HISTORY FIRST FIFTY YEARS
VISTA MASONIC LODGE # 215 A. F. & A. M.
Of OREGON
By
WB R. Charles Ponder, III
Worshipful Master 1982
With Valued Input by
WB William T. Lucas
Worshipful Master 1974
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1954
Grand Lodge Members 42,566; Lodges 185
Early in 1954 WB J. Robert Williams (a Past Master of Pacific Lodge # 50 in Salem Oregon) gathered together 12
Master Masons and made application to the Grand Lodge of Oregon A. F. & A. M. to receive a letter of dispensation to form
a new lodge in the city of Salem, Oregon. Dispensation was granted on April 4, 1954.
As one of the requirements the Lodge under dispensation must perform all three degrees and raise a new member to the
degree of Master Mason. It was also necessary for the members to raise funds to operate the Lodge and to locate a lodge room
with the necessary equipment to open Lodge and conduct business. The first permanent lodge location was in Beaver Hall
over Greenbaum Fabrics as it was known in those days, located on Northeast Commercial in downtown Salem. With all the
requirements necessary, the Grand Lodge in session on June 17, 1954 issued a Charter number 215 to Vista Lodge.
1964
Members 0; Grand Lodge Members 42,724; Lodges 192
In the mid 60’s Vista Lodge found themselves in need of funds to operate the Lodge, A benefactor by the name of
WB Leonard Judson, HPM came to the aid of Vista Lodge. The real property on Belleview was purchased in the early 1960’s.
The building was the former Isaac Walton Gun Club, with a living apartment which was rented to a student going to college
who also acted as caretaker for the property. The outside security was handled by a Hobo who slept under the outside stairs.
The Salem Flood of 1964 took its total of damage on the Lodge Hall and many repairs were needed with many man hours to
bring the property to a safe useable condition. In the early 70’s the City of Salem Oregon gave notice to Vista Lodge and the
other owners of their real property located on Belleview Avenue in Salem they were going to purchase the property. As a
result of the notice those who were tenants moved out, which placed a burden on the owners of no funds to operate the lodge
and take care of the necessary repairs of the property.
1974
Members 0; Grand Lodge Members 35,303; Lodges 188
The winter storms of 1973 and 1974 caused the banks of Mill Creek to overflow which placed an additional burden on
Worshipful Master William T. Lucas as it was necessary to pump rain water from the basement of the Lodge Hall on
Belleview Avenue. The officers and members were called to clean up the Lodge prior to opening Lodge in work clothes and
hip boots were the formal dress for the first lodge meeting of the year, a real disappointment for an incoming Master.
During the latter part of the 70’s the owners of the Belleview Avenue property retained an attorney to force the sale of the real
property, winning the law suit was able to invest the funds. A new home for the Lodge was found within the Scottish Rite
Temple on South Commercial in Salem. WM Gerald B. Smith became the first Master at the new location in 1979.
I
n 1981 the membership voted to search the Salem area for a new Lodge location and purchase property as a joint venture with
Kingwood Lodge # 204 and the Salem York Rite bodies. The real property owned by Kingwood Lodge in West Salem was in
dire need of repair and lacking the funds to make the necessary repairs offered their real property as part of the investment in
the joint venture.
Prior to 1982 the Masonic Tri-District in Salem held the Summer Outdoor degree on Geren Island North of Stayton, Oregon
when in May the owner, the City of Salem, locked the gates and requested we no longer use the island. Right Worshipful
Brother Henry J. Tate, District Deputy for District # 35 who owned some 100 acres North of Sublimity, Oregon with a home
and two barns in the center of the property was contacted and after learning of the problem offered his farm for the event.
Lodge was set up between two barns and the stations were located with dairy milk cans with a stack of bailed hay as the Alter.
This was a concern for Vista as they had the responsibility to obtain the dispensation from Grand Lodge and open the Lodge
on the Master Mason Degree. It was a great event and lots of fried chicken with baked beans was enjoyed by all. A member of
the Armed Forces was raised in true form. This became the site for the Outdoor Degree for both the Tri-District and the local
chapter of the Order of De Molay for the next few years.
During the early 1980’s the Grand Lodge levied a member assessment of $10.00 per a member, this assessment was paid from
interest earning and not passed on to the Vista Lodge Brothers. In 1982 a Past State Master Councilor was raised to Master
Mason with the degree team made up of all Past Master Councilors with MWB John F. Erwin, PGM 1980 serving as
Senior Deacon and WB Herman C. Kuppler, Senior Grand Deacon 1982 giving the Grand Lodge Charge. All Officers were in
full Masonic Costumes. In 1983 Vista Lodge with the support of merchants in Salem and the Oregon National Guard,
Boy Scouts of America and the Salem Garden Club installed a Baseball Field and Picnic tables at the Shangri-La Home and
School in Southeast Salem.
1984
Members 127; Grand Lodge Members 27,656 Lodges 171
Property was located on Hoffman Road in the Northeast area of Salem in 1984. The purchase was made of a church with
seven acres. Renovation of the church began and in 1985 the Grand Lodge of Oregon dedicated the Lodge. Much of the leg work
for locating the Hoffman property and the renovation is credited to WB Ralph W. (Bill) Schnider as he expended many hours as
supervisor of renovation activities at the new Lodge.
In the mid-1980’s Vista Lodge members elected to award two $1,000.00 Scholarships, one each to a male and female student
at Chemeketa Community College located in Salem, Oregon. In 1991WB Robert L. (Larry) Carns and WB Thurson P. Swanson
started the Annual Thanksgiving Dinner for members and guests who had no family to share their dinner with. For the first four
or five years it was a great success and then the Master’s failed to promote the activity and it fell to the wayside.
Throughout the late 1980’s and the 1990’s each major rain storm the basement of the Hoffman property would become flooded
and needed a work party to clean up the Lodge before real damage occurred.
1994
Members 0; Grand Lodge Members 42.566; Lodges 185
1996 Kingwood Lodge # 204 and in 2001 Keizer Lodge #219 lacking members to fill the necessary officer positions in their
Lodge and a decrease in members approached Vista Lodge with the intent to merge their members and assets. The lodges agreed
to vacate every other officer position to give the two lodges a feeling of belonging to one lodge.
In 1996 WB Richard V. Green came up with the idea of a Christmas Party for Homeless Children which was a great success
and is carried on to this day.
2004
Members 0; Grand Lodge Members 42.566; Lodges 185
On June 17, 2005 Vista Lodge celebrated their First Fifty Years with a Bar-B-Q, members and guests were invited to share in
the celebration by Worshipful Master Kenneth Mason Crick.
