BOULDER, COLORADO
Columbia Lodge No. 14 was granted dispensation on December 17, 1866 being sponsored by Black Hawk Lodge No.11. The dispensation was granted to twelve pioneer gold miners of Columbia City who thereby became our Masonic fathers, and to A. ]. Van Deren, fourth Grand Master (1864) of Masons of Colorado, who was designated Master of the Lodge Under Dispensation but who served as Master only at the opening meeting on January 3, 1867. The other original members were: Theo. Haswell, Senior Warden (who acted as Master throughout 1867 and was Worshipful Master throughout 1868); T. J. Johns, Junior Warden; A. Mills, Treasurer; G. W. Carter, Secretary; O. H. Henry, Senior Deacon (who was to become Master for 1870 and 1871 and, in 1875 Grand Master); E. A. Hupper, Junior Deacon; John Richardson, Tiler; ]. W. Horner; ]. W. Pomeroy; W. T. Potter; M. G. Smith (later to donate 25.5 acres of land to form the original campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder); J. F. Spaulding.
During their eight months Under Dispensation at Columbia City before their charter as Columbia Lodge No. 14 was granted on October 8, 1867, these twelve original brethren fully initiated the following twelve brethren: A. E. Berger; W. A. Corson; Bart Esmond; Henry Green; Troy McCleary; Henry Paul; Thomas Ryalls; W. C. Slater; Wilhelm Sommer; J. A. Stanton; O. H. Tubbs (later changed to E. F. Mason) ; J. W. Wigginton.
The town of Columbia City was short lived and the lodge asked permission to move to Boulder which was granted on October 7, 1868 one year after receiving its charter. Valmont Lodge had been working under dispensation and affiliated with Columbia.
M. W. Bro. Teller reported to the Grand Lodge:
“The brethren of Columbia Lodge desire to change the place of holding their meetings. The most of the members residing in and about ‘Ward have removed to other sections of the country, leaving the brethren in the vicinity of Boulder City to keep up the organization. This they cannot do without considerable trouble and expense, and therefore, they desire to move the lodge to Boulder City where they have made preparations by procuring suitable rooms for lodge purposes. If this change is made it will bring Columbia within seven miles of Valmont and I do not believe both lodges can be well supported so close together. . . I cannot recommend the granting of a charter to them if Columbia lodge is allowed to meet at Boulder City.”
In 1899, thirty-one years after Columbia Lodge No. 14 left its birthplace in Columbia City to survive a depressed economic situation, sufficient prosperity returned to that place to enable another group of miners to form another Masonic Lodge there in a revived town then called Ward. But after 25 years mining again became so depressed that the second Lodge, Mount Audubon, No. 107, felt unable to continue. So in 1924 it was permitted to move to Boulder and consolidate, just as Columbia, had done 54 years before.
The Lodge had the experience of moving from one town to another, absorbing two other lodges and also meeting in nine different halls. The last home of Columbia, had its cornerstone laying on September 10, 1949.
It is notable that four Grand Masters have served as Master of Columbia Lodge No. 14. It has been mentioned that A. J. Van Deren, Grand Master in 1864, was appointed Master of Columbia, U. D.; and that O. H. Henry, an original member of the Lodge U. D., was Grand Master in 1875. Two more were produced by Columbia Lodge No. 14: J. A. Davis, who was Grand Master in 1906; and Professor Wm. R. Arthur, who was Grand Master in 1936.
