MINTURN, COLORADO
Eagle Lodge No. 43 was formed at Mitchell, a now-extinct town on the western side of Tennessee Pass. The initial membership, so far as anyone knows, was drawn from the miners, lumbermen and railroaders who were opening up Eagle County. Most of the history relating to its dispensation, and the date of its petition for dispensation, have been lost to our records. The dispensation was issued on April 20, 1881 by Grand Master Lawrence N. Greenleaf.
The charter was issued at the Grand Lodge communication in 1881, when Robert A. Quillian was Grand Master. It was named for Eagle County, or the Eagle River, which seems to have given its name to the county. It was the first, and for many years the only, Masonic body in the county.
Sometime between 1881 and 1901, the Lodge moved from Mitchell to Red Cliff, which was at that time the county seat. In 1901 or 1902, it moved to Minturn. Unfortunately, all the original records, including the charter, were destroyed by fire in 1909 or 1910. There is no record of any meeting between December 4, 1909, and September 2, 1911. The only record which survived the fire was the current minute book, which was in the secretary’s home at the time.
On August 10, 1916, the present hall was purchased. The first communication ,in the new hall was held on November 17, 1917.
George E. Simonton, Master in 1892 and 1893, was Grand Master in 1912.
