SDMtZion6
MOUNT ZION LODGE #6
Location: Springfield
Precedence Date: 02/16/1875
Charter Date: 06/03/1875
Dakota GL Charter Date: 06/22/1875
Chartering Grand Master: Grand Lodge of Iowa, as Mount Zion #6
Current Status: Inactive; consolidated with Bon Homme #101, 02/15/1987.
NOTES
From "The First 100 Years of the Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of South Dakota, 1875-1975", Page 9:’'
This was the sixth and last lodge sponsored by the Grand Lodge of Iowa in Dakota Territory. It was slow coming, but Brother John L. Turner, a Mason who came to Springfield in June 1870, never gave up. He worked tirelessly to realize his dream of a Masonic lodge in his town. In response to a petition by Brother Turner and six other brethren, a dispensation was received dated February 16, 1875. It was two months more before the lodge was formally organized and started to work. The name of the lodge was Mount Zion and the first officers were Brother Bligh E. Wood, Worshipful Master; Brother John L. Turner, Senior Warden; and Brother Daniel Niles, Junior Warden.
The jurisdiction of the new lodge extended as far west as Fort Randall and the Grand Lodge of Nebraska gave them jurisdiction over Niobrara, Nebraska, just across the Missouri River from Springfield.
The members of Mount Zion Lodge were anxious to obtain a charter as oon as possible. With the Annual Meeting of the Grand Lodge of Iowa tarting June, 1, 1875, in Des Moines, it was decided to send a transcript of their work and ask for a charter. They apparently had the right idea, as their application was well received. We find from the 1875 Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Iowa under a report by the Committee on Lodges Under Dispensation,
Mount Zion Lodge, Springfield, Dakota Territory, sends us a transcript in good form, showing good square work, sufficient to entitle them to a charter, but they have not had their dispensation the time required by this Grand Lodge, but owing to their being located without the political jurisdiction of our Grand Lodge, and it being possible that a Grand Lodge may be formed in their Territory within the present year, and they without a charter be deprived of the provilege of helping to so organize such a Grand Body. We earnestly recommend that a charter be granted.
The recommendation was honored by the Grand Lodge and a charter was issued June 3, 1875.
The charter had not been received by the lodge when information was received over the signature of Brother Henry H. Blair, Worshipful Master of Elk Point Lodge No. 288 at Elk Point, that a convention to form a Grand Lodge for Dakota was to be held at Elk Point on June 22, 1875. Brothers John L. Turner and A. F. McCauley were appointed delegates to the convention. The records show that Brother Turner made the trip to Elk Point but as his lodge had not received their charter, he was invited to a seat in the convention without authority to represent his lodge.
