Everett Lodge # 137,
            Free & Accepted Masons of Washington|
    234 Olympic Blvd
   Everett Washington, 98203                       

Masonic History

Freemasonry is the oldest, largest and most widely recognized fraternal organization in the World. Founded in London, England in 1717, its current worldwide membership totals 3.6 million members, 1.6 million of which are in North America.

As a fraternal organization, Freemasonry unites men of good character who, though of different religious, ethnic, or social backgrounds, share a belief in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of mankind.

The traditions of Freemasonry are founded upon the building of King Solomon’s Temple, and its fraternal ceremonies use the working tools of the stonemasons to symbolize moral lessons and truths. For example, Masons are reminded at Lodge to “meet upon the level of equality, act by the plumb of uprightness, and part upon the square of virtue.”

Like most organizations, one will get out of Freemasonry what he is able to put into it. However, membership in Freemasonry is not meant in any way to interfere with an individual’s commitment to his faith, family, or occupation. Freemasonry is not and never can be a replacement for these important institutions, but rather it is a positive environment that reminds every Mason of his duty to God, his community, his family and himself.

Freemasonry provides opportunities for sincere, honest, forthright men who believe in God and desire to contribute to the improvement of their communities and themselves. Through our Masonic Fraternalism, we reaffirm our dedication and unity to become involved citizens who have a strong desire to preserve the values that have made and continue to make America great.

It appears reasonable to assume that there were many Masons among the early settlers of this country. There is no reason to doubt that they did meet, hold meetings, and initiate candidates under the "prescriptive right" meaning that they formed Lodges without Warrants, acting upon their "right from time immemorial."

There is evidence that a deputation dated June 5, 1730, was granted to Daniel Coxe, of New Jersey, by the Duke of Norfolk, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England, appointing him Provincial Grand Master of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Moreover, there is evidence that Brethren meeting in Philadelphia applied to him in 1730 and received authority to continue to meet as a regular Lodge.

However, no records of such a Lodge are available to indicate that it continued or was even ever established.

The earliest authentic records of such a Lodge available to indicate that it continued on was from "The First Lodge of Boston" in 1733. This was warranted under a Provincial Grand Master.

On April 30, 1733, this Provincial Grand Master Henry Price, who had received his appointment a short time before from Viscount Montague, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England convened a number of Brethren into a Provincial Grand Lodge, and then form and constituted a subordinate Lodge on Boston. This Lodge, later consolidated with two others, still functions in that city.

On the following year Bro. Henry Price's commission was extended to cover all of North America.

Many of Patriots of the American Revolution were Masons including George Washington, Ben Franklin, James Hamilton, and even the Marquis de Lafayette to name just a few. There were enough Masons in the Continental Army to establish traveling military Lodges, which allowed them to continue to enjoy the warmth of fraternal fellowship. American Union was just such a Lodge and was attached to the Connecticut Line of the Army. The minute books of this Lodge show that General Washington attended meetings of the Lodge on several occasions.

By the year 1800 there were Lodges established in nearly all of the states east of the Mississippi except in Illinois and Wisconsin, and Grand Lodges had been formed in most of them. As an example, Kentucky formed her Grand Lodge in 1792 and was instrumental in forming Lodges in Indiana and the other states around her.

By 1892 there were fifty Grand Lodges in the United States, including one in the Indian Territory which later became the Grand Lodge of Oklahoma. There are now fifty one Grand Lodges in the United States. The Grand Lodge of Alaska even helped to establish the Grand Lodge of Russia after the fall of communism.

                                                                                                                         
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