Brief History of Wasatch Lodge

The earliest organized activity of Freemasonry in what is now the state of Utah began with a dispensation, dated March 6, 1859, from the Grand Lodge AF&AM of Missouri, authorizing the founding of Rocky Mountain Lodge at Camp Floyd. This was a United States military post established under the command of General Albert Sydney Johnston, who had been sent to Utah Territory by order of President Buchanan to quell the defiance of the Mormon leadership toward the Federal authority.

Rocky Mountain Lodge Number 205 was chartered in May 1860 at the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Missouri and, upon receipt of charter, resumed its labors initiated under dispensation. Detailed records of its constituting are lacking, as are also the names of members taken in up to the time of its demise. Under date of March 27, 1861, the Secretary of the lodge wrote to the Grand Secretary of Missouri, enclosing annual returns to December 27, 1860, and noting the change of name of the military post to Fort Crittenden. Shortly thereafter, due to the outbreak of the war between the States and the transfer of the military units to other posts. Fort Crittenden was ordered to be abandoned. The charter, jewels, records, and funds of Rocky Mountain Lodge were sent tot he Grand Master in Missouri, and the Lodge ceased to exist. Its chartered life span had been less than one year.

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