Missouri Grand Lodge
Charter issued in June 13th, 1838
By Thomas Wildey
Founder of North American Odd Fellowship
On the 18th of August, 1834, the Grand Lodge of the United States granted a Charter for a Lodge in St. Louis, to be called, "Traveler's Rest Lodge, No. 1." P. G. Samuel L. Miller, who was commissioned to open the Lodge, landed here on the 1st April, 1835, and after considerable delay in getting the requisite number of petitioners together, the Lodge was finally instituted on the 3rd day of June, with six members. This was the first Lodge of our Order west of the Mississippi.
"Wildey Lodge, No. 2," of St. Louis, was instituted on the 12th day of June, 1838, by Past Grand Sire Wildey, the "traveling agent" of the G. L. U.S., under a Charter granted by that body, May 16th, 1837.
The Past Grands in these two Lodges were organized into a Grand Lodge on the 13th day of June, 1838, under a Charter of that date, issued by P. G. Sire Wildey, under his authority as "traveling agent."
The proceedings of the Grand Lodge, for the first few years, seem to have been very informally entered upon the journal. None of the proceedings appeared in printed form until the Quarterly Session of April, 1845; and the then Grand Master, Gerard B. Allen, has the credit of introducing the measure to print the journal. The revenue of the Grand Lodge being insufficient to meet the expense, it was made up, mostly, by the Lodges in the City of St. Louis. Since that time, the proceedings have been regularly printed and distributed.
This complitation of the journal in a continuous form, from the organization of the Grand Lodge, to and including the Annual Session of 1853, has been made in conformity to a resolution of the late session, instructing the undersigned to prepare the proceedings for the press, and have the same printed and bound.
/s/ ISAAC M. VEITCH, Grand Secretary
Grand Secretary's Office }
St. Louis, January 1st, 1854 }
The Grand Lodge Office of the Grand Lodge of Missouri was located in St. Louis, Missouri from its start until 1980 when it was moved to Columbia, Missouri. In 1988 it was moved to Fulton, Missouri where it still remains.