Grand Lodge of Colorado History

Rocky Mountain Lodge #1 F .& A.M., the first of several lodges in Colorado , was organized in 1867 by a warrant from the National Compact System of Kansas, on November 17. On January 10 1876 Western Lodge #2 was organized and on January 11", 1876 Mount Olive Lodge #3 came into existence from the same source. Rocky Mountain Lodge #1 worked under the National Compact System of Kansas from 1867 until 1876. On January 17, 1876 in accordance with a previous call, the delegates from Rocky Mountain Lodge #1, Western #2, and Mountain Lodge #3 met in convention in the hall of Rocky Mountain #1 of Denver for the purpose of organizing a Grand Lodge in the then Territory of Colorado.

In later years, Colorado Jurisdiction consisted of lodges in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, New Mexico, and Arizona but because of the formation of Grand Lodges in New Mexico and Arizona, most of the lodges in these states were lost due to the lack of good eligible members in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming some of these lodges ceased to survive.

Having come from Kansas , let us see where the Kansas Jurisdiction got its right to propagate Masonry. The first lodge chartered in this state was Western Star Lodge #1, located in Lawrence , in 1865 with David G. Lett as Worshipful Master. Shortly afterward Euclid Lodge #2, located at Topeka , and Mount Oliver Lodge #3, located at Leavenworth were established and chartered by the Grand Lodge of Ohio, of which John Jones was Most Worshipful Grand Master. These lodges remained under the jurisdiction of Ohio until the year 1875, when a convention of the craft was called to meet at the Masonic Hall in Lawrence , Kansas . On March 7, 1875 a Grand Lodge was organized and its efforts consummated with the election of David G. Lett, as M. W. G. M. and the official roster of other Grand Officers were installed. The title being Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, State of Kansas .

The Jurisdiction of Ohio, which was as a state, is recognized as the mother State of more presidents of the United States than any other in the union, so in Negro Masonry, Ohio is the mother of more Masonic Jurisdictions, than any of the other states. This was done mostly through the efforts of Bro. Richard H. Gleaves, the father of Negro Masonry in the state of Ohio . Corinthian Lodge #17, the first lodge in the state was organized January 16, 1847 and chartered by African Grand Lodge of North America located in Philadelphia , Pa. On March 18, 1847, True American Lodge # 26, was organized and chartered by the same authority and on May 20, 1848, Saint Johns Lodge #27 was constituted by the same Grand Lodge.

All these lodges were organized by Bro. Richard H. Gleaves under the authority of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and all were located in Cincinnati . On May 3, 1849 a general assembly of the craft was held for the purpose of organizing a Grand Lodge for Ohio , which was accomplished by the election of Bro. Thomas W. Stringer as M. W. G.M; Bro. Richard H. Gleaves as R. W. D. G.M. and the other and received new ones under the Grand Lodge. Bro. Gleaves was elected M. W. G. M. in 1850 and his lodges in Ohio were very favorably looked upon by the white Masons who often visited their meetings and helped them in their work.

Rev. Absalom Jones, the first Master of African Lodge in Philadelphia, was born in Sussex, Del. on November 6, 1746, and during the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia in 1793, which was mostly among the white citizens he, with Richard Allen and numerous other colored citizens, distinguished themselves to the highest by carrying for the sick and burying the dead as they seemed to be immune to the disease. They were sighted by the Mayor and the City Council for their brave deeds, and they held among their friends Prince Hall of Boston, who had visited them in Philadelphia . After lengthy correspondence (March 2, 1797) Rev. Absalom Jones and other leading citizens of Philadelphia petitioned African Lodge of Boston for a charter to establish Masonry in Philadelphia , Pa. A dispensation was granted on March 29, 1797 by Provincial Grand Master Hall, at the same time he informed them that the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts was willing to set them to work under a copy of their charter granted from London to their lodge African #459. Under that authority and by the name of African Lodge #459 of Philadelphia , Pa. : "we hereby and hereon give you license to assemble and work as aforesaid, under the denomination as in the sight and fear of God." At a meeting held June 24, 1797 the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts granted a warrant to Rev. Absalom Jones, W.M., Peter Mantore, S.W., William Harding, J.W. and other to establish a lodge of Master Masons in the city of Philadelphia, giving them a copy of the warrant which they had received from London, England (granted in 1784 but not received until 1787). the officers were duly installed by Grand Master Prince Hall assisted by Cyrus Forbes, Senior Grand Warden and George Middleton Junior Grand Warden. On June 8, 1810, George Middleton, Grand Master of Massachusetts at Boston granted a warrant to establish Union Lodge #2 now #1. This was the second lodge in Pennsylvania . In 1811, Peter Lew, Past Grand Master of Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Boston, granted a warrant to open Laurel Lodge #5 now #2 and Phoenix lodge #6, now #3 in 1814. On St. Johns Day December 27, A.D. 1815, a convention of the craft was held for the purpose of organizing a Grand Lodge of Philadelphia. The Grand Lodge was perfected under the name the First African Independent Grand Lodge of F. & A.M. of North America for the State of Pennsylvania . The lodges were now all chartered and numbered as follows Union #1, Laurel #2, and Phoenix #3. This Grand Lodge is therefore a descendant from Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and the second colored Grand Lodge in the United States . It numbered among its member, master minds, historians, scholars, lawyers, doctors, preacher, and Masonic jurists, who made their lives work the up building of the Masonic Craft in America . On July 8, 1818 a number of the brothers of Union Lodge #1 were suspended for 99 years 9 months 9 weeks and 9 days, for unmasonic conduct and on January 4, 1819 the warrant of Union Lodge #1 was demanded by the Grand Lodge and the lodge expelled for 99 years 9 months 9 weeks and 9 days. This led to the formation of another Grand Lodge and there existed great amenity between the two until St. Johns Day December 27, 1882, when they got together and united as the United Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons (of color) in the State of Pennsylvania .