaho Territory to be within its jurisdiction, charged the Grand Lodge of Oregon with illegally chartering the lodge. This controversy continued for some time and spread throughout the Masonic community in the United States. Even so, over the next couple years Masonic Lodges in northern Idaho Territory were granted charters in Washington while southern Idaho Territory Lodges continued to receive charters from Oregon.
By 1867 the need for a local Grand Lodge was recognized by the active Masonic Lodges in southern Idaho Territory. These Masonic Lodges, Idaho Lodge of Idaho City, Boise Lodge of Boise, Placer Lodge of Placerville, Pioneer Lodge of Pioneerville, and Owyhee Lodge of Silver City, met in December 1867 to form the Grand Lodge of Idaho. This meeting is considered to be the founding of the Grand Lodge of Idaho. The new Grand Lodge issued charters to these five Lodges in June 1868 which superseded their original charters from Oregon.
Idaho Lodge, which spearheaded the drive to create a Grand Lodge in Idaho Territory, was given the distinction of being recognized as its first chartered Lodge. Today Idaho Lodge No. 1 is headquartered in Boise.
A Masonic Lodge in Grangeville was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Idaho in December 1873, becoming the first northern Idaho Lodge under the Grand Lodge of Idaho's jurisdiction.
Freemasonry spread quickly in Idaho. By the time Idaho attained statehood in July 1890 there were 21 active regular Masonic Lodges in the new state. In 1910 there were nearly 60. Since its founding the Grand Lodge of Idaho has chartered 97 regular Masonic Lodges, of which 64 are active as of 2006. The Idaho Lodge of Research, a special Masonic Lodge dedicated to Masonic scholarship, was chartered in 1965.

Membership

As in most Masonic jurisdictions, membership in a Masonic Lodge under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Idaho is open to any male over 18 years of age who believes in a Supreme Being. In addition, Idaho Lodges require a candidate to be an Idaho resident for at least six months and apply for membership in his local Lodge. However, once he becomes a member of his local Lodge he may become a "plural affiliate" elsewhere.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in Idaho

In the early 1990s the Grand Lodge of Idaho formally recognized Prince Hall Freemasonry. However, as of 2006 there is no separate Prince Hall Masonic jurisdiction in Idaho. Prince Hall Freemasonry in the state is currently administered by the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Oregon.

Current Lodges under the Grand Lodge or Idaho

LodgeCharteredLocation
Idaho No. 1June 23, 1868Boise
Boise No. 2June 23, 1868Boise
Placer No. 3June 23, 1868Horseshoe Bend
Mount Idaho No. 9December 1873Grangeville
Nez Perce No. 10December 1874Lewiston
Lemhi No. 11December 1874Salmon
Silver City No. 13December 1874Homedale
Hailey No. 16September 1885Hailey
Paradise No. 17September 1885Moscow
Portneuf No. 18September 1886Pocatello
Eagle Rock No. 19September 1886Idaho Falls
Coeur d'Alene No. 20September 1886Murray
Richfield No. 21September 1887Richfield
Weiser No. 23September 1888Weiser
Kootenai No. 24September 1891Coeur d'Alene
Shoshone No. 25September 1891Wallace
Washoe No. 28September 1892Payette
Ashlar No. 29September 1892Nampa
Elmore No. 30September 1892Mountain Home
Salubria No. 31September 1893Cambridge
Unity No. 32September 1893Genesee
Grove City No. 33September 1896Blackfoot
Cataldo No. 34September 1896Kellogg
Butte No. 37September 1902Emmett
Mount Moriah No. 39September 1902Caldwell
Rathdrum No. 41September 1904Rathdrum
Lakeside No. 42September 1904Sandpoint
Bonners Ferry No. 43September 1904Bonners Ferry
Twin Falls No. 45September 1906Twin Falls
Meridian No. 47September 1906Meridian
Arco No. 48September 1906Arco
Malad No. 51September 1908Malad City
St. Johns No. 52September 1909Shelley]Merged in to Eagle Rock 19]
Buhl No. 53September 1910Buhl
Wendell No. 54September 1910Wendell
Kamiah No. 56September 1910Kamiah
Spirit Lake No. 57September 1910Spirit Lake
American Falls No. 58September 1910American Falls
Lincoln No. 59September 1910Gooding
Oriental No. 60September 1910Boise
Jerome No. 61September 1910Jerome
Prairie No. 62September 1911Craigmont
St. Maries No. 63September 1911St. Maries
Mount McCaleb No. 64September 1911Mackay
Potlatch No. 66September 1911Potlatch
Burley No. 68September 1912Burley
Paul No. 77September 1920Paul
Hagerman No. 78September 1921Hagerman
Fidelity No. 80September 1921Glenns Ferry
Keystone No. 81September 1921Pocatello
Ionic No. 82September 1922Cascade
Caribou No. 84September 1922Soda Springs
Kooskia No. 87September 1924Kooskia
Challis No. 92September 1949Challis
Capital City No. 93September 1950Boise
Mount Kinport No. 95September 1952Pocatello
Kaniksu No. 97September 1995Priest River
Lodge of Research No. 1965September 1965Boise