Past Masters

A meeting at Room 520 of the Felt Building, Salt Lake City, Utah, was held by seventeen Brethren on January 17, 1911, for the purpose of completing arrangements for petitioning the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Utah for a dispensation for a new Lodge in Salt Lake City, Utah. J.G. Bywater acted as Worshipful Master, and Arthur Griffin was Acting Secretary

On February 11, 1911, a petition signed by fourty Brethren, twenty one of whom were members of existing Utah Lodges, was forwarded to the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge, and a dispensation was granted on February 16, 1911 by the Grand Master, G. B. Pfoutz.

On February 25, 1911, Acacia Lodge was formally instituted. The Grand Master and every officer of the Grand Lodge, as well as over two hundred Masons were present. Acacia Lodge was the first new Masonic Lodge instituted in Salt Lake City in over fourty years.

There is no record as to why the name “Acacia” was chosen, except that Christopher H. Diehl, who was the Grand Secretary, suggested the name, and it was a by a standing vote.

During the year Acacia Lodge worked under dispensation, 101 degrees were conferred, thirty-three of which were Master Mason Degrees. Fifty-Six petitions were received, of which fifteen were rejected.

A Petition for Charter was filed under date of December 2, 1911. The Charter was granted January 16, 1912 and on February 10, 1912 Acacia Lodge was constituted under Charter. By the end of 1913, membership had passed the one hundred mark. In 1919, the two hundred mark was reached. The largest membership of 518 was attained in 1954.

After the organization meeting on January 17, 1911, by unanimous vote the members present recommended Brother Joseph G. Bywater, a Past Master of Mt. Moriah Lodge, to be Master. Brother Bywater was a locomotive engineer on the D&RGW Railroad. Brother Royal E. Wight was elected Worshipful Master upon Acacia Lodge receiving it’s charter on February 10, 1912.

Beginning in July 1919, Acacia Lodge published a small paper called “Sprigs of Acacia”. This small magazine was published until the five Blue Lodges in Salt Lake City joined together, and the magazine continued until January 1921, when it was discontinued due to the failing health of the managing editor, Brother Freeman A. McCarty.

This brief history is just the beginning… check back often for more history as it becomes available.