SDStJohn1
ST. JOHN'S #1
Precedence Date: 12/02/1862
Charter Date: 06/03/1863
Dakota GL Charter Date: 06/22/1875
Chartering Grand Master: Grand Lodge of Iowa, as St. John's #166
Location: Yankton, SD
Current Status: Active
- Yankton #122 merged here, 06/15/1898.
- St. Andrew's #208 merged here, 08/09/2001.
- Ophir #193 merged here, 03/05/2014.
- Bon Homme #101 merged here, 05/14/2014.
NOTES
From "The First 100 Years of the Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of South Dakota, 1875-1975", Page 2:
The next attempt to organize a Masonic Lodge in Dakota Territory was successful. Nine interested brethren, headed by the Reverend Brother Melancthon Hoyt, petitioned the Grand Lodge of Iowa for a dispensaton to open a lodge at Yankton. The name of the lodge was to be St. John's. The dispensation was issued to the petitioners under the date of December 2, 1862. The officers designated were the Reverend Brother Melancthon Hoyt, Worshipful Master; Brother D. T. Bramble, Senior Warden; and Brother John Hutchinson, Junior Warden.
It is interesting to note here that two of the nm petitioners: Brother Melancthon Hoyt and Brother A. G. Fuller, had also signed the petition for a dispensation for Dacotah Lodge at Fort Randall.
The dispensation was received m Yankton on December 18, 1862, and the lodge was organized the same evening in the Council Chamber of the Territorial Capitol.
The lodge started work immediately by receiving a petition for membership on the same evening it was organized. The petition was presented by F. H. Cooper, a soldier stationed at Fort Randall. However, the honor of being the first Mason raised on the soil of Dakota went to Lieutenant J. K. Fowler of Company "A," Dakota Cavalry, Yankton. He was raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason in St. John's Lodge January 5, 1863. The charter was issued June 3, 1863.
Before a full ten years had passed, there was a feeling that a Grand Lodge for Dakota should be formed. Nothing definite had been done until at a regular meeting of St. John's Lodge held on March 19, 1872, a committee of three was "appointed by the Worshipful Master to confer with other lodges throughout the Territory or with committees from same lodges in regard to organization of a Grand Lodge and the Secretary was instructed to inform said lodges."
At a regular meeting on January 7, 1873, the committee of three appointed to confer with lodges in the Territory in regard to the organization of a Grand Lodge was increased to five members. On April the 8th the same committee reported progress and asked for further time.
The minutes of the lodge for March 31, 1874 show that this committee was discharged.
On July 28, 1874, a communication in reference to organizing a Grand Lodge was received om Minnehaha Lodge No. 328, Sioux Falls. The communication was !aid over until the next regular meeting on August the 25th when a committee of three was appointed to correspond with other lodges of the Territory to ascertain their views. Apparently nothing came from this committee and it was discharged on December 22nd.
The next show of interest was contained in a communication from Elk Pomt Lodge on April 20, 1875, when an invitation was extended for a meeting to form a Grand Lodge at Elk Point on June 15, 1875. A committee of three along with three alternates was appointed by the Worshipful Master. Apparently the date was changed from June 15th to June 22nd as the lodge minutes of June 15th show the same committee was reappointed to attend such a meeting on June 22nd, 1875. The committee who attended the meeting was Brothers George H. Hand, F. J. DeWitt, and William Blatt.
GRAND MASTERS
- George H. Hand Raised 1863; Member 1868
- William Blatt Raised 1869 in Iowa; affiliated 1874
- William F. Sargent Raised 1902
- Sanford G. Donaldson Raised 1901
- Ernest L. Johnson Raised 1925; affiliated 1935
- Harold L. Tisher Raised 1936; affiliated 1945
