Chapter XXI
Steptoe Lodge #24
Cherry Creek, NV
There is sublimity in the snow capped mountains of the Ruby Range, arranged so grandly by the Supreme Architect of the Universe, when he laid the rough ashlers of the world; upon which the early empire builders of the west looked with wonder and delight as they trekked their way south through Steptoe Valley, which lies within the boundaries of what in the early days of our country was known as "The Great American Desert".
Within the memory of those yet living, the spreading waste of country lying within the confines of the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean was looked upon with terror, since it was regarded as another Sahara Desert. For generations this vast tract was unexplored, although Franciscan monk and Jesuit priest had entered California, established their missions to the north and south along the coast, and carried their doctrine south and southeast into the country that we now designate as New Mexico and Arizona.
While Lewis and Clark had penetrated and mapped the country to the north and northwest "where flows the mighty Oregon", in 1815 a venturesome Yankee, Jedidiah Smith, braved the dangers and uncertainities of an unknown, sand-strewn, boulder bristling terrain, and crossing over southern Idaho, blazed the first trappers trail a few score miles into what is now Nevada. Peter Ogden followed in his steps a year or so later, and explored a stream which he named Mary, afterwards called the Humboldt, trapping and hunting along its meanderings until the rigors of the weather and the unfriendliness of the Indians drove him across the California border.
But, to the hardihood and determination of John C. Fremont and his band of sturdy followers, is the west indebted for the exploration and mapping of this Great American Desert, for through his discoveries and penetration of this arid wilderness, was it possible for the intrepid and daring pioneers who followed him, to eventually unearth wealth from that unknown, forbidding, mysterious country, for in its hour of dire extremity, threatened dissolution and financial peril, it turned to the desert and the mountain gulches of Nevada for succor, and from its treasure chests was taken an unbelievable store of silver and gold, which brought financial security to a war ridden nation.
Fremont and his band are believed to have charted their explorations into and adjacent to where Egan Canyon is located, turning south as they passed through its mouth and entered Steptoe Valley, and to have traversed the foot of the mountains on the west side until they reached what is now known as Hercules Gap, through which they passed and turned their faces westward to emerge beyond the Ruby Mountains, followed the windings of the Humboldt (River), and further west the Walker River, and crossed over into California.
After Fremont's explorations, no white man is believed to have passed the present site of Cherry Creek until the early (eighteen) fifties, although the district was well known to wandering bands of Indians (both Shoshones and Pah-Utes) making annual pilgrimages to the mountains to hunt and fish.
The history of Cherry Creek may be traced to the establishment of an overland stage station located about four miles south of the present town, in what is now Egan Canyon; this station was built by Major Egan, a noted Indian fighter of his day with headquarters at old Fort Ruby, the first station west of Egan, in that day.
It is claimed, but without historical authority, that gold had been found in Egan Canyon by Indians in the late (eighteen) forties and late (eighteen) fifties, but it was not until the coming of the overland stages, and the establishment of the stage station in the canyon, that it was mined in a sufficient quantity to merit the erection of a small mill to treat the ore. This mill, built by Messrs. O'Conner, Donahue, and Kelley, and named the "Egan Mill", is said to have been the first mill built in Nevada. It was operated by water from Egan Creek, and the amount of gold mined and treated in the mill was shipped to San Francisco, and financed the banking firm of Dohahue, Kelley & Co.
About 1867 with the Central Pacific Railroad was built across Nevada, operations in Egan Canyon were suspended, and mining development was halted until 1870, when Donahue, Kelley & Co. resumed work, and the Egan Tunnel was driven, which tapped the water in the underground workings, and uncovered immense bodies of rich ore. Another stamp mill was erected, and under the management of General Rosecrans of Civil War fame, the company mined and milled more than $350,000.00 worth of bullion before the vein was exhausted about 1876.
The ingress of miners and common labor flocking to the strike in Egan, not only populated the territory adjacent to the workings in the canyon, but spread north, and a settlement was made at what was named Cherry Creek where other mineralized territory was opened, and where the Star Mine was discovered and developed and became a profitable producer, and where the Exchequer and Tea Cup Mines were uncovered and were the agents whereby wealth eventually flowed into the coffers of their promoters, and contributed to the upbuilding of the town.
About 1874 after the mines in Cherry Creek began to operate on a large scale, the town was one of the best in the state, but it was a matter of six years longer before it attained its maximum growth and mineral production.
The resuming of activities of the Egan properties, together with the mines and mills in Cherry Creek, brought to the district about five hundred men, one hundred and fifty of whom are said to have been employed by the Star Mine, the balance engaged in mining and operating the mines around Cherry Creek. This was the halcyon period of the district which continued unabated until about 1883, when production began to decline.
It was during this period of advancement that Masonry came to the town, for among the miners, promoters and operators who had gravitated to the district, were members of the craft, who as the weeks passed were drawn together by the invisible, yet magnetic ties of brotherhood, and met upon the common level of Masonry.
Like the history of Masonry in other mining camps of Nevada, that of Steptoe Lodge No. 24 is largely a history of the district in which it was developed. It was organized following the urge of the brethren in the district for a meeting place, and to overcome the need of traveling sixty-five miles across treacherous mountain roads to attend the nearest Masonic Lodge at Hamilton. The growing need for the moral influence of the craft in the town had long been recognized by the sojourning brethren who lived in and adjoining the camp, and in October 1881, a meeting was called which had for its object the organizing of a Masonic Association, but due to a mine accident, several of the brethren did not answer this call; during the second week in December, another meeting was held, and the Association was formed, with H.A. Comings acting as President, and Evan Harris as Secretary. This association functioned until the following March when the resident Masons are said to have met at the home of Evan Harris and made application to the Grand Lodge of Nevada for permission to organize a Masonic Lodge under dispensation. On April 19th of the same year (1882), the dispensation was granted and the lodge, after formal institution, proceeded to function, with Evan Harris selected as Worshipful Master, H.A. Comins, Senior Deacon, and F.W. Griswold, Junior Deacon (the later two positions should probably read "Warden" vice "Deacon"). At the following communication of the Grand Lodge which convened June 19, 1992 in Virginia City, the books and documents of the lodge were presented for approval, together with a formal request for a charter, and at the recommendation of the Committee on Charters, it was voted that a charter be issued to the brethren at Cherry Creek, that it bear the name of Steptoe Lodge, and be numbered 24 of Nevada registry. The charter bore the name of nineteen brethren.
At the first meeting of the newly chartered lodge, Evan Harris was installed Worshipful Master, H.A. Comins, Senior Warden, and F.W. Griswold, Junior Warden.
Quarters were obtained in a temporary location on the main street of town, and after being reconditioned and fitted with necessary equipment, the lodge proceeded with their work; the growth was steady, quality instead of quantity being stressed in the selection of new members, with the result that a representative class of citizens were enrolled upon their roster. The lodge continued to grow and expand in their original quarters until it was found desirable to remove to another hall, and a suitable location was found in the second story of a building owned by John Carlson and their records, regalia and furnishings were removed to the hall, where uninterrupted, the brethren carried on for over twenty years.
In the meantime, Robinson Canyon lying fifty miles to the south had been prospected and valuable mineral deposits uncovered, with the result that several mining camps had been established adjacent to promising prospects in the canyon, among which was a small settlement at the foot of the canyon which had been named Ely. Eventually, lured by the prospect of steady employment in the mining properties in Robinson Canyon, or the newly developed properties at Ruth and Copper Flat, among the motley throng which gathered at the new settlement of Ely, were Masons, not enough to warrant forming a lodge of their own, even if the settlement would have supported one, but a sufficient number to create a desire for Masonic contact, which at that time could only be obtained by lodge privileges by attending lodge meetings at Hamilton, many miles to the north, to reach which, uncertain mountain trails must be negotiated, and so, that these brethren might find sanctuary in a lodge nearer Ely, most of them demitted from their lodges in other jurisdictions, and joined Steptoe Lodge No. 24 in Cherry Creek.
It is said that at one time nearly one half of the membership of Steptoe Lodge were residents of Ely, and vicinity, and although required to make the trip to lodge by wagon or on horseback, a distance of 48 miles, over roads which were none too good, and in all sorts of weather, yet the zeal of the brethren was such that there was always a good attendance at the meetings from Ely, regardless of the distance to be traveled, nor the discomfort of making the trip. And so, for many years, Steptoe Lodge performed its Masonic work without unusual incident or disturbing factor, aside from what local history was being made, and that dealt with local characters and episodes, and had nothing to do with Masonry. While Cherry Creek never contained as large a number of lawless characters as were found in some of the larger mining camps of the state, yet what there were of them became at times almost unmanageable, and the authorities were hard pressed to preserve law and order; saloon brawls were frequent, and gunplay and resultant killings often followed. Gambling was a favorite pastime, and the stakes proverbially high; dance halls with their painted women were open day and night, and were generously patronized. Generally speaking , the moral standards of the town were low. These conditions prevailed for many years, but with the institution of Masonry in the camp, a greater respect for law and order was created, the moral atmosphere was clarified, the rougher element gradually moved on to other places, and the town settled down to an era of law and order which continued until its metal industry waned and the town developed a lethargy from which it never fully recovered.
It is said that at about 1882, the time that Masonry was established in the town, that Cherry Creek, Egan, Shellbourne just across the valley on the east, Centerville and Aurum, all in the northeast part of White Pine County had more votes than all the rest of the county combined; it was during that year that these camps united in an effort to bring the county seat then located at Hamilton, to Cherry Creek. A petition was framed asking for the removal of the county seat, but it failed to specify the town to which it was to be moved. This petition was signed by the required number of taxpayers but because it was improperly drawn, failed to secure legislative action, and was rejected and returned to its framers.
Another attempt was then made to secure favorable action, but the precincts of Taylor, Ward, Hamilton and Newark combined in the fight for removal, and again the attempt proved abortive.
Soon after this attempt, mining production in Cherry Creek began to decline rapidly, and realizing that the future of the camp was uncertain, the matter was dropped.
But the doom of the camp had been told, and like other large producing camps in Nevada when ore reserves were depleted, it was only a matter of time until commercial and industrial collapse would follow; panic seized hold of the residents, and a gradual exodus ensued. From a thriving mining camp of two thousand people, Cherry Creek dwindled to a town of less than three hundred inhabitants who became almost entirely dependant for support and maintenance on what ranching and stock raising could be developed in the surrounding country.
Occasionally, the old workings of the mines would attract the attention of some venturesome leaser, but for years mining operations were nil.
However, the old Star Mine was eventually taken over by new management and worked by its owners with some degree of profit, but never to the extent that it had enjoyed in the halcyon days of the camp, only a small force of men being employed to carry on the work, and these mainly were gathered from the residents who had lived in Cherry Creek all their lives.
In all, Steptoe Lodge No. 24 dispensed its charity and diffused its Masonic Light for twenty-three years. With the decline of the camp, Masonry gradually diminished in membership, until there were barely enough members left to hold a Masonic quorum. Financially impaired, its membership scattered, there were only six of its one time splendid lodge roster left in the town, and, realizing the impossibility of ever regaining its old prestige, and reestablishing itself in the community, it was decided to surrender its charter and transfer its remaining members to Ely Lodge No. 29. Accordingly in the fall of 1915, the charter was surrendered and the lodge at Cherry Creek passed into history.