Masonic Lodge Building

Masonic Lodge Building. . This site has great historical significance to the beginning of Masonic activities in Indian Territory. In 1877, Basic Masonry (Blue Lodge) came to the small community of approximately 200 people called McAlester. This was the 9th lodge chartered by the Grand Lodge of Indian Territory. The next year, February 23, 1878, a dispensation was received from General Grand High Priest John Frizzell to organize Indian Chapter of Royal Arch Masonry. This was the first location of York Rite Masonry in the whole area now known as Oklahoma. The first local officers were Col. E.J. Banks, High Priest; J.S. Murrow, King; and Judge Stidham, Scribe. Judge Stidham was a member of the Creek Nation Supreme Court., After the first building on this site fell to the Great Fire of 1906, the current building was constructed shortly thereafter. It contained street level store fronts and the Lodge hall upstairs which was used by both McAlester Lodge #9 and the Indian Chapter of Royal Arch Masons for more than 80 years. J.J. McAlester and Dr. D.M. Hailey were both very active in all Masonic bodies during the pre-statehood days., For more than 50 years, the downstairs was home to Hutchison's Grocery Store. Established by Ike Hutchison (namesake of Hutchison Park) in 1933, the small grocery store was a cornerstone of the Old Town Historic District. The business closed its doors in 1985, but those who shopped here have fond memories of times past., The cornerstone was said to contain a 'time capsule' but in 2007, while celebrating Oklahoma's centennial and the centennial of the building, the cornerstone was removed and found to be empty. The members of the Lodge created a 2007 time capsule and installed it on October 4, 2007. It contains business cards, letters and common items from 2007.