Origins of Manito Lodge No. 246
VW Roger Nelson, 2021 Grand Historian
(Delivered in a public “reconstitution” ceremony at Manito Lodge, Saturday, October 2, 2021)
One hundred years ago, and seven months after the Presidential inauguration of Warren G. Harding, (a Master Mason from Marion, Ohio), Manito Lodge No. 246 held it’s first official Stated Meeting Under Dispensation from Most Worshipful Grand Master John Gifford. For historical perspective the author feels it is important to give you the milieu in which this storied lodge was born. Prohibition – the nationwide constitutional ban on the importation, production, transportation and sale of alcohol – had been enacted the previous year and was not to be lifted until 1933. The Dow Jones Industrial average would close that year at a whopping 80.80.
Locally, news from the Spokane Daily Chronicle for October 3, 1921 detailed the incident of a security agent for the Great Northern Railroad company who shot and killed one of nine “Hobos” he’d discovered sleeping in a railcar in Hillyard, charges were not expected to be filed, and from Sand Point, Idaho news that a self-described “Human Fly” had fallen 20-feet to his death from the side of the two-story building he’d climbed after gathering all of $2.00 in donations. Ladies may be interested to know that Spokane’s Crescent Store had a 50-percent off sale on player pianos, (which had become all the rage), and the Palace store at Post and Main was selling high-grade men’s felt hats for $2.48.
The idea of forming a neighborhood Lodge on Spokane’s South Hill originated in the minds of 3 men in the Summer of 1920; A.P. Moore, W.I. Harvey and Robert B. Soper, all who lived in the Manito neighborhood and all with somewhat extensive acquaintances on South Hill. Mr. Moore had the largest circle of acquaintances having worked as the neighborhood grocer for several years.
Their first step was to compile a list of some 60 names of known Masons who were unaffiliated, or members of Lodges outside of the concurrent Jurisdiction of the Spokane city Lodges. The task of methodically contacting each one on the list occupied their time in the evening after work, on Sundays and holidays and upon chance meetings occupied their time during the Spring and Summer of 1921. By September they had secured 55 applications with demits attached and these together with a letter asking authority to form a Lodge on the South Hill with A.P. Moore as Worshipful Master, W.I. Harvey as Senior Warden and Robert B. Soper as Junior Warden was delivered to Most Worshipful Grand Master John Gifford, who finding the documents in order and almost four times the required minimum number of petitions, did on September 19, 1921 sign a dispensation granting the request.
A preliminary meeting was held in the building formerly occupied by Manito Methodist Church with a surprisingly large attendance. A temporary chairman and secretary were selected and the purpose of the meeting stated, which included the selection of a full lineup of officers, authorizing the 3 principal officers to find and prepare a temporary meeting place and draw up a set of By-laws. The temporary meeting location these Brothers secured was in a storage room at the rear of Moore’s nearby Manito Grocery & Lockers at 30th and Grand, for which they secured the Grand Master’s permission to use until a more permanent meeting place could be established.
Four men petitioned to receive the degrees of Masonry at that first meeting, including the 25-year-old butcher who worked for A.P. Moore, Ed Walther, nicknamed “Mr. South Hill”. The Walther family has had four generations of Masons raised in Manito lodge, including Ed Walther’s grandsons (and current lodge members) Paul “Ed” Walther, Kent and Gary as well as Great Grandson Neil Walther.
Petitions continued to come in and degree work was held almost once-a-week in the nine months between the first meeting in October and the Grand Lodge meeting in June 1922. The charter was granted during the Grand Lodge Annual Communication in June 1922 while MWB John Gifford was Grand Master and the Lodge was given the number 246 with membership of 64.
The temporary meeting place of Manito Lodge would not accommodate a full attendance of the membership and it was out of the question to think of having the Grand Lodge ceremony there so they were forced to accept the hospitality of the main Masonic Temple on Riverside Avenue downtown; and on the afternoon of August 31, 1922 Manito Lodge #246 was Constituted with full Grand Lodge ceremony under the direction of Grand Master James McCormack.
The Cornerstone for Manito Lodge No. 246 was laid by the Grand Lodge on May 15, 1923 with MWB James McCormack, Grand Master, presiding; and on September 19, 1923 (two years to the day after Dispensation was signed) the doors of the completed Temple were thrown open for the admission of the Grand Lodge to be opened by Grand Master Tom Holman, who dedicated it for its intended use.
Members of Manito Lodge No. 246 to receive Grand Lodge appointments
WB Arthur G Nelson, Grand Sword Bearer
VWB Arthur G Nelson, Deputy in District No. 27
VWB Arthur G Nelson, Credentials Committee
1944-1953 VWB Arthur G Nelson, Credentials Committee
1952 WB F.R. Lilly, Research and Education Committee
1958-1959 VWB Lloyd D Martin, Deputy in District No. 27
1961 VWB Lloyd D Martin, Research and Education Committee
1962 VWB Lloyd D Martin, Grand Historian
1964 WB Dale I Thomas, Junior Grand Deacon
1969 VWB Macy Forsyth, Deputy in District No. 27
1970 VWB Macy Forsyth, Deputy in District No. 33
1972 WB John D Stainer, Junior Grand Steward
1973 WB John D Stainer, Masonic Home Endowment Committee
1974 WB John D Stainer, Chairman Masonic Home Endowment Committee
1975 WB John D Stainer, Grand Historian
1976 VWB John D Stainer, Deputy in District No. 33
1977 VWB John D Stainer, Deputy in District No. 33
1978 VWB John D Stainer, Grand Lecturer
1980 VWB John D Stainer, Senior Grand Deacon
1980 WB Norman Anderson, DeMolay Committee
2000 VWB Jim Nichols, Deputy in District No. 33
2003 WB Lawrence Coulson, Grand Sword Bearer
2007 VWB Brian Gilbert, Deputy in District No. 33
2013-2014 WB Roger Nelson, Grand Lodge Public Relations Committee
2015-2019 WB Roger Nelson, Chairman Grand Lodge Public Relations Committee
2015-2017 VWB Ryan K Leonard, Deputy in District No. 27
2015-2017 VWB Richard Taylor, Deputy in District No. 14
2018-2020 VWB Ryan K. Leonard, Grand Lodge Legislative Task Force
2018-2020 VWB Richard Taylor, Grand Lodge Building Association Temple Board
2018-2020 VWB Richard Taylor, Trustee, Washington Masonic Charities
2019-2021 VWB Roger Nelson, Deputy in District No. 27
2020-2021 VWB Ryan K Leonard, Grand Bible Bearer
2020-2021 WB Bill Bialozor, Junior Grand Steward
2021-2022 VWB Bill Bialozor, Deputy in District No. 27
2021-2022 VWB Roger Nelson, Grand Historian
2022-2023 VWB Bill Bialozor, Deputy in District No. 27
2022-2023 VWB Ryan K Leonard, Grand Bible Bearer & Trustee, Washington Masonic Charities
2022-2023 RWB Roger Nelson, Junior Grand Warden
2023-2024 VWB Bill Bialozor, Grand Sword Bearer
2023-2024 VWB Ryan K Leonard, Trustee, Washington Masonic Charities
2023-2024 RWB Roger Nelson, Senior Grand Warden
2024-2025 RWB Roger Nelson, Deputy Grand Master
