LOVELAND, COLORADO
Loveland Lodge was formed by the following members, George M. Harris, Worshipful Master, a civil war veteran; Thomas Gross, farmer and horse breeder; David W. Miller, farmer; William B. Sutherland, doctor; Jefferson McAnelly, lawyer and later County Judge; John J. Burke, clothing store manager; Edwin M. Currier, probably a farmer; James Sullivan, “came west with family in spring of 1862, located near Bear Creek south of Denver, and later moved to vicinity of Loveland became County Commissioner.”
‘Watrous states in his history of Larimer County “He was a man of few words, but inflexible purpose, a hater of shams and a rigid adherent of right in all relations of Life”; Obediah Smith, Justice of the Peace and former school teacher; Aaron S. Benson, Bank President, also State Representative; John W. Ansell; Jerry Quigley, orchardist; Joseph B. Middleton, stage driver to Estes Park. First meetings were held in the I.O.O.F. Hall, Loveland, Colorado, or as it was originally called, Old St. Louis, a settlement twenty-three years old when the lodge was instituted. The above named brethren signed the petition for dispensation. The dispensation was granted April 17, 1883 and the charter was granted September 18, 1883 at the Grand Lodge Annual Communication, at which meeting Most Worshipful Brother Frank Church presided as Grand Master.
The Lodge was constituted during the term of Most Worshipful Brother Andrew Sagendorf who deputized George E. Wyman to actually constitute Loveland No. 53. This Lodge was named for the town in which it met, as were many of our Colorado Lodges.
The first jewels of the officers were donated by Collins Lodge No. 19, however there were some hand made jewels used previously which are in the museum of Loveland Lodge and can be seen at any time. The brethren of Loveland Lodge were very secretive in their doings especially after a Masonic trial of a local publisher for printing too much of the affairs of the Lodge. The brother was acquitted but a clamp of censorship is noted, even in the minutes, from that time. Three Masonic cornerstones have been laid in the Town of Loveland.
On November 30, 1960, No. 53 had 340 members.
