A Brief History of Our Lodge

Early in the second decade of the 20th century, four business and professional men with offices and stores located in the Garland District of the city of Spokane, occasionally met and had lunch together and/or an afternoon cup of coffee. All four were Masons and that alone caused their association with each other to be more than casual. These four Brethren of the Garland District began discussing the possibility of establishing a Lodge on the North side of Spokane in its residential district. They believed the Garland District had reached sufficient growth to support and accommodate a Lodge. Their ideas along these lines eventually led to an application for dispensation to start a new lodge. Upon advice and help from several members of Spokane Lodge #34, and Oriental Lodge #74, these four leaders obtained applications from 21 Brethren to be members of a new lodge. The minimum requirement was 15 so they made sure they had an adequate number in case one or more members decided to pull out. None did.

Spokane Lodge #34 sponsored this new lodge that was designated then as North Hill #210, F. &A.M. of Washington. The Grand Lodge of Washington granted a dispensation to operate a new lodge in 1915. Both Spokane Lodge #34 and Oriental Lodge #74 gave this new lodge several items of equipment and paraphernalia to help it get started. Several Past Masters of these Lodges also gave instructions and coaching to the officers of this new lodge to enable them to perform Lodge procedures and confer degrees.

A new lodge for North Hill #210 was built in the 700 block of garland after the membership outgrew its current home at a cost of $15,000.00 and financed by $10,000.00 in 15 year bonds sold to the membership and a $5,000.00 mortgage bought by the Scottish Rite Bodies of the Valley of Spokane. The building was completed in 1921, and the Lodge vacated its second story loft over the structure to Garland Avenue to the West. By frugal management and an increase in dues from $4.00 to $6.00 for which our long term Treasurer, Bro. Earnest Edwards, was responsible, several of the bonds were paid off before maturity. By virtue of excellent growth in membership, in the fall of 1936, a special celebration was held in the Temple and the mortgage was burned, thereby removing all indebtedness against the building.