USA > New Mexico > History of New Mexico : its resources and people, Volume I > Part 70
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Kingston Lodge No. 16, Hillsboro, was chartered January 15, 1889. Masters-William H. Bucher, John G. Wagner, Thomas Murphy, John M. Webster. Wardens-Charles L. Edmundson, John G. Wagner, Will-
Vol. I. 32
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ard S. Hopewell, Amelio Lusa, Thomas Murphy, Robert Murray, Ells- worth F. Bloodgood, William H. Bucher, John M. Webster, W. Guy Beals.
Chama Lodge No. 17, Chama, was chartered January 15, 1889. Masters-Charles Branen, Wilmot E. Broad, Lewis Johnson, Charles M. Marshall, John Owens, Henry Seth, Jeremiah E. Thomson, Thomas J. Thomson, John S. Wood, David M. Wright. Wardens-Charles Branen, Wilmot E. Broad, William F. Edwards, Henry Seth, James V. Johnson, Lewis Johnson, George W. La Poite, Charles M. Marshall, John Morris, John Owens, David Rusk, John H. Schakel, Thomas J. Thomson, John S: Wood, David M. Wright.
Roswell Lodge No. 18, Roswell, was chartered January 29, 1890. Masters-William S. Prager, John W. Poe, Nathan Jaffa, Charles Wilson, William M. Atkinson, Edward A. Cahoon, Ralph M. Parsons, Robert Kellahin, James W. Wilson, William T. Joyner. Wardens-John W. Poe, James P. White, Nathan Jaffa, George T. Davis, Charles Wilson, William M. Atkinson, Edward A. Cahoon, William H. Cosgrove, Ralph M. Par- sons, Joseph J. Jaffa, Robert Kellahin, James W. Wilson, William T. Joy- ner, John Shaw.
Cerrillos Lodge No. 19, Cerrillos, was chartered January 20, 1890. Masters-Austin L. Kendall, Richard Green, Earl A. Turner, William E. Dame, J. W. Sullivan. Wardens-Richard Green, W. E. Dame, W. H. Kennedy, Earl A. Turner, Austin L. Kendall, S. C. Clark.
Eddy Lodge No. 21, Carlsbad, was chartered October 2, 1894. Masters -Samuel I. Roberts, Abram N. Pratt, Alonzo Luckey. Wardens-Samuel I. Roberts, Abram N. Pratt, William R. Owen, Lucius Anderson, Daniel H. Lucas, Louis O. Fullen.
Lebanon Lodge No. 22, Gallup, was chartered October 2, 1894. Masters-L. V. Root, E. H. Harlow, J. S. Mohler, D. C. Russell, W. H. Wolff, R. J. Washburn, Palmer Ketner, J. H. Young. Wardens-C. N. Cotton, Simon Frost, Edward Hart, J. H. Young, E. M. Sanjule, Robert Hodgson, T. C. De Shon.
Clayton Lodge No. 23, Clayton, was chartered October 8, 1895. Masters-Robert P. Ervien, John C. Slack, Claus Schleter, John Spring. Wardens-Robert P. Ervien, John C. Slack, Claus Schleter, F. P. Carnes, John Spring, John W. McQueen, John W. Evans, Morris Herzstein.
Sacramento Lodge No. 24, Alamogordo, was chartered October 16, 1900. Masters-Hal. H. Major, George C. Bryan. Wardens-George C. Bryan, Hal. H. Major, Charles E. Beasley, A J. Buck.
San Juan Lodge No. 25. Aztec, was chartered October 21, 1902. Masters-A. R. Springer, E. G. Condit. Wardens-E. G. Condit, G. W. McCoy, Maurice Pembleton, E. D. Duncan.
Portales Lodge No. 26, Portales, was chartered October 20, 1903. Master-Pugh W. Price. Wardens-Ben Wood, Walter O. Oldham, Charles O. Leach.
Tucumcari Lodge No. 27, Tucumcari, was chartered October 18, 1904. Master-John E. Whitmore. Warden-Charles H. Rankin.
Artesia Lodge No. 28, Artesia, was chartered October 18, 1904. Master-John P. Dyer. Warden-John B. Cecil.
Felix Lodge, U. D., Hagerman, was chartered May 16, 1905. Master -Myron C. Moore. Warden-Frank H. Anderson.
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The total membership of the various lodges in the Territory at the date of the last annual report, August 31, 1905, was 1484, divided as follows :
Montezuma, 78; Chapman, 128; Aztec, 33; Union, 28; Temple, 182; Silver City, 101; Socorro, 38; Nimbres, 14; Gate City, 136; Deming, 69; Hiram, 40; Animas, 25; Kingston, 43; Chama, 41; Roswell, 123; Cerril- los, 34; Eddy, 68; Lebanon, 42; Clayton, 51 ; Sacramento, 71; San Juan, 22; Portales, 41 ; Tucumcari, 31 ; Artesia, 34; Felix, II.
The elected officers of the Grand Lodge of New Mexico, with the date of their election, have been as follows :
Grand Masters-August, 1877, William Griffin; January, 1880, William L. Rynerson; January, 1881, S. B. Newcomb; December, 1881, Henry L. Waldo; December, 1882, John B. Wooten; December, 1883, William B. Childers; November, 1884, Cornelius Bennett; November, 1885, Maximilian Frost; November, 1886, C. N. Blackwell; November, 1887, W. S. Harroun; January, 1889, A. H. Morehead; January, 1890, F. H. Kent; January, 1891, C. H. Dane; November, 1891, Richard English ; October, 1892, J. H. Kuhns; 1893, C. H. Sporleder; 1894, J. J. Kelly ; 1895, James H. Wroth ; 1896, Charles Bowmer ; 1897, John W. Poe; 1898, R. C. Stewart ; 1899. Elias E. Day ; 1900, E. S. Stover ; 1901, A. H. Harllee ; 1902, Edward A. Cahoon; 1903, John C. Slack; 1904, G. W. Ward; 1905, James G. Fitch.
Deputy Grand Masters-August, 1877, William L. Rynerson; Jan- uary, 1880, S. B. Newcomb; January, 1881, John B. Wooten; December, 1881, George J. Dinkel; December, 1882, Albert J. Fountain ; December, 1883, Cornelius Bennett; November, 1884, Maximilian Frost; November, 1885, C. N. Blackwell; November, 1886, W. S. Harroun; November, 1887, F. H. Kent; January, 1889, A. H. Morehead; January, 1890, Albert J. Fountain ; Jaunary 1891, Richard English ; November, 1891, J. H. Kuhns; October, 1892, C. H. Sporleder; 1893, Charles Bowmer; 1894, James H. Wroth ; 1895, J. P. McMurray; 1896, John W. Poe; 1897, R. C. Stewart ; 1898, Elias E. Day ; 1899, E. S. Stover ; 1900, A. H. Harllee; 1901, Edward A. Cahoon; 1902, John C. Slack; 1903, G. W. Ward; 1904, James G. Fitch; 1905, A. N. Pratt.
Senior Grand Wardens-August, 1877, S. B. Newcomb; January, 1880, Henry L. Waldo; January, 1881, George J. Dinkel; December, 1881, Albert J. Fountain ; December, 1882, William B. Childers ; December, 1883, Maximilian Frost; November, 1884, Andrew B. Laird; November, 1885, J. H. Kuhns; November, 1886, A. H. Morehead; November, 1887, F. H. Kent; January, 1889, Andrew B. Laird; January 1890, C. H. Dane; Jan- uary, 1891, J. H. Kuhns; November, 1891, C. H. Sporleder ; October, 1892, Charles Bowmer; 1893, J. P. McMurray; 1894, George L. Wyllys; 1895, Chester D. Stevens; 1896, R. C. Stewart; 1897, Elias E. Day; 1898, E. S. Stover; 1899, L. H. Hofmeister; 1900, Edward A. Cahoon; 1901, John C. Slack; 1902, George W. Ward; 1903, James G. Fitch; 1904, A. N. Pratt : 1905, W. E. Dame.
Junior Grand Wardens-August, 1877, G. W. Stebbins; January, 1879, John B. Wooten; January, 1881, M. Bloomfield; December, 1881, William B. Childers : December, 1882, William B. Tipton ; December, 1883, Eugene Cosgrove ; November, 1884. A. M. Whitcomb; November, 1885, D. H. Dotterer; November, 1886, William L. Rynerson; November, 1887, John Corbett : January, 1889, J. D. Bush ; January, 1890, Richard English ;
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January, 1891, C. H. Sporleder; November, 1891, Charles Bowmer ; Octo- ber, 1892, J. P. McMurray ; 1893, J. J. Kelly ; 1894, Chester D. Stevens ; 1895, John W. Poe; 1896, Elias E. Day; 1897, E. S. Stover; 1898, W. E. Dame ; 1899, A. H. Harllee; 1900, John C. Slack; 1901, George W. Ward; 1902, James G. Fitch; 1903, A. N. Pratt; 1904, W. E. Dame; 1905, J. W. Willson.
Grand 'Treasurers-August, 1877, W. Spiegelberg; January, 1881, William G. Ritch; December, 1893, Sigmund Wedeles; November, 1884, Elias S. Stover; November, 1885, J. S. Pishon; November, 1887, Ferd Schmidt ; January, 1889, C. A. Fox; November, 1891, J. W. Schofield; October, 1892, W. W. Pope; 1893, F. H. Kent; 1899, James H. Wroth; 1900, A. J. Maloy.
Grand Secretaries-August, 1877, D. J. Miller; November, 1884, Alpheus A. Keen.
An event to which some romantic interest is attached was the memorial service to Admiral John Paul Jones held by the lodges of the Territory, April 24, 1906, the day on which the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire performed the funeral services over his remains, which had been brought to America from France, and were deposited on that day in the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Edward Leland Bartlett, first grand commander of the Grand Com- mandery of Knights Templar of New Mexico and solicitor general of the Territory, was born in Oxford county, Maine, in 1847, and died at Santa Fé October 19, 1904. In 1857 he removed to Kansas with his father. At the outbreak of the Civil war he returned to Maine to prepare him- self for Bowdoin College. He returned to Kansas in 1866, where he studied law in his father's office until 1869, when he attended the Law Department of the University of Michigan. He was admitted to the bar of Wyandotte county, Kansas, in 1871, and in the Supreme Court of that state in the same year. He remained in Wyandotte, now Kansas City, Kansas, practicing his profession, until 1880, when he removed to Santa Fe. He was adjutant-general of the Territory under Governors Sheldon and Ross, and assisted the regular troops during the Apache campaigns of 1883, 1884 and 1885, and was also active with the militia in suppress- ing cattle thieves and outlaws in the southern part of the Territory during these years. In 1889 he was appointed Solicitor General of New Mexico, which position he held until his death, with the exception of three years. He was one of the prime movers in establishing the New Mexico Bar Association in 1886, when he was elected its first Secretary, and was re- elected annually to that position. He was a member of Santa Fé Com- mandery No. I for twenty-two years and Eminent Commander for ten years, and was the first Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templars of New Mexico. He held high rank in Masonic circles, having attained the thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite. He also had served as grand chancellor of the Knights of Pythias of the State of Kansas. He was a member of the Santa Fe Lodge of Odd Fellows.
Alpheus A. Keen, of Albuquerque, is Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, succeeding David J. Miller in this office, in November, 1884. He was made a Mason in Chapman Lodge at Las Vegas, New Mexico, in 1882, and is a member of all the bodies of Masonry save those of the Scottish Rite. A native of Pomeroy,
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Ohio, he came to New Mexico in October, 1879, settling at Las Vegas. and was employed as a bookeeper in a general merchandise store owned by Frank Chapman, who died January I, 1880. On the 5th of February following Mr. Keen entered the First National Bank at Las Vegas as collection clerk, and continued with that institution until 1890, when he came to Albuquerque and was assistant cashier and later cashier of the First National Bank here. He continued his connection with that financial institution until July 24, 1899, when he resigned to accept his present posi- tion in Santa Fé, as commissioner of public lands, which office was created in that year. He is also Grand Secretary of the Grand Royal Arch Chap- ter and Grand Recorder of the Grand Commandery Knights Templar.
Cony Thomas Brown, M. E., a mining engineer of Socorro, where he has resided since 1880, was born in Maine, November 30, 1856, and his more advanced education was acquired in Maine Central Institute at Pitts- field. He came to Socorro in the service of the Ellis Mining Company and was superintendent for three years of their mine in the Magdalena district. Since that time he has carried on business on his own account, and for the past twenty-five years has held a number of investments in mining property. His professional services, particularly as an expert on zinc deposits, have called him throughout the west and southwest portions of the country and into Mexico and British Columbia. He is recognized as one of the most capable representatives of the profession in this part of the Union.
Mr. Brown is a prominent Mason, having been raised in Socorro Lodge No. 9, A. F. & A. M. He also belongs to Socorro Chapter No. 8, R. A. M., to Hiram Council, R. & S. M., at Albuquerque, to Pilgrim Commandery No. 3, K. T., and Wichita Consistory No. 2, A. & A. S. R. He has largely confined his work to Scottish Rite Masonry, having re- ceived the thirty-third degree in that Rite. He is now serving for the sec- ond term as secretary and treasurer of the board of regents of the School of Mines, which position he has filled since 1898.
Mr. Brown was married in 1890 to Miss Anna Kornitzer, a dangh- ter of Dr. Kornitzer, and their children are Cony C. and Thomas C. Brown.
Henry F. Stephens, a draftsman in the surveyor general's office at Santa Fé, was born in Logan county, Illinois, in 1864, and at the age of nineteen years became a resident of Nebraska. For several years he was engaged in lumber, grain, livestock and banking in Stanton, Ne- braska, and since July, 1902, has been a resident of Santa Fe. He was made a Mason in Northern Light Lodge No. 41, A. F. & A. M., at Stanton in 1891, has taken the degrees of the York Rite and attained the fourteenth degree of the Scottish Rite. He is now master of Montezuma Lodge No. I, A. F. & A. M., of Santa Fé.
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HISTORY OF ODD FELLOWSHIP IN NEW MEXICO.
Following the American occupation of New Mexico, the pioneers found themselves associated in government and general activities with a people foreign in birth, language, habits and fellowship, and who, while courteous in intercourse, were Spanish in character. Many of these people were at first jealous and unsympathetic, and, under prejudice worked upon by both priest and patrician, even hostile. Including the civil officers ap- pointed by the president, the military, the merchants, a few representa- tives of the professions, industrial forces and trappers and the pioneer Americans, they constituted a distinctly new and progressive element and naturally were in close mutual sympathy. Experience under wholesome laws and contact with American people eventually softened antagonisms and brought these new citizens to realize that they were to share a com- mon heritage of liberty. To meet the anomalous conditions of the Ter- ritory, much fell to the sodality of Odd Fellowship.
Most of the American frontiersmen were strangers to one another, but all partook of the force and equality of the pioneer, generous and hos- pitable to a fault. Santa Fé was the great trading point of the south- west, where all interests centered. And from the sturdy manhood gath- ered there, although largely transient, were drawn the eligible initiates into the order. It was near the middle of the nineteenth century that, in answer to the petition of a few Odd Fellows residing in New Mexico, the warrant for the institution of the first lodge in the Territory was issued by Grand Sire Griffin. The application was signed by Joseph D. Ellis, Horace L. Dickinson, Charles L. Spencer, Isidor Sanson, Robert Perry, Jacob Davidson and Robert Cary.
The warrant issued was dated April 21, 1851, and on July 19 following Montezuma Lodge, No. I, was duly instituted at Santa Fé, Robert Cary being the instituting officer. The first officers were: Horace L. Dickin- son, clerk of the Supreme Court, N. G .; George H. Estes, an attorney, V. G .; Charles L. Spencer, a clerk, secretary ; and Joseph Mercure, a mer- chant, treasurer.
Among the names that subsequently appear upon the roll of this lodge were: Thomas H. Mayer, Indian agent; Pinkney R. Tully, lawyer ; D. V. Whiting, clerk and translator; Henry J. Cuniffe, S. J. Spiegelberg, Elias Spiegelberg, Wendel Debus, and J. H. Quinn, merchants; Vicente St. Vrain, Indian trader, and captain of Volunteers during the Taos insur- rection ; John Greiner, secretary of the Territory; Santiago Abreu, stock grower; F. X. Aubrey, freighter; E. G. Nicholson, clergyman; Joab Houghton, first chief justice of New Mexico; J. J. Webb, merchant ; Will- iam Drew, merchant; Perry E. Brocchus, associate justice of the Supreme Court; David J. Miller, chief clerk in the surveyor-general's office; and John B. Grayson, lieutenant-colonel in the United States Army.
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A few weeks after the institution of the lodge, on September 26th, the lodge buried William Curtis Skinner, a member of an eastern lodge, who had been murdered in Santa Fé. This event emphasized the desir- ability of the establishment of a cemetery suitable for the reception of the bodies of members of the craft, and soon afterward the Odd Fellows and Masons joined in the purchase of land for its location. Until the open- ing of the railroad this remained the only consecrated burial place within hundreds of miles of Santa Fé, aside from that of the Roman Catholic church. This cemetery was incorporated by the Masons and Odd Fel- lows of Santa Fé by act of the Legislature April 23, 1853.
Early in 1852 a number of members of Montezuma Lodge withdrew and organized a new lodge, which was instituted as Paradise Lodge No. 2. The two lodges joined in the erection of a lodge temple, the cornerstone of which was laid in 1855 by Horace L. Dickinson, the oration being de- livered by Chief Justice Houghton. This building, which stood on the site now occupied by the convent of the Sisters of Loretto, was afterward de- stroyed by a mountain torrent. The second pioneer lodge referred to was instituted May 13, 1852. The first officers were: James E. Sabine, N. G .; S. J. Spiegelberg, V. G .; John G. Jones, secretary ; and Isaac Hochstaetter, treasurer. These, with D. V. Whiting, Wendel Debus, P. R. Tulley and J. J. Bienke, were the charter members. The first candidates to be initiated were Captain Horace Brooks, U. S. A., and Doctor Edmund J. Barry, surgeon in the U. S. A. This lodge finally became infected with a discordant element, and February 10, 1859, a majority of its members voted to surrender the charter, at the same time petitioning for a new lodge.
April 28, 1853, Ridgely Encampment No. I was instituted at Santa Fé with these officers :
James E. Sabine, C. P .; S. J. Spiegelberg, H. P .; Charles L. Spencer, S. W .; Lewis Hax, J. W .; E. J. Barry, scribe; Levi Spiegelberg, treas- urer.
About the same time Bugle Lodge No. 3 was instituted at Fort Union, with Horace Brooks, N. G .; F. W. Posthoff, V. G .; James Craig, secretary, and W. D. Supp, treasurer. These five bodies, all working at the same time, constituted the pioneer group in advance of all other lodges instituted west of the Missouri river.
The last meeting of Montezuma Lodge, the pioneer of all, was held April 20, 1859. The charter was soon afterward forfeited, the lodge hav- ing dwindled to so small a size that the chairs could not be filled at its meetings. A remarkable coincidence lies in the fact that the charters of Paradise Lodge and Ridgely Encampment were surrendered at the same time. Paradise Lodge was finally resuscitated and instituted December 19, 1859, with the discordant element left out. In 1862, on account of the Civil war, it ceased to meet, but it was revived in 1865 with new blood and has continued to the present time.
With the coming of the railroad to New Mexico other centres of population developed and new lodges were instituted.
September 3, 1887, Grand Sire John H. White, in response to a peti- tion, issued a dispensation directed to Brother A. C. Sloan, A. P. G., of Las Vegas Lodge, and D. D. G. S., vesting in him authority to open and constitute, in Santa Fé, the R. W. Grand Lodge of New Mexico. For
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this purpose a convention assembled at Santa Fé September 7, 1887, with the following named past grands as delegates :
Albuquerque Lodge No. 1, C. L. Hubbs and Edward Strausburg. Paradise Lodge No. 2, James T. Newhall and P. H. Kuhn.
Aztlan Lodge No. 3, A. P. Hogle and J. K. Livingston.
Las Vegas Lodge No. 4, Calvin Fiske and A. C. Sloan. Deming Lodge, No. 6, Edward Pennington and L. Fleishman. Gem City Lodge No. 7, C. T. Russell and R. P. Faddis.
Raton Lodge No. 8, C. F. Houston and G. R. Hill.
The Percha Lodge No. 9, A. J. Kent.
Fidelity Lodge No. 10, John C. Spears.
The Grand Lodge was organized with the following officers: Grand master, A. C. Sloan; deputy grand master, C. L. Hubbs; grand warden, C. T. Russell; grand secretary, P. H. Kuhn; grand treasurer, James T. Newhall. The grand master appointed the following officers: Grand marshal, A. J. Kent; grand conductor, G. R. Hill; grand guardian, John C. Spears ; grand chaplain, A. P. Hogle; grand herald, W. P. McLaugh- lin; grand messenger, Edward Pennington. The past grands who were entitled to seats as members of the Grand Lodge were: D. L. Miller, No. 2; I. S. Tiffany, No. 7; S. T. Reed, No. 3; W. B. Mclaughlin, No. I; M. A. Breeden, No. 2; J. J. Osborn, No. 7; J. N. Strausner, No. 4; William Bolander, No. 2. A. J. Kent was elected representative to the Sovereign Grand Lodge. The total membership of the new jurisdiction was 381.
The first lodge to be instituted after the advent of the Atlantic & Pacific railroad was Las Vegas Lodge No. 4, which was instituted Octo- ber 29, 1879. Following this case San Vicent Lodge No. 5; Silver City, instituted January 4, 1881 (defunct) ; Albuquerque Lodge No. 1, May 5, 1882; Aztlan Lodge No. 3, of Santa Fé, April 26, 1883 (merged with Paradise Lodge No. 2) ; Deming Lodge No. 6, September 22, 1884; Gem City Lodge No. 7. Socorro, November 2, 1885; Raton Lodge No. 8, June 11, 1886; The Percha Lodge No. 9, Kingston, May 10, 1887; Fidel- ity Lodge No. 10, Gallup, August 12, 1887; Blossburg Lodge No. 11, February 4, 1888; Samaritan Lodge N. 12, Roswell, August 8, 1890; Isaac S. Tiffany Lodge No. 13, Silver City, August 17, 1890; San Marcial Lodge No. 14, September 25, 1891 ; Valley Lodge No. 15, Las Cruces, November 28, 1891 ; Golden Rule Lodge No. 16, White Oaks, May 25, 1892; Harmony Lodge No. 17, Albuquerque, June 6, 1893; Friendship Lodge No. 18, Cerrillos, July 8, 1893 (defunct) ; Stanton Lodge No. 19, Fort Stanton, October 21, 1895; Defender Lodge No. 20, Fort Wingate, February 20, 1896; Eddy Lodge No. 21, Carlsbad, June 12, 1896; Cochiti Lodge No. 22, Bland, October 21, 1899; Aztec Lodge No. 23, Aztec, .. , 1900; Farmington Lodge No. 24, February 12, 1901 ; Alamogordo Lodge No. 25, July 6, 1901 ; Damascus Lodge No. 3, Hager- man (taking the number of Aztlan Lodge No. 3, which had merged with Paradise Lodge No. 2), January 6. 1903; Excelsior Lodge No. 5, North Capitan (Coalora), February 28, 1903: Artesia Lodge No. 11, August 20, 1904; Guardian Lodge No. 15, Springer, April 15, 1905.
Golden Rule Lodge No. 16, I. O. O. F., was instituted at White Oaks, New Mexico, May 26, 1892, by Grand Master J. C. Burge. Charter members: John A. Brown, F. O. Anderson, R. D. Armstrong, C. W.
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Marks, J. L. Zimmerman, J. C. Keplinger, H. S. Conrey, E. McB. Timo- ney.
An event of great importance in the history of Odd Fellowship in New Mexico occurred July 17 and 18, 1901, when the golden jubilee meeting of the order, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the institution of the pioneer lodge, was held at Santa Fé. The meeting was a notable one in many ways. It was not only the golden jubilee of the order in the Trans-Missouri West, but also by action of the Grand Lodge in 1899, the occasion of the twelfth consecutive session of the Grand Lodge of New Mexico. The address of welcome to the assemblage was delivered by Amado Chevez, mayor of Santa Fé, the response to which was made by Homer T. Unsell, grand master. Ex-Governor William G. Ritch, past grand master, delivered a historical address dealing with the institution and growth of the order in New Mexico. On the evening of the second day a banquet was served at the Palace Hotel. This concluded the jubilee meeting.
The grand masters and grand secretaries of the grand lodge have been as follows :
Grand Masters: 1887, A. C. Sloan; 1888, C. L. Hubbs; 1889, Caleb F. Houston; 1890, George H. Utter; 1891, J. C. Burge; 1892-3, William G. Ritch; 1894-5, N. E. Stevens; 1896-7, W. A. Givens; 1898, John C. Spears; 1899, Samuel Vann; 1900, Homer T. Unsell; 1901, William E. Kelly; 1902, Alfred Jelfs; 1903, C. G. Cruickshank; 1904, Alexander Bowie; 1905, W. W. Ogle; 1906, B. A. Sleyster.
Grand Secretaries : 1887, S. T. Reed; 1888, S. T. Reed; 1889, C. L. Hubbs ; 1890, C. L. Hubbs; 1891, James T. Newhall; 1892-3, James T. Newhall; 1894-5, James T. Newhall; 1896-7, E. H. Stagg and Joseph P. Lantz; 1898, Joseph P. Lantz; 1899, Joseph P. Lantz and Peter A. Simp- kin; 1900, Peter A. Simpkin and Alexander Bowie; 1901, Alexander Bowie; 1902, N. E. Stevens, 1903, N. E. Stevens; 1904, N. E. Stevens ; 1905, J. C. Spears.
William G. Ritch, deceased. one of the grand masters of the Grand Lodge, was born in Ulster county, New York, in 1830, and died at Palo- mas Hot Springs, September 14, 1904. He took a prominent part in poli- tics in his native county in young manhood. In 1855 he removed to Hud- son, Michigan, and thence to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He served with the Forty-sixth Wisconsin Infantry in the Civil war as first-lieutenant of his company and as adjutant of his regiment. After the war he was a member of the Wisconsin state senate. He became proprietor and editor of the Winnebago County Press, but failing health compelled him to seek a change of climate and he came to New Mexico. In 1873 President Grant appointed him secretary of the Territory, which position he filled for twelve years, in 1875 acting as governor. He was the first president of the New Mexico historical society; president of the Bureau of Immigration and president of the Educational Association of New Mexico. He was very prominent in Odd Fellowship, serving as grand master of the Grand Lodge. He was also recognized as the historian of that order in the Ter- ritory. He was also a Mason, affiliating with Montezuma Lodge No. I of Santa Fé.
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