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Return to Index Damascus Commandery #1 Knights Templar, Saint Paul Minnesota |
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Historical Sketch of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Minnesota
“A convention composed of the representatives of the four Commanderies in the state at the time, was held in Masonic Hall in the city of St. Paul, on Monday, October 23, 1865, for the purpose of forming a Grand Commandery. It was held by authority of a warrant dated October 19, 1865, from Henry L. Palmer, then Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of the United States. Alfred E. Ames, of Minneapolis, was called to the chair and E.D. Porter, of Mankato, was chosen Secretary. A constitution was adopted, the convention adjourned, and Grand Master Palmer, being present, the Grand Commandery of Minnesota was opened, and Grand Officers elected and installed. Sir Knight George W. Prescott, of Saint Paul, was the first Grand Commander.”
This concise account of the formation of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Minnesota was prepared by S.K. Thomas Montgomery, Grand Recorder and Past Grand Commander of Minnesota, for his report on the proceedings of the Grand Commandery of 1902. At that time S.K. Montgomery was in his twelfth year as Grand Recorder; his predecessor, S.K. A.T.C. Pierson, who had been appointed the first Grand Commander of the Grand Encampment of Minnesota (later to become Damascus Commandery No. 1, K.T.), had served in that office through fourteen terms. In that report special note was made that of the 33 Grand Commanders who had served in Minnesota, 26 were still alive at the time and continued active. Many of the Commanderies (totally 29 in number) already, by Triennials of the Grand Encampment in Chicago, Cleveland, and St. Louis, escorts for more than twenty corner stone layings by the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, and parades (including one in 1884 said to be the largest to that time, when 700 Sir Knights led by eleven bands of music paraded in Minneapolis).
In order to trace the beginnings of Templary in Minnesota, and in particular, the organization and history of the Grand Commandery, one must look first at the development of Masonry in Minnesota. A number of accounts concerning these early years are to be found in the records of Secretaries of some of the first Blue Lodges, and in those of the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge, AF & AM, of Minnesota. A number of important similarities will be found, first in the manner in which these bodies met to form what was to become the Grand Lodge, the Grand Chapter, and the Grand Commandery.
The first evidence of Masonic presence in Minnesota can be found in the inscription on the cornerstone at the Commanding Officer’s Quarters at Fort Snelling. Although the present stone is a reproduction of the original which was damaged and fragments of which were incorporated into the walls of the structure during a later remodeling, the text of the inscription was recorded in the 1860’s while the stone was still intact and in place. Names carved into the stone are those of a William Goddard “master builder” and a James Delaney “stone-cutter”; below these names is carved the Masonic emblem of the square, compasses, and letter “G”. The date is 1823.
Twenty-six years later, the first published noticed of a Masonic meeting appeared in the May 26, 1849 edition of the “Minnesota Pioneer”, a Saint Paul newspaper published by Bro. James Goodhue. Other notices are to be found in the historical archives of early newspapers in both Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Meetings were held wherever space was available, whether it be in hotels, schoolhouses, or private residences.
At the aforementioned meeting in Saint Paul, it was determined that a petition would be sent to the Grand Master of Ohio asking for a Dispensation to create a Lodge and perform the work of the Degrees. The process consisted first requesting and being granted a Dispensation, to be followed later by a Charter, and finally by the Constitution of a Lodge. In this fashion, the Dispensation was granted for the formation of Saint Paul Lodge No. 223 of “Ohio”. The Charter was issued on January 24, 1853.
In similar manner, petitions were sent to form Lodges in Stillwater and Saint Anthony (later merged with Minneapolis). The Stillwater body petitioned the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin and received Dispensation as Saint John’s Lodge No. 39 of Wisconsin; their Charter was issued on June 9, 1852. The petition from Saint Anthony was sent to the Grand Lodge of Illinois, which granted Dispensation as Cataract Lodge No. 121 of Illinois; Charter was issued on October 5, 1852.
With the Constitution of the Saint Paul Lodge in 1853, there were in Minnesota the minimum number of Lodge required to form a legal Grand Lodge. A convention of the three Chartered Lodges was held in Saint Paul on February 23, 1853; this convention marked the formation of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota. The three subordinate Lodges were then renumbered according to the dates at which they were individually Chartered, as Saint John’s Lodge No. 1, Cataract Lodge No. 2, and Saint Paul Lodge No. 3.
In similar fashion, the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Minnesota was formed. Dispensations and Charters were issued by the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons for the formation of Minnesota Chapter No. 1 in Saint Paul (1853), Vermillion Chapter No. 2 in Hastings (1857), and Saint Anthony Falls Chapter No. 3 at Saint Anthony (1858). On December 17, 1859, delegates from these three Chapters met in the Masonic Temple in Saint Paul, and having the authority and approbation of Albert G. Mackey, General Grand High Priest of the General Grand Chapter, formed the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Minnesota.
The formation of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Minnesota occurred on October 23, 1865, as a result of the actions of four active Commanderies which had received Dispensation, Charter, and Constitution by the General Grand Encampment of the United States of America. These four Commanderies were Damascus Commandery No. 1 of Saint Paul (Chartered 1856), Zion Commandery No. 2 of Minneapolis (Chartered 1865), Couer De Lion Commandery No. 3 of Winona (Chartered 1865), and Mankato Commandery No. 4 of Mankato (Chartered 1865). (Individual histories of these Commanderies are included elsewhere in this account.)
Investigation into the records of the formation of the Grand Commandery found no information concerning the call for the Convention nor any records in minute books or notices nor authorization for any representatives of any of the Commanderies to attend such a Convention. Records begin with the commencement of proceedings of the Convention, which was held at the Masonic Hall in Saint Paul on Monday, October 23, 1865 (at 7 o’clock A.M.). Representatives from each of the four Commanderies were appointed for the purpose of reading and executing the warrant enabling the establishment of the Grand Commandery of Minnesota.
The following warrant was read, having been issued by the Grand Master of the General Grand Encampment:
OFFICE OF THE GRAND MASTER OF KNIGHTS TEMPLAR OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. TO ALL TRUE AND COURTEOUS KNIGHTS OF OUR ORDER:
KNOW YE, THAT WHEREAS, THERE ARE NOW ESTABLISHED AND EXISTING FOUR COMMANDERIES IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, HOLDING THEIR AUTHORITY FROM THE GRAND ENCAMPMENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND WORKING UNDER ITS JURISDICTION, TO WIT: DAMASCUS COMMANDERY NO. 1; ZION COMMANDERY NO. 2; COUER DE LION COMMANDERY NO. 3; AND MANKATO COMMANDERY NO. 4.
AND, WHEREAS, ON BEHALF OF THOSE COMMANDERIES, IT HAS BEEN DULY CERTIFIED UNTO ME THAT THEY ARE DESIOUS TO FORM, HOLD, AND MAINTAIN A GRAND COMMANDERY IN AND FOR THE SAID STATE OF MINNESOTA, SUBORDINATE TO THE GRAND EMCAMPMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; THEREFORE I, HENRY L. PALMER, GRAND MASTER AS AFORESAID, BEING SATISFIED THAT SUCH REQUEST IS REASONABLE AND PROPER, BY VIRTUE OF THE HIGH POWER IN ME VESTED, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONSTITUTION AND RULES OF OUR ORDER, DO HEREBY AUTHORIZE AND EMPOWER THE AFORESAID COMMANDERIES NOS. 1, 2, 3, AND 4, IN DUE ORDER TO MEET AT SUCH TIME AND PLACE AS THEY MAY AGREE UPON, AND FORM A STATE GRAND COMMANDERY IN AND FOR THE SAID STATE OF MINNESOTA, SUBORDINATE TO OUR GRAND ENCAMPMENT, SUCH STATE GRAND COMMANDERY, WHEN SO FORMED, MAKING DUE RETURN AND REPORT TO ME OF ALL THEIR OFFICIAL DOINGS AND PROCEEDINGS IN THE PREMISES, AND MAKING A LIKE RETURN TO OUR V.E. GRAND RECORDER, AND FOR ALL OF THEIR DOINGS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES AND USAGES OF OUR ORDER IN FORMING SUCH STATE GRAND COMMANDERY, THIS SHALL BE THEIR WARRANT.
GIVEN UNDER MY HAND AND PRIVATE SEAL AT THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE, THIS 19TH DAY OF OCTOBER, A.D. 1865, A.O. 747.
H.L. PALMER (SEAL) GRAND MASTER KNIGHTS TEMPLAR, U.S.A.
Delegates present who were enlisted to vote in the Convention to form the Grand Commandery of Minnesota were as follows: S.K. George W. Prescott, S.K. Freeman James, and S.K. A.T.C. Pierson; DAMASCUS COMMANDERY NO. 1, SAINT PAUL S.K. A.E. Ames; ZION COMMANDERY NO. 2, MINNEAPOLIS S.K. R. Urquhart and S.K. J.M. Cole; COUER DE LION COMMANDERY NO. 3, WINONA S.K. E.D.B. Porter and S.K. A. Hanna; MANKATO COMMANDERY NO. 4, MANKATO
Other matters of business which were acted upon by the Convention included drafting of a Constitution; as time had not been allowed for a detailed draft to be prepared, the Convention adopted the Constitution of the Grand Encampment. This Constitution contained articles providing for the government of State Grand Commanderies, which, it was felt, were sufficient for the present time to govern the new Grand Commandery provided minor alterations and additions were made to address specific requirements and circumstances.
The date for the Annual Conclave of the Grand Commandery was set at the 24th day of June, unless that date fell on a Sunday, in which case the Conclave would convene on the following Monday. Places of meeting were to be designated at the previous annual conclave. To cover expenses, a fee of $3.00 was set to be collected at the conferral of Templar Orders on each new Sir Knight by subordinate Commanderies.
After completion of business of the Convention, the first Grand Officers were installed by M.E. Sir Knight H.L. Palmer, Grand Master of Knights Templar of the United States, who was present. A roster of those first Grand Officers follows:
R.E. George W. Prescott, St. Paul: Grand Commander V.E. A.E. Ames, Minneapolis: Deputy Grand Commander E. L.M. Cole, Winona: Grand Generalissimo E. A. Hanna, Mankato: Grand Captain General E. Rev. S.Y. McMasters, St. Paul: Grand Prelate E. John Cushing, Winona: Grand Senior Warden E. J.M. Eustis, Minneapolis: Grand Junior Warden E. E.D.P. Porter, Mankato: Grand Treasurer E. C.W. Carpenter, St. Paul: Grand Recorder E. W.G. Dye, Winona: Grand Standard Bearer E. J.C. Terry, St. Paul: Grand Sword Bearer E. H.L. Balch, Minneapolis: Grand Warder E. A. Richardson, St. Paul: Grand Captain of the Guard
The above short historical sketch highlights the formation and organization of the Grand Commandery of Minnesota. The four Commanderies who had met in Convention to accomplish this had been working under Dispensations and Charters which had been issued by the Grand Encampment. With the formation of the Grand Commandery, these Commanderies now became subordinate, and new Charters were required to be issued to them. Accordingly, the records of the Grand Commandery list the date of Charter for Damascus, Zion, Couer De Lion, and Mankato Commanderies as October 28, 1865, although these four Commanderies actually pre-date the Grand Commandery in existence.
(Information for this overview was edited from the records of the Grand Commandery of Minnesota as appearing in the Report of the 100 Annual Conclave.)
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