Oregon Masonic Museum

09/29/2026

Exciting news for the museum! Ten archival flat cabinets were delivered!

Our textiles, certificates and oversized photos will have a new home!

This will free up so much space in the main archive room.

Thank you GLO Trustees!

09/22/2026

When working at the RMR Memorial Library and Museum you never know what you will find in one box or a folder. Yesterday I found within a huge lodge donation three different groups of written lodge histories.

This is very significant because when a lodge consolidates with another lodge the lodges records become a part of the newly consolidated lodge. Usually these records are placed in storage at the new lodge building and slowly forgotten with time passing.

Within these boxes yesterday was the written histories of four Portland Oregon Lodges:
1. Alberta
2. Sunrise
3. Irvington

This is the ongoing process of connecting the severed threads of history for the Oregon Jurisdiction.

09/22/2026

Today is the first official Oregon Freemasonry Heritage Day, celebrating the 175th anniversary of the founding of their Grand Lodge.

The Grand Lodge of Missouri chartered Oregon's first Masonic Lodge in Oregon. The Masons of California chartered two additional lodges. Members of these three lodges met and established what became the Grand Lodge of Oregon. The newly established Oregon Freemasonry Heritage Day, signed into law by a proclamation from the governor's office, recognizes this historic occasion and all Oregon
Masons have done to make lives better for people in their state.

Oregon is one of the 38 states represented around the Masonic Temple's Grand Staircase. We look forward to celebrating 300 years of Pennsylvania Freemasonry in 2031!

Oregon Masonic Museum

09/22/2026

Troutdale Historical Society https://www.facebook.com/share/19fHmrr6nB/
came out to the Robert M. Richmond Memorial Library and Museum for a private tour. Brother Chris Garza who is the Troutdale Museum Director organized the whole trip. It was a great day!

https://www.facebook.com/share/19HcrdsKoy/

09/16/2026

A wonderful find on Friends of Forest Grove Facebook the other day. They were kind enough to share and allow this image to be shared.

It would have been a special day to be there to witness Brother Sam's 100th Birthday.

Sam was indeed a well Traveled Brother.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/98869155/samuel-best
Source: Friends of Forest Grove Facebook.

09/15/2026

Grand Lodge of Oregon A.F. & A.M. 175th Celebration was well attended. It was a fun day.

09/15/2026

09/13/2026

You never know what will be shared on Facebook. Here is a gem that surfaced on Friends of Forest Grove.

It would have been wonderful to have been there that day to celebrate this honorable Brothers Birthday.

Early research places this Sam Best as a most likely match for a burial location. The name, dates and Oregon burial all make it highly probable that they are the same person.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Bbii5Tntg/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/98869155/samuel-best

09/12/2026

MWB PGM Berryman Jennings was our First Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Oregon Territory.

During today's workday in prep for tomorrow I was preparing the display of PGM Berryman Jennings PGM Jewel. This jewel has been in the same case probably since it was given to the GLO by Mrs. Jennings many years ago.

After the removal from its case, I turned the jewels over and to my surprise they were both engraved.

Even more of a surprise is that the "G" PGM Jewell was indeed for PGM Jennings, but the "Blazing Star" Jewel was a PM Jewel not a PGM Jewel. The PM Jewel was for J. Davidson the first WM of Harmony No. 12 given to him by Wasco No. 15 in 1858.

All these years that this PGM Jennings Jewel sat on display it was never documented that it was engraved.

Also, all these years it was thought that both the G and Blazing Star Jewel were one PGM Jewel for PGM Jennings.

This was an amazing find today. The day before the GLO's 175th.

I had to share this before the 175th.

--

Engraving behind G Jewel
"This Testimonial of Faithful Service"
"Presented by the Grand Lodge of Oregon Territory to
M.W. Berryman Jennings her first Grand Master 1853. June 24th, 5853."

Engraving behind blazing sun Jewel
"Presented to (?) Davidson W.M. Harmony Lodge No. 12 Portland O.T. by Wasco Lodge No. 15 Dalles (Month?) ?st., 1858-5858

09/11/2026

It Begins!!

175th GLO