About White River Lodge and its Communities
White River Lodge resulted from a Masonic Study Group in the White Mountains of Arizona. Masons in the area, many of them members of Chalcedony Lodge #6 in Holbrook, would get together to discuss Freemasonry. They would visit lodges in the area such as to White Mountain Lodge #3 in Globe, Arizona or Chalcedony #6.
Two of our charter members, Brothers Levon Raybon and Hal Butler gave us histories of a Masonic Study Group that led to the founding of White River Lodge that are on other pages of this Website.
The Lodge met in the Elks Lodge after it first obtained its charter. A couple of years after the Lodge received its charter C. C. and June Haymond donated the Masons an acre of land next the Elks Lodge. The brothers completed a new Lodge Building in 1967, in December of that year the area received seventy-three inches of snow in eight days causing the roof over the Lodge room to collapse. There are still torn places on the carpet from the cave in. To prevent the dining room from collapsing, the brothers installed special supports that are still in place. In the 1980’s, the Lodge brothers decided to purchase a second acre of land and Roger and Ann Edwards donated a third acre. The Lodge now sits on a three-acre site.
In 1970, David Camp Porter was initiated and received his third degree in White River Lodge. In 1974, he was Worshipful Master of White River Lodge and afterwards he served as secretary of the Lodge until 1989. In 1990-1991, he served as Grand Master of Masons in Arizona. His first official visit as Grand Master was to a lodge in Magdalena, New Mexico because this was his father’s Lodge. Thirteen brothers from White River Lodge made the journey with him. The brothers of Magdalena Lodge greeted the brothers of White River Lodge with a chili dinner and great hospitality. In the spring of 1991, Most Worshipful Brother Porter held Grand Lodge in Show Low.
Between 1976 and 2003, White River Lodge had an outdoor degree at a location in Apache County called Buckelew Springs. The interest in the outdoor degree originated with the cowboy heritage of many members, an example is was brother Loy Varnell whose story was in the 1992 edition of Western Horseman magazine. Buckelew Springs is a beautiful area within the pine trees at an elevation of 7500 feet. A spring supplied water for making coffee, cooking beans, washing dishes, etc. Brothers would camp at the springs beginning on a Thursday and remain until the following Sunday. Beef, donated by a brother who ran cattle in the area, was cooked in a six-foot pit for brothers attending the degree work. The Lodge invited ladies and guests to an evening meal. A drought in the southwest put an end to the outdoor degree. Brother Greg Boyd wrote an interesting history of Buckelew Springs on another page in this Website.
Presently the main fundraiser is a fall BBQ that occurs the Sunday before Labor Day. The BBQ only runs from noon until two PM. The lodge has
been doing the BBQ since 1983. There have always been brothers in White River Lodge who like to cook.
A complete history of Masonry in the White Mountains would require a mention of the Prince Hall Lodge in McNary. I do not know when this Lodge started or when it closed. At least one of their members, Walsh Mack, was an Arizona Prince Hall Grand Master. He was very highly respected in the Pinetop area, many people still remember this vary large man.
Show Low is in eastern Arizona, about half way between the Mexico and Utah borders and about sixty miles from New Mexico. The town is
named after a legendary and colorful all night card game between two ranchers playing to see who would keep a ranch where the town is now located. The town is at an elevation of 6400 feet above sea level. A ponderosa pine tree line runs through the town. On the south and west side of Show Low are in ponderosa pine forests. The forest extends from southern New Mexico to west of Flagstaff and is the largest stand of ponderosa pine in the world. The east and north sides of Show Low is on the edge of high plateau desert topography that covers northeastern Arizona, the vegetation is mostly grass and scrub brush such as saggy bark cedar and alligator juniper trees. Temperatures in Show Low are about 25 degrees cooler than Phoenix. We get snow in the winter and tourist in the summer.
When you travel south from Show Low the elevation slowly increases. Mountains nearby include Mount Baldy with an elevation of 11,420 feet. The White Mountain Apache Indian Tribe runs Sun Rise Ski Resort if you like skiing. Between Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside is the
Mogollon Rim Overlook walk that is about a mile long and well worth your while. The walk is easy and is highly recommend. Fishing is very popular; the area has some of the best fly-fishing in the world according to some accounts. An airport and shuttle bus serves Show Low from Phoenix.
Two of our charter members, Brothers Levon Raybon and Hal Butler gave us histories of a Masonic Study Group that led to the founding of White River Lodge that are on other pages of this Website.
The Lodge met in the Elks Lodge after it first obtained its charter. A couple of years after the Lodge received its charter C. C. and June Haymond donated the Masons an acre of land next the Elks Lodge. The brothers completed a new Lodge Building in 1967, in December of that year the area received seventy-three inches of snow in eight days causing the roof over the Lodge room to collapse. There are still torn places on the carpet from the cave in. To prevent the dining room from collapsing, the brothers installed special supports that are still in place. In the 1980’s, the Lodge brothers decided to purchase a second acre of land and Roger and Ann Edwards donated a third acre. The Lodge now sits on a three-acre site.
In 1970, David Camp Porter was initiated and received his third degree in White River Lodge. In 1974, he was Worshipful Master of White River Lodge and afterwards he served as secretary of the Lodge until 1989. In 1990-1991, he served as Grand Master of Masons in Arizona. His first official visit as Grand Master was to a lodge in Magdalena, New Mexico because this was his father’s Lodge. Thirteen brothers from White River Lodge made the journey with him. The brothers of Magdalena Lodge greeted the brothers of White River Lodge with a chili dinner and great hospitality. In the spring of 1991, Most Worshipful Brother Porter held Grand Lodge in Show Low.
Between 1976 and 2003, White River Lodge had an outdoor degree at a location in Apache County called Buckelew Springs. The interest in the outdoor degree originated with the cowboy heritage of many members, an example is was brother Loy Varnell whose story was in the 1992 edition of Western Horseman magazine. Buckelew Springs is a beautiful area within the pine trees at an elevation of 7500 feet. A spring supplied water for making coffee, cooking beans, washing dishes, etc. Brothers would camp at the springs beginning on a Thursday and remain until the following Sunday. Beef, donated by a brother who ran cattle in the area, was cooked in a six-foot pit for brothers attending the degree work. The Lodge invited ladies and guests to an evening meal. A drought in the southwest put an end to the outdoor degree. Brother Greg Boyd wrote an interesting history of Buckelew Springs on another page in this Website.
Presently the main fundraiser is a fall BBQ that occurs the Sunday before Labor Day. The BBQ only runs from noon until two PM. The lodge has
been doing the BBQ since 1983. There have always been brothers in White River Lodge who like to cook.
A complete history of Masonry in the White Mountains would require a mention of the Prince Hall Lodge in McNary. I do not know when this Lodge started or when it closed. At least one of their members, Walsh Mack, was an Arizona Prince Hall Grand Master. He was very highly respected in the Pinetop area, many people still remember this vary large man.
Show Low is in eastern Arizona, about half way between the Mexico and Utah borders and about sixty miles from New Mexico. The town is
named after a legendary and colorful all night card game between two ranchers playing to see who would keep a ranch where the town is now located. The town is at an elevation of 6400 feet above sea level. A ponderosa pine tree line runs through the town. On the south and west side of Show Low are in ponderosa pine forests. The forest extends from southern New Mexico to west of Flagstaff and is the largest stand of ponderosa pine in the world. The east and north sides of Show Low is on the edge of high plateau desert topography that covers northeastern Arizona, the vegetation is mostly grass and scrub brush such as saggy bark cedar and alligator juniper trees. Temperatures in Show Low are about 25 degrees cooler than Phoenix. We get snow in the winter and tourist in the summer.
When you travel south from Show Low the elevation slowly increases. Mountains nearby include Mount Baldy with an elevation of 11,420 feet. The White Mountain Apache Indian Tribe runs Sun Rise Ski Resort if you like skiing. Between Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside is the
Mogollon Rim Overlook walk that is about a mile long and well worth your while. The walk is easy and is highly recommend. Fishing is very popular; the area has some of the best fly-fishing in the world according to some accounts. An airport and shuttle bus serves Show Low from Phoenix.
Stories of Loy Varnell
Loy was a coyboy who had worked for the White Mountain Apaches on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. He has a very colorful history. His stories are available in the slides below.
Autobiography of Loy Varnell |
Article from December 1992 of Western Horseman magazine |