DENVER, COLORADO
The first recorded informal meeting of Masons in what is now Colorado was held on November 3, 1858 and was attended by 7 men. This group included Henry Allen, Charles Blake and Andrew Sagendorf, who became Masters of Auraria Lodge U. D., J. D. Ramage, the first Junior Deacon of that lodge, and W. M. Slaughter, Dr. Levi Russell and George Lehow.
The first regular meeting of Masons in Colorado was held on October 1, 1859, when a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Kansas was delivered by R. W. Bro. D. P. Wallingford, Past Deputy Grand Master of Missouri. This lodge, Auraria Lodge U. D., was an immediate success and on November 26, 1859 the minutes showed: “Petition of J. E. Hardy and others of Golden City K. T., praying a recommendation of this lodge to the M. W. Grand Lodge of Kansas for a dispensation authorizing and empowering them to work, was presented and recommended by the lodge.”
On August 2, 1861, the Grand Lodge of Colorado was organized. On December 11, 1861 the Grand Lodge of Colorado chartered the lodge under the name of Denver Lodge No.5.
The records indicate that in 1863 a majority of the members of Denver No.5 believed the cause of the Southern Confederacy to be a just one. When those espousing the Union cause decided to form a new lodge, Union Lodge No. 7 was born.
The lodge has had many meeting places, from the Russell and Sagendorf log cabins to the present building at 1614 Welton Street, which also houses the Grand Lodge offices, the Grand Secretary, Grand Lecturer and Grand Master, as well as the Grand Lodge Museum and Library.
Andrew Sagendorf, Lawrence N. Greenleaf, Frank Church, Cromwell Tucker and Frank L. Bishop, all Past Masters of the lodge, are also Past Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of Colorado. Harry W. Bundy, present Grand Secretary, is an Honorary Past Grand Master, the only Colorado Mason to be so honored. M. W. Bro. Bundy’s other Masonic honors are so numerous as to defy cataloguing. Stewart A. Shafer is the present Senior Grand Steward of the Grand Lodge. Nearly 40 other members of the lodge have been honored by the Grand Lodge in various positions.
The lodge celebrated its 100th anniversary with a dinner and meeting at Colorado Consistory Cathedral on October 3, 1959. The main speaker of the evening was Bro. Gordon Allott,U. S. Senator from Colorado.
On November 30,1960 the lodge’s membership was 799.
