African American York Masons Lodge forms in Seattle on June 24, 1891.

  • By Helen Lacy
  • Posted 11/07/1998
  • HistoryLink.org Essay 275
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In 1891, the Cornerstone Grand Lodge of the York Masons forms in Seattle. The lodge is led by William Grose (1835-1898), Conrad Rideout, B. F. Forde, William S. Huffman, and Dr. Samuel Burdette. Its purpose is to provide mutual assistance to members and their families in time of need.

Membership also provides entertainment and social interaction among African Americans who hold or aspire to middle-class values.


Sources:

Esther Hall Mumford,Seattle's Black Victorians 1852-1901 (Seattle: Ananse Press, 1980), 167, 168.


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