Gold Hill Had Masonic Silver Star Lodge No. 5

 

This image (courtesy of the University of Nevada, Reno) has been digitally edited
to make it lighter for publication. The stereograph shows Gold Hill's  Masonic Lodge.

by Glenn Franco Simmons

Masons have helped shaped the state of Nevada's history since before its territorial status.

In mining communities bustling with Masons, there was a selfless desire to construct Temples in each community that could sustain an active membership.

Masons in Gold Hill felt such a calling and were responsible for the establishment of Silver Star Lodge No. 5.

“The brethren at Gold Hill were led in their undertaking {to establish a Lodge} by Bro. Charles E. Ollney and Duane L. Bliss. ... ,” according to “History of Masonry in Nevada” (©) by C.W. Torrence (Western Printing & Publishing Co., Sparks, Nev.).

“On the 11th of April, 1863, Wm. G. Alban, R. R. Barnes, Levi W. Lee, M. Frankenheimer, Lewis B. Frankel, Sigmund Ettinger, A. C. Hollingshead, Hugh McLeod, Henry Donnelly, N. A. H. Ball, Robert Webber, Charles E. Olney, Duane Bliss, Samuel Robinson, and H. H. Veasy framed a petition to the Grand Lodge of California asking permission to establish a lodge at Gold Hill. On the 20th of June, 1863, the document for which they petitioned was issued, and on July 11th the dispensation was delivered, and W. G. Alban was installed Worshipful Master; E. R. Barnes, Senior Warden; L. W. Lee, Junior Warden; S. H. Robinson, Treasurer; S. Ettinger, Secretary; L. B. Frankel, Senior Deacon; A. C. Hollingshead, Junior Deacon; H. McLeod and M. Frankenheimer, Stewards; H. N. Veasy, Tyler. …”

Sadly, as Mr. Torrence noted in his excellent book, the decline in Comstock mining led to the demise of numerous Lodges.

(Photograph of Masonic building; stereograph; UNRS-P1386-1.tif collection_4968. Courtesy of University of Nevada, Reno).