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Our History

History of Audubon Park Lodge

1926 Lodge Charter

On June 15, 1926, the Grand Lodge of F. & A.M. of Washington held its Annual Communication in Spokane. Grand Master Morton Gregory announced he had granted dispensations for six new Lodges:

 

  • Nov 20, 1925 Charleston Lodge 269 (now at Bremerton),

  • Dec 4, 1925 Ryderwood Lodge 270 (at Ryderwood),

  • Jan 21, 1926 John Paul Jones Lodge 271 (at Gig Harbor),

  • Feb 5, 1926 Audubon Park Lodge 272 (in Spokane),

  • Mar 8, 1926 Concord Lodge 273 (at Aberdeen),

  • May 1, 1926 West Haven Lodge 274 (at Hoquiam)


Each of these new Lodges received their Charters at Grand Lodge on June 16, 1926.

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Audubon Park Lodge No. 272 began its labor with 31 charter members. Harold A. Shaw was elected as the inaugural Worshipful Master. Many of the charter members were also members of North Hill 210. In fact North Hill 210 sponsored us when we petitioned Grand Lodge for a charter.

 

Membership was at its height in 1957 when Audubon Park had over 500 members of record.​​​​​​

Our Beginning

For the first few years, Audubon Park No. 272 members met in a small one-room building at the corner of Audubon Street & Cora Avenue, just across the street from Audubon Municipal Park. The brethren met here from February 1926 to October 1928. Today, a private residence occupies this corner.

Original Lodge Site 1926

Current Site

By the fall of 1928, Audubon Park Lodge had outgrown its original quarters, prompting a move to its current location at 2821 Northwest Boulevard. The transition was a short one, as the new site sat just 200 yards from the old facility.

The cornerstone for the new lodge was laid on April 25, 1928, marking the beginning of a project designed by one of its own: Brother George Rasque, who served as the building's architect.

 

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Current Lodge site built 1928

Features of the New Facility


At more than three times the size of the previous lodge, the new building offered significantly expanded space for its members and the community:

  • Main Floor: A spacious meeting hall and a cozy fireside room.

  • Downstairs: A dedicated dining and dance hall.

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Through decades of meticulous maintenance of both the building and the grounds, Audubon Park No. 272 continues to project an atmosphere of tranquil composure and quiet dignity.

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Note: This beautiful facility is available for for rent for all kinds of events such as weddings and receptions. For more information, please visit the Rental link on the Lodge’s home page.

Lodge Awards

Pillars of Progress Award given to Audubon Park No. 272 by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of F.& A.M of Washington, April 2002, as the Lodge best exemplifying the Pillar of Family Involvement.

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A second Pillars of Progress Award was given to Audubon Park No. 272 by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of F&AM of Washington on November 2, 2002. In District 27 we were cited as the Lodge best exemplifying the Pillar of Information and Technology.

Concordant Bodies

Over the years, several concordant bodies of the Masonic family have been co-located at Audubon Park Lodge No. 272. The Order of the Eastern Star,Audubon Park Chapter 214 held meetings at our lodge from June 19, 1926 to June 16, 1992. The inaugural Worthy Matron was Louise Devoe and the Worthy Patron was Harold Pitts. In June of 1992, Chapter 214 left us to merge with Spokane Chapter 163 of OES.

 

For a time, two Bethels of Jobs Daughters operated simultaneously at Audubon Park No. 272.

Bethel 7 conducted their meetings at the lodge beginning in (1941). Their first Honored Bethel Queen was Helen Turner. Because of declining membership, this Bethel disbanded in (1983).​  Bethel 64 received their charter in April 1959 and have operated continuously since then. Their first Honored Bethel Queen was Sue Heimsjo.

Distinguished Brethren

Past Grand Masters:

  • MWB. Harold E. Tucker (1988)

  • MWB. Douglas E. Tucker (2008)

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Deptuties of the Grandmaster:

  • VWB. Dewey A. Hawes (District 27 for 1947-49)

  • VWB. Chester M. Echelbarger (District 27 for 1988-90)

  • VWB. Douglas E. Tucker (District 27 for 2002-04)

  • VWB. Gaylon Arisman (District 26 for 2002-04)

  • VWB. Charles R. Young (District 27)

  • VWB. Barry C. Rettkowski (District 27 for 2023-25)

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Other Distinguished Brethren:

  • WB. Justin L. Quackenbush:  United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. He died on October 27, 2024, aged 95.

  • WB. Phillip D. Harris: Served as a Spokane County Commissioner for 12 years (three terms), concluding his service in December 2006.

  • B. Richard L. Sayre: A prominent attorney in Spokane holding several leadership roles in the legal community, including serving as a Trustee on the Elder Law Section of the Washington State Bar Association and on the Washington State Professional Guardian Certification Board.

  • B. Ed Shaw: Son of first Master.  Was a "Double Ace," credited with shooting down 13 to 14 enemy aircraft in the Pacific Theater.  Twice awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism and extraordinary achievement in aerial flight. Captain Shaw’s career was tragically cut short when he was killed in an accident on July 31, 1944, at the age of 24. The crash occurred during a test flight in the Mojave Desert in California rather than in combat.  

  • B. George M. Rasque:  (1891–1977) Architect of Audubon Park Lodge building and was a prominent and prolific architect based in Spokane, Washington, often informally referred to as the "State Architect" for Eastern Washington due to the volume of his public building projects.  

Past Masters:

  • 1926 Harold A. Shaw

  • 1927 Alfred M. Oldershaw

  • 1928 John W. Pilam

  • 1929 George E. Adams

  • 1930 Ralph A. Churchill

  • 1931 Claude L. Smith

  • 1932 Alexander McDonald

  • 1933 James G. Burt

  • 1934 Jacob W. Foss

  • 1935 William Ressman

  • 1936 Louis P. Johnson

  • 1937 Joseph H. Sampson

  • 1938 Robert T. Carr

  • 1939 Wesley D. McNee

  • 1940 Leubert A. Witters

  • 1941 Robert A. McDonald

  • 1942 William V. Stone

  • 1943 Leslie V. Reckord

  • 1944 John D. Youngman

  • 1945 Dewey A. Hawes

  • 1946 Paul J. Moody

  • 1947 Will M. Strickler

  • 1948 Joseph F. Keller

  • 1949 Forrest H. Garrett

  • 1950 Virgil H. Shurtleff

  • 1951 Ray A. Fyfe

  • 1952 Donald McGougan

  • 1953 Glen L. Lane

  • 1954 Joe M. Click

  • 1955 Albert W. Doughty

  • 1956 H. Lee Pitts

  • 1957 John M. Lipp

  • 1958 Orin L. Johnson

  • 1959 John Gulbrecht, Jr.

  • 1960 Harold E. Tucker

  • 1961 Claude W. Smith

  • 1962 Robert E. Lucht

  • 1963 John D. Key

  • 1964 Justin L. Quackenbush

  • 1965 A. Jack Bishop

  • 1966 John D. Key

  • 1967 Claude W. Smith

  • 1968 Chester M. Echelbarger

  • 1969 Erthel M. Godwin

  • 1970 Martin H. Echelbarger

  • 1971 Howard W. Clifford

  • 1972 Frederick G. Schoch

  • 1973 Walter A. Denison

  • 1974 John D. Wells

  • 1975 Anthony Sandusky

  • 1976 Willis H. Smith

  • 1977 Andy Manolis

  • 1978 Lloyd Hartman  

  • 1979 Howard Halpin

  • 1980 Edward L. Barton, Jr.

  • 1981 Robert H. Killian

  • 1982 Charles C. Anderson

  • 1983 Richard N. Turner

  • 1984 Marion C. McElroy

  • 1985 Floyd A. Morse

  • 1986 Gordon E. Vails

  • 1987 Eric E. Berman

  • 1988 Dean F. Whittier

  • 1989 Gaylon Arisman

  • 1990 David C. Ferguson

  • 1991 Pete Beardsley

  • 1992 Phillip D. Harris

  • 1993 Richard C. Roark

  • 1994 Wm. Otis Naff

  • 1995 Gordon E. Vails

  • 1996 Harold E. Tucker

  • 1997 Franz Adelquist

  • 1998 Douglas E. Tucker

  • 1999 Philip R. Rhea

  • 2000 Floyd A. Morse

  • 2001 Richard J. Hawley

  • 2002 Paul J. Vielle

  • 2003 John M. Smith

  • 2004 Robert K. Good

  • 2005 Charles R. Young

  • 2006 William T. Wilson

  • 2007 William T. Wilson

  • 2008 H. William Queen

  • 2009 Barry C. Rettkowski

  • 2010 Richard A. Hentz

  • 2011 William T. Wilson

  • 2012 Charles R. Young

  • 2013 Barry C. Rettkowski

  • 2014 Charles R. Young

  • 2015 Kimberly A. Roddy

  • 2016 Barry C. Rettkowski

  • 2017 William T. Wilson

  • 2018 Robert C. Stevenson

  • 2019 Douglas E. Tucker

  • 2020 Howard Ballou

  • 2021 I. Merle Iverson

  • 2022 Derik L. Fausett

  • 2023 Derik L. Fausett

  • 2024 Kevin Conrad

  • 2025 Barrett Adams

  • 2026 Derik L. Fausett

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