T4history

HISTORY

The first meeting of Masons in Tucson for the purpose of discussing the formation of a Masonic Club took place on April 11, 1875, at the home of J. S. Mansfeld. This was the beginning of a series of actions taken by some of Tucson's leading pioneers to build our Lodge. The history of Tucson #4 and the history of Tucson are so interrelated that the names of many men famous for building the city are synonymous with those who built Tucson #4.

At a meeting on July 1, 1875, the following were elected officers of the Tucson Masonic Club:

A.C. Benedict.......................................President

J.B. Creamer........................................Vice-President

George Roskruge..................................Secretary

J.S. Mansfeld.......................................Treasurer

Chas. T. Etchells..................................Trustee

R.N. Leatherwood..................................Trustee

A meeting on December 20, 1880 dealt with the measures necessary to establish a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons. It was decided to call it the "Tucson Lodge" and the following were elected to serve as the first officers:

Worshipful Master....................................Ansel M. Bragg

Senior warden..........................................George Roskruge

Junior Warden..........................................Fred Swift

In February, 1881 Abraham Marx replaced Swift as Junior Warden. In April, 1881, Samuel Hughes was initiated as Entered Apprentice and thus became the first person elected and the first to be initiated by the Tucson Lodge. In October, 1881 the Tucson Lodge received it's Charter from the Grand Lodge of California, as Tucson Lodge No. 263. A year later the Grand Lodge of Arizona was formed and the Tucson Lodge became Tucson Lodge No. 4.

The Lodge met at a variety of different places and finally moved to it's present location on Allen Street in 1965.