LODGE HISTORY

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BRUCITE LODGE #42 Free & Accepted Masons of Nevada

Brucite Lodge #42 was conceived October 9, 1952 when the holders of 15 lodge cards met to form a Masonic Club.
The name "Gabbs Masons" was selected, and dues were 50 cents a month. R.C. Mount was elected first president,
A.Y. Smith, vice-president, and S.V. Wines, secretary-treasurer. A committee was appointed to formulate by-laws 
for the club, and these were accepted at the meeting of march 9, 1953. The club did not meet during the summer, but
in the summer of 1953 did send a bus load of children to the Shrine Circus in Reno. This event was successful, and
was repeated the following year.

The meeting night was the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. During the Winter, the club had dinners and dances.
In November 1954 the members drew up a petition to the Grand Lodge for a charter for the club. In March 1955 a 
dispensation was granted, and the group began plans for a lodge of their own. The Nye County School District had
invited the Grand Lodge to lay the cornerstone for the new high school in June of 1955. The Gabbs group took this
as their opportunity to petition the Grand Lodge for a dispensation for a lodge in Gabbs. A special meeting was held
in May, and Ben L. Wiley was elected the first Master, W.C.Burnett, as Senior Warden, and Henry Eddy as 
Junior Warden.

At the meeting, the name Brucite was chosen for the proposed lodge. The Grand Lodge session in June granted 
a dispensation for the group to work as a lodge, and the individuals spent July getting demits from their individual 
lodges. August 9, 1955 was the night the group officially received it's dispensation to act as a lodge. Past Grand 
Master Hugh Wilson officiated at the presentation ceremony. During the next year, four Masons were raised, and 
several degrees were pending. In June 1956 during a session in Boulder City, Brucite Lodge U.D. petitioned 
Grand Lodge for a charter. The charter was granted September 8, 1956, and Brucite Lodge #42 was formed at Gabbs. 
Most Worshipful Grand Master Charles E. Flemming, and other Grand Lodge officers officiated at the consecration. 
From the original 19 members, the group had grown to 35 by April of 1957, and in September of 1977 there were 
65 members of the lodge. During the early years Hawthorne Lodge #36 and Churchill Lodge #26 helped with degree 
work and loaned lodge equipment to the Gabbs group. The staff holders, and candle holders used at the Brucite 
Lodge have been cut from blocks of brucite and are unique and valuable lodge furnishings. Officers and charter 
members of Brucite Lodge U.D. were:

Benjamin L. Wiley,   Worshipful Master
W. C. Burnett,          Senior Warden
H. R. Eddy,              Junior Warden
P. A. Achurra,          Treasurer
F. W. Jones,             Secretary
Ert Moore,                Chaplain
R. O. Jones,              Senior Deacon
S. V. Wines,             Junior Deacon
Homer Jones,            Steward
Fred Porteous,          Steward
Rex Rawlings,           Marshal
N. E. Hanson,           Tyler

L-R: Norman Hanson, Robert Jones, Webb Burnett, Henry Eddy, Benjamin Wiley, Ert Moore,
Fred Porteous, Homer Jones, Robert McDonald, Frank Jones, and Don Anderson.

Affiliated Masons:     Don Anderson, John Abbott, J. H. Colvin, R. O. Jones, 
O. S. Howerton, S. V. Wines, W. C. Burnett, Homer Jones, Gordon Smith, H. P. Willard, 
Ben Carpenter, F. W. Jones, Lindsay Smith, W. E. Williams, N. E. Hanson, George H. Smith, 
B. L. Wiley, Joseph Bednar, William Eason, Ert Moore, Fred Porteous, P. A. Achurra, H. R. Eddy, 
Rex Rawlings, W. P. Smith.

                  Raised:   Carl Olaf Anderson, Robert A. McDonald, Ralph Adams.

In 1975, 25 year members H. R. Eddy, Norman Hanson, F. W. Jones, Ert Moore, George H. Smith, 
Gordon Smith, and Lindsay Smith were honored.¹

Images from Brucite's 50th Anniversary

              

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
 

  Past Masters of Brucite

     1955 Benjamin Wiley --- Under Dispensation --- deceased 12-72

                                                                                                       2009 Terry rivero
 

¹. Text from the book - "Gabbs Valley, Nevada Its History & Legend" By Ruth Fenstermaker Danner

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