Bismarck in Burleigh County, North Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
First Masonic Ceremony Held in the Present State of North Dakota
July 31, 1863
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 25, 2023
1. First Masonic Ceremony Marker
On this spot, July 31, 1863, occurred the first Masonic ceremony held in the present state of North Dakota.
It was the Masonic funeral of Lieutenant Fred J. Holt Beaver, an Englishman and Oxonian, and a volunteer soldier, attached to the staff of General H. H. Sibley. He was killed in a skirmish with the Indians and was buried in the rifle pits which were dug along this ridge.
Deputy Grand Master John C. Whipple of Minnesota convened an emergency Masonic Lodge with brothers A. J. Edgerton as Worshipful Master, J. C. Braden, Senior Warden, and Patch, Junior Warden, and the body of brother Beaver was here consigned to earth with Masonic services.
This tablet and mark has been placed by the Grand Lodge, A. F. and A. M., of North Dakota, A. D. 1920, A.L. 5920, to commemorate the fact that while Lieutenant Beaver died far from home and among strangers, yet he was among brethren who saw that the honors so justly his due were paid him.
Erected 1920 by Grand Lodge, A. F. and A. M., of North Dakota.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Wars, US Indian. A significant historical date for this entry is July 31, 1863.
Location. 46° 44.413′ N, 100° 45.762′
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Civilian Conservation Corps (approx. 4.4 miles away); Fort Abraham Lincoln Military Reservation Boundary Marker (approx. 4.4 miles away); Cannonball Concretions (approx. 4.4 miles away); Civilian Conservation Corps Project (approx. 4.4 miles away); Slant Indian Village (approx. 4.4 miles away); Commanding Officer’s Quarters (approx. 4.4 miles away); First News of Custer’s Death (approx. 4.6 miles away); Church of the Bread of Life (approx. 4.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bismarck.
Also see . . .
1. Rev. Frederick John Holt Beever (Find A Grave).
(Oakland Cemetery, Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota) Excerpt:
The ceremony was a Masonic Funeral Service for Brother Frederick Beever, near Bismarck. The best account of the event is thought to come from M.W. Brother Braden himself: In 1877, M. W. Brother John C. Braden, as Grand Master of Minnesota, traveled to Bismarck, N.D. to constitute Bismarck Lodge #120. In his address before the Grand Lodge that year(Submitted on October 25, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)is found the following, which is probably the most authentic account of the Masonic burial of Brother (Lieutenant) Frederick John Holt Beever...Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 25, 20232. First Masonic Ceremony Marker & Site(looking north • marker is on hilltop • surrounded by fence)
2. Pvt Nicholas Miller (Find A Grave).
(Lt. Beaver Masonic Memorial Site, Bismarck, North Dakota) Excerpt:
Pvt. Nicholas Miller enlisted with the 6th Minnesota Infantry, Co. K, in Feb. of 1863. He was 21 years old at the time. Not much is known about Miller, other than the fact that he was killed in the same skirmish as Lt. Beaver, but in a different location somewhere nearby. There are no official military records that Miller's remains were ever removed from the battlefield to another cemetery location, and there is a presumption that he may still be buried somewhere along the river banks in the original rifle pits or at this location where Beaver's body was first laid to rest.(Submitted on October 25, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 25, 2023
3. First Masonic Ceremony Marker & Site
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 25, 2023
4. Nicholas Miller Headstone
Co K
6 Minn Inf
July 29, 1863
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 25, 2023
5. Lt. Beaver Masonic Memorial Site
Credits. This page was last revised on October 25, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 23, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 54 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 25, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
