{"id":18,"date":"2026-03-06T03:33:49","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T11:33:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/richlandlodge283.com\/wordpress\/?page_id=18"},"modified":"2026-03-06T04:45:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T12:45:24","slug":"lodge-history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/richlandlodge283.com\/wordpress\/lodge-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Lodge History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Richland<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Brief History of Richland Lodge No. 283<\/strong> <\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

THE BEGINNING<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Real “Miracle in The Desert”<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
NOTE<\/strong>: the following article was taken from the Masonic Quarterly, Christmas Issue, 1973<\/strong>, submitted by Ken G. West who was serving as Worshipful Master at the time of submission. <\/pre>\n\n\n\n
At the New York World\u2019s Fair in 1964, the General Electric Company, then Prime Contractor for the Atomic Energy Commission, had a carousel type display entitled, \u201cMiracle in the Desert\u201d. It depicted in graphic form the tremendous strides made in the field of atomic energy and how it changed not only the course of our lives but that of the entire world. The Manhattan Project, the world\u2019s best kept secret, had begun late in 1942 by a handful of men who selected Hanford, Washington as the hub of activity. A more remote and desolate site could not have been found; Hanford was surrounded by 975 square miles of desert wasteland bordered by the Columbia and Yakima Rivers. Within two years somewhere between 65,000 to 75,000 construction workers and military personnel flooded the area. Richland, some 30 miles away, was chosen as a residential site for Hanford workers. From a quiet farm community of 240 souls, it mushroomed into a town of 25,000 permanent residents, who had come from all over the nation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As miraculous as the project itself, another miracle in the desert was evolving in the form of a Masonic Lodge composed of Master Masons from thousands of miles away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since 90% of the workers on this immense project were far from home, and many military men were Mason\u2019s longing to have fellowship with other Masons, they organized the Richland Masonic Club in March 1944., under the careful guidance of dedicated brethren. Ritual Groups were formed and rehearsed, being given assistance by lodges of neighboring towns. Most of the club members were from other states, so there was much to be learned before being chartered in Washington State. On May 25, 1945, the Grand Master granted 21 members of Richland Masonic Club a dispensation to form a lodge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1944 the club had rented an abandoned warehouse from the government, who owned all\u00a0property\u00a0in the town. It was a disreputable-looking building, until the brothers got to work. The floor was sagging, and it was obvious that new flooring would have to be installed. One of the first miracles concerned the flooring. One day in 1946 a truck backed up to the front door of the\u00a0Lodge\u00a0and enough pre-cut oak flooring was unloaded to cover the entire lodge room. Upon questioning, the driver said; \u201cI don\u2019t know where it came from, Boss; all I know is that I was told to say that King Solomon sent it.\u201d\u00a0The source remains a mystery, but it was promptly\u00a0put to use\u00a0in the Temple.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On June 16,1946, the M \u2234W \u2234 Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington granted a charter to 74 members of Richland Lodge U.D. (Under Dispensation), thereafter known as Richland Lodge No. 283. During the ensuing years Richland Lodge blossomed, despite misgivings of Grand Lodge. There was no guarantee that Richland would not turn out to be another construction \u201cBoom Town.\u201d Nothing could have been more wrong. In 1946 alone, 205 degrees were conferred;\u00a0probably a\u00a0record for the Grand Jurisdiction of Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another miracle saved the lodge from the ravages of flood\u00a0waters.\u00a0In May 1948, the Columbia River rampaged and inundated hundreds of miles in Washington and Oregon.\u00a0An engineer brother (Harry Kramer) predicted that everything along the river, including the lodge, would be\u00a0under water\u00a0in a matter of hours.\u00a0So,\u00a0in the middle of the night every Mason in Richland,\u00a0who could be reached,\u00a0rushed down to the Temple with crowbars in hand and pried up every inch of the cherished oak floor. The Temple was later moved to its present location in Richland Heights, overlooking the city \u2013 safe from future flood threats.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Hand<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
One of the larger miracles\u00a0happened\u00a0with the aid of\u00a0the Past Grand Master of Missouri)\u00a0Brother Harry S. Truman,\u00a0President of the United States at the time. The government had set a price for the sale of the lodge building and of course, the members were anxious to buy it. However, repeated requests to\u00a0purchase\u00a0the building were ignored. Finally, one brother wrote to the President and complained about the\u00a0apparent\u00a0run around the brethren were experiencing. It is not known how the red tape was cut, but within two months the lodge had the deed to the property. Naturally enough, M \u2234 W \u2234 Brother Harry S. Truman was made an Honorary Past Master of Richland Lodge, a fact of which it is justly proud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lodge is also proud of the 27 Worshipful Masters\u00a0(Presiding Officers)\u00a0who have led its destiny,\u00a0in a town noted for its skilled craftsmen, scientists, professional men, and engineers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, Richland Lodge is clearly\u00a0the\u00a0\u201cMiracle in the Desert.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where We Are Today<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\"Richland<\/a>
Richland Masonic Temple in its current location at 412 Thayer Dr. Richland Washington<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
A lot has happened since\u00a0our\u00a0brother\u00a0Ken West prepared the preceding article. It was truly too good however, to leave out of\u00a0the history\u00a0of our\u00a0lodge!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lodge was\u00a0very active\u00a0through the seventies and eighties, performing degree work and\u00a0placing\u00a0cornerstones throughout the community.\u00a0During the latter part of the\u00a0nineties,\u00a0however,\u00a0not as many\u00a0men\u00a0were joining as in the past and the decline continued through the early 2000s.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social values began to shift in the\u00a0second\u00a0half\u00a0of 2010\u00a0when a\u00a0reemphasis on membership\u00a0begin to take hold.\u00a0Men\u00a0from the Tri-Cities who were interested in improving themselves,\u00a0practice civility,\u00a0and\u00a0strengthen\u00a0their community\u00a0began knocking on our door in earnest.\u00a0Although Lodge meetings were attended regularly by a dozen or so Brothers\u00a0before,\u00a0a steady flow of candidates sufficiently completed their degrees between 2017 and 2024.\u00a0In 2022 alone\u00a0our lodge\u00a0conferred over 20\u00a0degrees.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Together, the experienced\u00a0members\u00a0joined by their\u00a0new\u00a0brothers proudly carried out\u00a0and, in some instances,\u00a0brought back\u00a0past traditions.\u00a0They\u00a0worked together to forge new experiences that added to the\u00a0identity\u00a0of Richland Lodge. By\u00a0mid-2024\u00a0attendance\u00a0was around\u00a020\u00a0to\u00a030\u00a0brothers.\u00a0As of 2024, there have been\u00a0over 70\u00a0Worshipful Masters who\u00a0have\u00a0helped to\u00a0further\u00a0the\u00a0lodge\u2019s presence in Richland. One would think that the Coronavirus Pandemic of the early 2020s could have negatively impacted Richland Lodge.\u00a0With\u00a0the\u00a0help of teleconferencing tools, and a\u00a0desire\u00a0to preserve Lodge culture,\u00a0we\u00a0quickly rebounded\u00a0from this unique event.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today\u00a0we\u00a0desire\u00a0to\u00a0continue\u00a0Masonic\u00a0Traditions while creating unique experiences.\u00a0The\u00a0lodge\u00a0maintains\u00a0the tradition of having a Table Lodge\u00a0(a program of meeting at\u00a0a Festive Board and breaking bread)\u00a0to\u00a0provide\u00a0additional fraternal opportunities. To date, there have been 31 Annual Table Lodge events.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another\u00a0community outreach project\u00a0that the\u00a0brothers\u00a0have\u00a0participated\u00a0in since 2004\u00a0is\u00a0our\u00a0annual Bikes 4 Books\u00a0Program. Brothers\u00a0help to build bikes and deliver them\u00a0to schools and\/or public libraries.\u00a0These\u00a0bikes provide incentives\u00a0for\u00a0young\u00a0readers,\u00a0and it\u00a0is\u00a0not uncommon to see these bikes featured on social media pages.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the holiday season, our lodge stays active in the community by partnering with Kadlec Medical Center and donating toys for children who find themselves in the hospital during the holidays. The toy drive occurs during December, and the lodge contributes enough toys for the hospital to distribute to children for several months of the year. Similarly, we continue to emphasize the importance of fraternity and family during the holiday season by raising funds to be donated to our extended Masonic family (i.e., widows and home bound brothers).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Masonic<\/a>
Annual Masonic Toy Drive to benefit hospitalized children, hosted by Richland Lodge No. 283<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Aside from our efforts to contribute to the well-being of the community, we also work hard to maintain and improve our building and property. Some of the upgrades have included new heating and cooling units, LED exterior lighting, and the installation of several security cameras inside and outside of the building. Other improvements include wireless internet and audio and visual equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We annually support developing our leader\u2019s skills by encouraging their attendance to leadership conferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While many changes have happened, our vision remains the same as the day that our brother Ken West prepared the article we opened with. We remain proud of our lodge and hope to not only preserve its legacy, but to continue spreading light in our community and making good men better, one Mason at a time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Richland<\/a>
Richland Lodge No. 283, F&AM Sharing Masonry Since 1946<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Brief History of Richland Lodge No. 283  THE BEGINNING The Real “Miracle in The Desert” NOTE: the following article was taken from the Masonic Quarterly, Christmas Issue, 1973, submitted by Ken 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