Correspondence, 1884 - 1943

This collection primarily contains administrative and organizational records of Lead-Deadwood Masonic organizations, including Lodges and York Rite bodies. Little material relates to the Scottish Rite. Materials in the collection include annual reports or returns, officers’ reports, correspondence, financial records of the secretary and treasurer (the secretary handled much of the daily cash flow), membership records, petitions or applications to join or advance, and meeting minutes. Some photographs are included. The collection is arranged in seven series corresponding to the different bodies represented: Golden Star Lodge No. 9, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Dakota Chapter No. 3, Royal Arch Masons; Black Hills No. 3, Royal and Select Masters; Dakota Commandery No. 1, Knights Templar; Lead Chapter No. 18, Order of the Eastern Star; Black Hills Chapter, Order of DeMolay; and Lead Chapters, Modern Brotherhood of America. While the Modern Brotherhood of America is not a Masonic organization, its materials were donated as part of this collection. Subseries contain the records of bodies that merged into each organization.

These records, accumulated from the 1870s to the very early 2000s, were housed in the Masonic Temple in Lead. Storage conditions and access varied through the years, with some resultant damage, loss, or disorder. Original order is lacking, and the records are not complete or consistent. The filing system changed often, e.g. a membership petition might be filed in a petition file in 1920, but in an individual’s file in 1955, sometimes with an associated transfer or resignation paper (known as a “demit”). Rejected petitions might be included with accepted petitions. Annual reports or returns might be found in correspondence instead of a separate file. Many items were appended to minutes.

The rise of Masonic organizations in the area is documented, as well as later lessening of membership and consolidation of units. There is a wealth of early material from the 1870s. Membership records and meeting minutes are abundant, with much biographical information. Correspondence between the Lodge and the Grand Lodge is included, along with information on annual statewide and district affairs.

Applications for membership and transfers throughout the United States are included in most series. Some applicants were never approved for membership, but the applications were retained. Biographical and family information is present. Some information was kept as members died, including death and burial information. Information includes other areas of the United States, as Masons moved and transferred, died, or received longevity awards. Logs of visiting Masons were kept by most bodies.

Frequently members belonged to or held office in more than one unit. This resulted in some mixing of unit files, which were generally left mixed due to the uncertain original rationale for mixing the files and to the difficulty of separating. The records of merged units were continued in existing record books but not necessarily in the record book of the chapter whose name was retained by the merged organization. This can result in an apparent gap in the records, e.g. the minutes from 1920-1921 for Dakota Chapter No. 3 can be found in the minutes of Golden Belt Chapter No. 35, 1912-1922.

Music played a role in rituals and entertainments. A large collection of choral and instrumental sheet music is included, primarily in the Golden Star Lodge No. 9 series.

A sizeable collection of material on the Order of the Eastern Star exists, including scrapbooks. A smaller amount exists for DeMolay, but very little documentation is included from Job's Daughters.