FREEMASONRY IN THE CANAL ZONE

R. W. Howard W. Osborn, Past District Grand Master of the District 
Lodge of A.F.&A.M. of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, prepared 
this manuscript for use as a Short Talk Bulletin. We
thank him for sharing with us this valuable chapter of Masonic 
History.

Many years before the Pilgrim Fathers landed on the bleak shores of 
New England, four logical routes were already recognized for a Canal 
across the Isthmus between North and South America and surveys had 
been made with the idea in view of creating a man-made channel 
between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Vasco Nunez de Balboa, discoverer of the Pacific, is believed to have 
been the first to conceive the idea of uniting the two oceans by a 
canal. In 1529 Alvaro de Saavedra completed plans for the building of 
an interoceanic waterway, but died before his plans could be 
submitted to his king. In 1534 Charles V ordered the Governor of the 
Region of Panama to make surveys of a route following the Chagres 
River, which is more or less the course of the present Panama Canal. 
This was done but the Governor reported that no monarch could hope to 
accomplish such a feat as joining the two
oceans.

Nothing much was done for nearly two centuries until near the end of 
the 18th century, Baron Von Humboldt, the famous geographer, visited 
the Isthmus and became much interested in the matter. His writings 
were widely read in England, France, Spain, and the United States. In 
1814 the Spaniard Cortez adopted a formal decree for the construction 
of the Isthmian Canal and authorized the formation of a company to 
undertake the work. Within a decade all of Spain's colonies in 
Central and South America established their independence and the 
possibility of Spain taking part in the great project faded away.

The first comprehensive survey by the French was made in 1843 by 
Napoleon Garella. He favored the Panama Route and submitted plans to 
utilize the waters of the Chagres River. He proposed a ship tunnel 
through the continental divide and a canal with 34 locks on the 
Atlantic slope and 16 on the Pacific. He estimated the cost of the 
canal with a tunnel at $25,000,000 and at $28,000,000 with an open 
cut.

Soon after numerous other explorations were made by the Government 
and private companies of the United States, Great Britain and France. 
Among the countless proposals made, none was more fanciful, 
considering present day ship traffic, than the ship railway proposed 
in 1881, by James B. Eads, capable of transporting, in a specially 
built ship cradle, ocean-going vessels of up to 5000 tons.

The first definite step toward the actual construction of the Panama 
Canal was taken on the morning of May 15, 1879, when there met in 
Paris a distinguished group of men of several nationalities to 
discuss and decide where and how the canal might be constructed. The 
movement to assemble this group was initiated by Count Ferdinand de 
Lesseps, the famed builder of the Suez Canal. A sea level canal was 
decided upon and the Compagnie Universalle du Canal Interocenique was 
formed with de
Lesseps as President.

In January 1881, the first detachment of workers was sent out. 
Between 1882 and 1888 the work went forward with dispatch and much 
was accomplished, but at great cost of human lives and money. After 
seven years of work, it was found that a sea level canal was not 
feasible and a provisional change of plans was made which provided 
for a high level canal with a system of locks. Needless to say the 
work failed. The State of Panama revolted and declared its 
independence from Colombia on November 3,
1903. A treaty was negotiated between Panama and the United States 
and on May 4, 1904, Lt.
Mark Brooke, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, acting in accordance with 
instructions received
from the Secretary of War, went to the headquarters of the French 
Canal Company and accepted, in the name of the United States, the 
transfer of its properties for the sum of $40,000,000.

You are all familiar with the problems that the United States 
encountered so there is no need to go into details except to say that 
on August 15, 1914 the Canal was opened to traffic.

With that bit of background, let us get back to the main subject.

Masonry in the Canal Zone had its beginnings in 1898 when Sojourners 
Lodge No. 874 was founded in Colon, Republic of Panama, under the 
Grand Lodge of Scotland. As more and more Americans arrived on the 
Isthmus to work for the Panama Railroad and the Canal, they began to 
apply to Sojourners Lodge as affiliated members or as candidates for 
the degrees. Over a period of years the membership in Sojourners 
Lodge became predominantly American. The long delays in 
communications between Scotland and the desire for closer ties with 
their homeland, led the members to seek a connection with a Grand 
Lodge in the United States. One of the Grand Lodges contacted was
the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and on September 11, 1912, Most 
Worshipful Everett C. Benton, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of 
Massachusetts, announced in the regular Quarterly Communication that 
"I have granted two dispensations for new lodges--one at the Canal 
Zone, Panama, called 'Sojourners Lodge' ...." At the Annual 
Communication of the Grand Lodge held December 11, 1912, the 
Committee on Charters and By-laws recommended that a Charter be 
issued. This recommendation was unanimously approved by the Grand 
Lodge and Sojourners Lodge became
the senior lodge on the Canal Zone.

On September 11, 1912, forty-three Masons submitted a prayer for 
dispensation to form Canal Zone Lodge on the Pacific side. The 
dispensation was issued on December 10, 1913. Prior to this the only 
lodge was on the Atlantic side which entailed travel across the 
Isthmus by railroad and a very long night.

Early in January, 1913, Most Worshipful Benton, accompanied by the 
Deputy Grand Master, Right Worshipful Herbert E. Fletcher and the 
Recording Grand Secretary, Right Worshipful Thomas W. Davis, 
journeyed to the Canal Zone and on January 18 opened a Special 
Communication of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts for the purpose of 
constituting Sojourners Lodge and installing the officers. It
is recorded that there were present Masons from forty states, two 
dependencies and four foreign countries. There were 190 charter 
members in the lodge.

The following day, January 19, 1913, Most Worshipful Benton opened 
another Special
Communication of the Grand Lodge at Ancon, Canal Zone, to pay a 
fraternal visit to Canal Zone Lodge at its first meeting under 
dispensation.

The following year, Right Worshipful Herbert Fletcher, now a Past 
Deputy Grand Master, returned to the Isthmus to open a Deputy Grand 
Lodge for the purpose of constituting Canal Zone Lodge and installing 
its officers on February 21, 1914.

During the forenoon of November 23, 1914, the USAT Buford docked at 
Pier 8, Cristobal, with the 5th U.S. Infantry on board. Among her 
passengers were 1st Lt. George W. Edgerly and many other Masons, both 
officers and enlisted men. The 5th Infantry was to be stationed at 
Camp Empire about midway of the Isthmus making attendance at either 
Sojourners or Canal Zone Lodges very inconvenient. As there were many 
Masons in this area, Brother Edgerly took it upon himself to call a 
meeting on April 27th for interested members of the Craft. Thirty-two 
Brethren attended and a
petition was drawn up. It was voted to call themselves Army Lodge. 
The signatures of fifty Brethren were obtained and the petition 
forwarded. On June 8, 1915 the Grand Master, Most Worshipful Melvin 
M. Johnson, granted the dispensation and appointed Brother Edgerly to 
be the first Master. On March 8, 1916 the Charter was granted but the 
formal ceremony of constitution was not held until May 20, 1916 at 
which time Worshipful John B. Fields, acting on a commission as proxy 
for the Grand Master, presided. More than three hundred Masons 
attended the affair.

In the latter part of 1915 a group of old-fashioned Masons, who had a 
desire for good fellowship and brotherhood, banded together to 
organize the "Twin City Masonic Club." The meetings of this Masonic 
Club were held regularly each month until May 4, 1917. In the latter 
part of 1916, they originated a Petition for a Dispensation to erect 
a Blue Lodge. This petition with fifty signatures was forwarded to 
the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge. Their prayer was answered by 
permission to form
Isthmian Lodge and met regularly under dis-pensation until May 31, 
1918 at which time it was constituted.

In 1918 the Panama Canal moved the Lodge Building from Pariso to 
Pedro Miguel. In those days it was customary for the Canal Zone 
Government to furnish, for a nominal fee, a Lodge Hall in each 
community for meeting places for employee groups, unions, community 
and lodge meetings, etc.

Masonry continued to prosper and grow so that early in 1917, eighty-
eight Master Masons signed a petition for a dispensation to start a 
lodge to be called Darien Lodge in Balboa. This was granted on May 
16, 1917. At a Special Communication held on August 8, 1918 the lodge 
was constituted in full form according to the Ancient usages of the 
Craft. It was reported in the Communication of December 11, 1918, 
that a Special Warrant had been issued on December 6 to Worshipful 
Francis M. Easton and forty-three others to form Sibert Lodge (under 
dispensation) at Gatun, Canal Zone. The Charter for Sibert Lodge was 
approved by Grand Lodge on September 10, 1919 and the lodge was 
constituted
by Right Worshipful Ralph Osborn, District Grand Master, on February 
2, 1920.

The last lodge to be erected in the Canal Zone was Chagres Lodge 
which was warranted under dispensation on March 8, 1921. The Charter 
was approved on December 14,1921 by Grand Lodge and the lodge 
constituted at a Special Communication of the District Grand Lodge, 
February 6,1922, by Worshipful Clinton G. Garty acting as District 
Grand Master.

Seven lodges were constituted in the period 1912 through 1922. 
Masonry had expanded to the point where a close tie with the Grand 
Lodge was needed to expedite and handle the affairs in the Canal 
Zone.

In February of 1916 the Board of Directors of the Grand Lodge gave 
the Grand Master authority to send someone to the Canal Zone to give 
attention to such matters connected with the lodges there as were 
demanding early consideration. During 1916 the Grand Master was 
unable to prevail upon anyone of suitable rank to undertake the trip 
to the Canal Zone. A petition for a dispensation for a new lodge at 
Pariso required careful deliberation and intimate knowledge of local 
conditions to assure a wise decision. Late in the year, the newly-
formed Grand Lodge of Panama asked for recognition of the Grand Lodge 
of Massachusetts.

Accordingly, Most Worshipful Leon M. Abbott, immediately on being 
installed as Grand Master, prevailed upon Most Worshipful Melvin M. 
Johnson, his predecessor, to undertake the trip to the Canal Zone and 
issued, on January 4, 1917, a commission containing the following 
seven points: (l) To open a Deputy Grand Lodge for the purpose of the 
appointment and installation of a District
Grand Master for the Canal Zone; (2) To deliver a dispensation to 
certain Brethren in Pariso,
Canal Zone, who have petitioned to be formed into a lodge; (3) To 
hold one or more Lodges of
Instruction or Exemplification of the work and ritual; (4) To make 
inquiry concerning the newly organized Grand Lodge of Panama and 
report to the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Massachusetts upon the 
advisability of recognizing the said Grand Lodge of Panama; (S) To 
negotiate the terms of a Treaty and execute a Protocol with the said 
Grand Lodge of Panama regarding the relations of the Most Worshipful 
Grand Lodge of Massachusetts with said Grand Lodge of Panama, such 
Treaty to have no force or effect until the Most Worshipful Grand 
Lodge of Massachusetts shall extend Masonic
recognition to the Grand Lodge of Panama and shall ratify such 
Treaty. Said Protocol may establish such relations temporarily and 
until such Treaty shall be ratified by both of said Grand Lodges or 
shall be rejected by either of them; (6) To do and perform all these 
acts for the good of the Craft in the Canal Zone as I should myself 
have power to do if personally present; (7) In all these matters our 
Special Deputy is to have power to act or refrain from action in the 
exercise of his discretion.

Most Worshipful Johnson set sail from New York on January 13, 1917 
and after a stop in Cuba where he was entertained by officials of the 
Grand Lodge of Cuba, he arrived in Cristobal on January 21 where he 
was met by Captain Ralph Osborn, later to become District Grand 
Master. There ensued a number of meetings with local Craftsmen and 
sightseeing to an extent that Brother Stanley Ford recorded in the 
Canal Zone Orient that "Never in the history of the Panama Canal has 
any party seen
more of the Canal Zone and the Canal in so short a space of time than 
did Mr. and Mrs. Melvin M. Johnson and their son, Maynard, Jr., and 
Mr. and Mrs. William H. L. Odell during their eleven days' stay with 
us."

On January 30, 1917 Most Worshipful Johnson met with the Grand Lodge 
of Panama and signed the Treaty which is still in effect after sixty 
years. This Treaty governs the relationships between the lodges of 
the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and the Grand Lodge of Panama.

On January 31, 1917 Most Worshipful Johnson opened a Deputy Grand 
Lodge at Cristobal, Canal Zone, at which his commission from the 
Grand Master was read in the presence of about three hundred Masons. 
Right Worshipful Herbert A. White was installed as the first District 
Grand Master of the Canal Zone Masonic District, the officers of 
Sojourners Lodge were installed, and the dispensation for Isthmian 
Lodge was presented to the committee of that lodge. Right Worshipful 
White was Judge Advocate for the Canal Zone, a Major in the Army, a 
Past Master of Army Lodge at Empire and of Hancock Lodge No. 311, Ft. 
Leavenworth, Kansas. The evening ended with the exemplification of 
the second section of the third degree.

The term of Right Worshipful White was short, lasting only about one 
year as he was called by military duties to another theater of the 
World War. The report of the Grand Master on December 11, 1918 that 
Right Worshipful White had left the Canal Zone stated that his term 
in office was brief, "but his service most important. He had charge 
of affairs in the Canal Zone at a vital and critical period in the 
development of our work there and by his wisdom, sound judgement, and 
active as well as powerful personality, he was enabled to discharge 
the duties of his office with signal success, to his own honor and 
the advancement of the Fraternity. It is a cause for regret that 
conditions were such that he could not be at liberty longer to serve 
the Fraternity in this important position."

In a Special Communication of the District Grand Lodge held Friday, 
May 31, 1918 at Cristobal, Right Worshipful Ralph Osborn was 
installed (in English) by Most Worshipful Guillermo Andreve, Grand 
Master of Panama, and the officers of the Grand Lodge of Panama. The 
Grand Master reported that "The occasion was a very delightful one 
and marked another step in the development and strengthening of the 
cordial relations which exist between the Grand Lodge of 
Massachusetts and the Grand Lodge of Panama." On this same night 
Right Worshipful Osborn and the District Grand Lodge constituted 
Isthmian Lodge and installed its officers. On Thursday, August 8, 
1918 a Special Communication of the District Grand Lodge was opened 
at Balboa to constitute Darien Lodge and install its officers.

In the early days of the District Grand Lodge, because of the 
relatively few lodges and numbers of Past Masters available to serve 
as officers in the District Grand Lodge, officers often served 
several years in the same office. From 1917 to 1954, a period of 
thirty years, there were only four District Grand Masters, two of 
whom served sixteen and fifteen years respectively. In 1954 after 
Most Worshipful
Whitfield Johnson had made his visit to the Canal Zone, he reported 
to Grand Lodge that ". . . Although upon my election as Grand Master, 
I had no first-hand knowledge, after conferring with those who did, 
and after carefully weighing the various points of view, it seemed to 
me that there was a sufficient number of competent and qualified 
Brethren in the office of District Grand Master analagous to our 
Constitutional limitation of three years for the Grand Master ....".

It has been the custom for each Grand Master to make an extended 
visit to the Canal Zone, ten to fourteen days, once during his term 
of office, generally during the second year. These visits have taken 
the form of visiting two or three lodge groups in joint communication 
at which a degree would be conferred, visitation to the District 
Master's Reception for all Masons on the Isthmus and their wives, to 
meet the Grand Master and his official party. The visits have 
included meeting certain high officials of the Panama Canal and 
military, sightseeing in both the Canal Zone and the Republic of 
Panama.

In 1913 at the end of the Masonic year, September 30, there was a 
membership of 239. This
continued to grow to a peak of 4,036 in 1962 and as of September 30, 
1977, the membership stood at 3,542. The busiest years were during 
the period of 1943 to 1948, when a total of 2,127 were initiated. 
These were the years during and just after World War II.

York Rite Masonry was introduced as early as 1910 when a dispensation 
was issued for Canal Zone Chapter No. 1, Royal Arch Masons, located 
on the Pacific side, and on October 30, 1916, one was issued for 
Canal Zone Chapter No. 2 located on the Atlantic side. Canal Zone 
Commandery No. 1, K. T. and Canal Zone Council No. 1, R. & S.M. 
followed in due time.

Scottish Rite, under the Southern Jurisdiction, followed along with 
the Shrine. Abou Saad Temple, A.A.N.O.M.S. has one of the largest 
Jurisdictions of any Temple, as it includes Central and South America 
as well as Puerto Rico.

There are now four Chapters of the Order of the Eastern Star, two 
Chapters of DeMolay, and three Chapters of Rainbow for Girls. Two 
Chapters of National Sojourners and a Conclave of the Red Cross of 
Constantine.

Masonry is still strong on the Isthmus but with the increased use of 
Panamanians in the Canal Organization and the resulting retirement of 
many Americans, attendance has decreased, resulting in the 
consolidation of Canal Zone and Isthmian Lodges into Canal Zone 
Isthmian Lodge in September, 1977.


