GOLDEN, COLORADO
Late in the year 1858, George A. Jackson with Tom Golden established winter quarters at the base of the mountains near Clear Creek. During the following winter more prospectors moved into this location and thus started the settlement which developed into the Town of Golden. In this group of men there were some Master Masons and quite naturally these became closely associated. They had a feeling of mutual faith, very necessary in the community in which they were situated.
They became leaders in organizing the City of Golden and in the early fall of 1859, some twenty-three of the brethren made an application for a dispensation to form a lodge and presented it to Auraria Lodge D.D. for recommendation, which was given and forwarded to the Grand Lodge of Kansas Territory in Leavenworth for consideration.
The Grand Master of Masons in Kansas Territory issued a dispensation to Golden City Lodge U.D. in January, 1860, and Auraria Lodge U.D. was invited to institute and install the officers on Feb. 18, 1860, wirh Brother John Hughes officiating at the installation. On that date the Lodge was instituted and the officers installed as follows: Isaac E. Hardy, Worshipful Master; Eli Carter, Senior Warden; James A. Dawson, Junior Warden; Thomas H. Simmons, Secretary; John M. Ferrell, Treasurer; and Isham Hardy, Tiler.
The first candidate, Samuel F. Shaffer was duly elected, initiated, passed and raised and the Grand Master of Kansas Territory issued a Charter to Golden City Lodge No. 34, Kansas Territory, on Oct. 17, 1860. This document reached Golden City in due time and on Jan. 8, 1861, the officers elected and appointed were installed by Right Worshipful Brother L. L. Bowen, Past Deputy Grand Master of Nebraska.
A State organization meeting was held in Masonic Hall, Aug. 7, 1860, with W. M. Hardy acting as Chairman and W. L. Rothrock, Lodge Secretary, acting as Secretary. With few exceptions those attending the meeting were members of the Lodge and were largely responsible for the action taken by Congress in Feb., 1861, when that body set aside the western portion of Kansas Territory and designated it as Colorado Territory.
It is reported that Golden City Lodge first met in a log cabin on Ford Street, which was later destroyed by fire. Later a few meetings were held in the old Overland Hotel on Washington Ave. A building was erected by W. A. H. Loveland who owned the lower floor and the Lodge owned the second floor. After several years the Lodge sold their interest in the building to Loveland but leased the hall for a meeting place. The next meeting place was a much larger hall over the Linder Building and finally in the I.O.O.F. hall over the Kelly Building on the West side of Washington Street, directly across the street from the original Loveland Hall.
Golden City Lodge moved into its new Masonic Temple located at 400 10th Street in 1951. This is a beautiful building which is not only a credit to the Masonic Fraternity, but a valuable asset to the community as well.
No story of Golden Lodge would be complete without mention of the Chivington chair which is owned by the Golden Lodge No.1, and in which Major Chivington sat when presiding over the lodge.
