Voices from the Past

September 21, 1921

Turley Progressing with Electric Light Plant

Milton “Shorty” Turley is making satisfactory progress in his project to light Broadus with electricity and will soon have the system in steady operation. The Powder River Hotel and the Examiner printing office have their individual plants and to connect with their batteries, special apparatus was needed and this has been ordered from Miles City. Most every business house in Broadus is wired for electricity in addition to several residences.

September 20, 1946

MacBride Took First Prize in Tournament

D.D. MacBride was the winner of the first flight in the first golf tournament at the Broadus Country Club in several years last Sunday. H.R. Straiton was the runner-up. Ashton Jones was the winner of the consolation prize in this flight with Bud Clark the runner-up. In the second flight, Don Heidel took first place with Jerry Vogel runner-up. E.B. Martin was the winner of the consolation prize in this flight with H.L. Whiting runner-up. Winners in the tournament were given two golf balls for their efforts while the runner-ups were satisfied with one golf ball. The tournament was considered quite a success by president J.A. Williams and it is planned to hold another one before winter sets in.

September 23, 1971

Lodge to Celebrate 50th Anniversary

Powder River Lodge No. 135 A.F. & A.M. will celebrate its Golden Anniversary this Saturday, Sept. 25, with an afternoon and evening of festivities. Grand Master of Montana Masons, Arnold Beusen, of Glendive is expected to attend the celebration.

Registration gets underway at the Masonic Temple at 2:00 p.m. followed by a meeting of the men at 3:00 p.m. The Past Matrons will hostess a tea for the Masons’ wives at 2:00 p.m. in the Fireside Room of the Congregational Church. The banquet is free to all Masons and their wives and all Eastern Star members and their husbands. Featured speaker is Harry Wiemer, Past Grand Master of Wyoming, from Sheridan.

The Powder River Lodge was started in 1920 and received its charter on Aug. 21, 1921. S.A. Holt, Sr., a charter member of Ekalaka Lodge No. 120 helped to form Powder River Lodge 135 and served as Worshipful Master in 1920, 1921 and 1922. He also served as secretary of the lodge for over a quarter of a century. Sept. 28, 1920, marks one of the important days in the existence of Powder River Lodge, this being the date of the First Communication of the lodge. The regular officers were as follows: S.A. Holt, Worshipful Master; R.T. Blenkner, Senior Warden; N.A. Burkey, Junior Warden; J.F. Blenkner, Secretary; Chas S. Einsel, Senior Deacon, and A.W. Heidel, Junior Deacon.

The original hall was above the old Powder River County Bank building. This location was used for about 35 years. In 1955 the lodge, after an intense study by a building committee and a fund raising drive, purchased the building vacated by the Congregational Church, remodeled it and moved, in October of that year. A formal dedication ceremony was held in November, 1955, for the present home of the Powder River Lodge No. 135.

The lodge has been honored during their 50-year history by having two members, father and son, elected as Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master of Montana Masons. Steve A. Holt II served as Deputy Grand Master of Montana Masons in 1965 but suffered a fatal heart attack before election of Grand Master held in June of 1966.

Powder River Masons will celebrate with pride Saturday their 50th year. They have been honored with membership of wonderful men, “many pioneers in the development of Powder River County, schools and churches, all fine men, proud of their lodge, community, state and nation.”