History

The Cornerstone of Our Lodge

On the evening of October 17, 1903 a meeting was held in the office of a local furniture manufacturer. Attending the meeting were members of the St. Anthony Park Masonic Fraternity; and the subject under consideration was to determine if a new masonic group could organize at the St. Anthony Park lodge. Most of those attending the meeting were in favor of the idea, however, there was not a unanimous consent among the members. The members then decided to postpone their decision until it could be shown that enough people of this jurisdiction would join the new group to warrant use of the St. Anthony Park Lodge. At a later date a second meeting was held where the charter for membership was given to the St. Anthony Park Masons; after the charter was circulated and discussed it was opposed. The group that wished to organize could not use this location for their activities.

Another meeting was held on the evening of November 19, 1904 in the anteroom of Odd Fellows Hall. At this meeting the previous pledge for membership was circulated a second time for petitioners to sign. Following this, at an adjourned meeting at a later date, it was then decided that enough names had been gathered to warrant the beginning of the neccessary paperwork and propaganda to be given to the Officers of the Grand Lodge for a dispensation. There was still disapproval throughout a number of masonic lodges, but eventually the opposition subsided and a dispensation was granted. Before this could happen the group had to agree to change the lodge name they decided on from Interurban to Ramsey. The first official meeting of Ramsey Lodge was held on April 7, 1905 in the Odd Fellows Hall.

The members of the newly established Ramsey Lodge were quick to secure their own location. On November 17, 1905 a committee was appointed to petition the Grand Lodge for a charter. On January 8, 1906 it was decided that if the charter was granted the lodge would change its name from Ramsey to Tusler. It was also decided that when the charter was granted the members of St. Anthony Park Lodge and their families would be invited to the installation. Ramsy Lodge was granted their charter and on February 2, 1906 Most Worshipful Past Grand Master Henry M. Tusler read a proxy allowing him to constitute Tusler Lodge # 263.

One hundred and five years later we are still meeting and membership is growing.