Portraits of our Grand Masters:MW Louis Ziegler
If Washington Masonry had a monument like Mount Rushmore to honor our Past Grand Masters, there is no doubt that the image of Louis Ziegler would appear there along with those of Thornton F. McElroy and Thomas M. Reed. Much like McElroy and Reed, MW Brother Ziegler served as our Grand Master for two terms from 1885-1887. During this time, he dealt with several complex questions and his solutions to these issues left an indelible mark on the fraternity. Some of them, in fact, are as relevant today as they were over 100 years ago. Prior to his service to the Grand Lodge, Brother Ziegler served as the founding Master of Spokane Lodge #34 and was the father of Masonry in the Spokane area.
Brother Ziegler was born July 17, 1837 in Kettrick, Rhenish Bavaria, Germany. At the age of fifteen his parents moved to the United States and settled initially in Ohio. They moved toMaysville, Kentucky where Louis learned the trade of wagon maker. Three years after moving to Kentucky, the family returned to Ohio and Louis took up his trade in Russellville. Louis later moved to Bloomington, Illinois and pursued his tradethere until 1859. He settled in Chenoa, Illinois where he started the first wagon and plow business in that town.
By 1865, Brother Ziegler’s business had grown to such an extent that he was able to build a new factory building with an investment of $6000. In 1870, Brother Ziegler suffered his first catastrophic loss when his factory burned to the ground and put him out of business. During the two years following this incident, Brother Ziegler became active in Illinois Republican politics and served as sergeant at arms of the Illinois State Senate from 1870-1872. Following his service in the Senate, he returned to his native Germany for one year andreturned to Illinois in 1873. After his return, he and a partner purchased the Chenoa Flour Mill which they operated until 1876 when it too was destroyed by fire. They were able to rebuild and re-open but fire once again destroyed their business in March of 1878. Brother Louis spent the next seventeen months concluding his affairs in the town before setting out for the Northwest in search of a new life.
In addition to his business, Brother Ziegler served as Justice of the Peace of Chenoa from 1861 to 1865 and as Mayor for two terms. He was made a Mason in Chenoa Lodge #292 in 1859 and served as its Worshipful Master from 1861 to 1873. He was also active in the local Royal Arch Chapter and Scottish Rite Consistory. From 1862 until his departure from the state, he was an active member of the Grand Lodge of Illinois and served as its Senior Grand Warden in 1878-79. On Christmas Day 1862, Brother Ziegler was married to Miss Margaret Jane Sample who blessed him with two daughters and a son. His family life, much like his business life was marred by tragedy. He lost his youngest daughter Frederika Louisa in March of 1872 when she was only five years old and lost his older daughter Jennie Louise shortly after her marriage in 1886. This was particularly difficult for him since it was during his first term as Grand Master.
Most Worshipful Brother Ziegler settled in Spokane Falls in August 1879. In 1880 he attended his first Grand Lodge session in Olympia as the charter Master of Spokane Lodge #34. He was unable to attend the 1881 session of Grand Lodge but he did attend the 1882 session in Walla Walla. In addition to serving as Master of Spokane Lodge at the 1882 session, he also served as Chairman of both the Special Committee on the Grand Master’s Address and the Committee ofFinance and Accounts. He was appointed to the office of Grand Orator as well as a member of the Committee on Jurisprudence. At the Grand Lodge Communication in Seattle in 1883, Brother Ziegler delivered an oration on the constitution, uses and teachings of Masonry. He was also appointed and installed Grand Marshal. Brother Ziegler was elected Deputy Grand Master at the 1884 session held in Spokane Falls and was elected to his first term as Grand Master at the 1885 session in Tacoma.
In both his 1886 and 1887 messages as Grand Master, MW Brother Ziegler begins with passages that display both his deep love of the Pacific Northwest and his skills as an orator. In his 1886 message, he begins by paying tribute to Puget Sound which he describes as being, “a place of exquisite beauty and delight and one of the most lovely inland seas upon the earth; teeming with abundance of delicious fishes and all kinds of moluscan delicacies of the rarest flavor.”
Brother Ziegler goes on to describe the beauties of the Olympic Mountain Range. In that description, he displays an extensive knowledge of Greek mythology and likens the Olympic Range to Mount Olympus the home of the Greek Gods. From his illustration, he drew the lesson, “that man must toil and labor to enjoy rest and peace, and that without labor and trouble no great achievements are made; and to enjoy happiness, we must aid in making others happy also.” He goes on to remind the brothers at the beginning of their labors, to “keep in view the fact that we are laboring in the interest of a brotherhood, aged and honorable, tried and true, whose acts and deeds have ever been a blessing to suffering humanity, and whose principles are as broad as the universe; let us not forget the duties we owe each other, the grandest of which is charity for each other’s foibles and shortcomings that our professions may be blessed and our teachings carried into proper effect.”
Most Worshipful Brother Ziegler’s 1886 message describes the events of the Masonic year and is worth reading in its entirety. There are severalkey topics contained in this message. The first issue which Brother Ziegler addresses is that of making Masons too quickly. At the time, the fraternity was undergoing an explosion of growth and during his year Brother Ziegler had been called upon to grant several dispensations out of time to confer degrees. He refused all but one and makes the following statement, “I regret sincerely to notice a growing disposition, not only in the Lodges of our Jurisdiction, but everywhere, to make Mason’s with all modern haste, and to consider that true prosperity consists in adding numbers on the Roll; more regard seems to be paid to quantity that to quality, more to numbers than to kind. This my brethren is wrong and can bring no good to the fraternity. Just pause and think and you will see that one good man is worth more than a dozen poor ones, anywhere, but more especially in our Lodges.”
Brother Ziegler goes on to describe the decisions that he made as Grand Master. He describes his exhaustive workload during the year by stating, “Evidently, the Craft of this Jurisdiction, believe that it is better for the Grand Master to wear out than to rust out, from the volume of correspondence which had poured in upon me during the year past.” He goes on to state that, “I have tried to answer every letter, for I now believe that is one of the rights reserved by the Craft, to heap on the Grand Master, bushels of all sorts of questions, whereas, if the writer would bestow one-half the trouble he devotes to writing, and just look into the Constitution and Code, nine to one, I wager, he would find there, the query completely answered.” This is a sentiment which has been shared by many Grand Masters since then.
Most Worshipful Brother Ziegler summarizes his response to seven of the questions that he received during the year. The seventh query describes an incident within his home Lodge Spokane #34 involving Brothers Kellinger and Mitchell which continued into his second term as Grand Master in 1887. Brother Kellinger refused to repay Brother Mitchell a debt that he was owed using what can only be described as harsh language. MW Brother Ziegler told Brother Kellinger to repay the brother and apologize for his actions. Brother Kellinger agreed to do this however he did not actually do as the Grand Master asked. The Grand Master found out about this when he came to Spokane Lodge to install its officers. He refused to install Brother Kellinger as Secretary of Spokane Lodge and then referred the matter to the Master of the Lodge. Brother Kellinger was put on trial by the Lodge but was acquitted since there was no evidence that Brother Mitchell was a Mason and therefore no offense had been committed under the Masonic Code at that time. Evidence of Brother Mitchell’s Masonic status was later received by Spokane Lodge but by then it was too late to order a new trial.
The outcome of this situation bothered Most Worshipful Brother Ziegler greatly. He strongly recommends changes in the Masonic code, “to declare, in unmistakable terms how far a Mason may act in confidence with a brother Mason and still be within the bounds of propriety.” He later states, “We cannot afford to let the world point the finger of scorn at our members and say, ‘that fellow is a Mason, he has defrauded me and cheated me, and the law of his institution upholds him in it.” This incident was far from settled at this point and played a significant role in Brother Ziegler’s second term as Grand Master.
Another key issue is addressed in the 1886 message was the legislation passed in 1885 prohibiting Lodges from receiving or acting on petitions from anyone involved in the manufacture or sale of intoxicating liquors. This action caused a great uproar in the fraternity and Most Worshipful Brother Ziegler quotes from a circular that he had issued in defense of the legislation. In it, he argues that Masonry is a universal institution and it is incumbent on every Grand Lodge to ensure that only the best men can become members. He goes on to argue that since the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors requires a license from the government to make it lawful, it is therefore in itself unlawful and morally wrong. It is not a suitable occupation for anyone wishing to become a Mason. This legislation was the predominate view of the Fraternity in this state for many years.
Most Worshipful Brother Ziegler’s first term was marred by his own health issues and the sudden death of his oldest daughter. He suffered greatly from a painful case of eczema and it was T. M. Reed who assisted in his recovery by taking him to hot springs in Arkansas, “by force and against my will.” Following his return home, his daughter had come to visit him but she died from a heart problem. Brother Ziegler closes his message with a description of these events by stating, “I am not satisfied with my administration as Grand Master, and of course I cannot expect you to be; yet I have this to say, I have done all I could for the time I had to work.” The brethren accepted this unnecessary apology and re-elected him as Grand Master.
The 1887 communication of Grand Lodge was held in Vancouver and Grand Master Ziegler once again begins by describing the scenic beauty of the area. He delivers an elegant and scholarly description of the Columbia River where he follows its course from the mountains of British Columbia to the Pacific Ocean. He likens the River’s course to the varied duties of human life. The opening to this message concludes with the following exhortation, “if we but persevere in the proper discharge of our duties, we shall emerge from the mysterious recesses of intellectual darkness and enter that state of light and wisdom which is bestowed as an inheritance of perpetual keeping on those who are faithful to every trust and obedient to the laws and duties of true manhood.” Like his 1886 message, the opening to Grand Master Ziegler’s 1887 message is considered by some to be a classic which is well worth reading in its entirety.
Much of the 1887 message is devoted to a description of the Kellinger/Mitchell affair and should be read by anyone with an interest in Masonic jurisprudence. By this time the situation had become so tangled that it now involved Temple Lodge #42 in Cheney in addition to Spokane #34. Because of these events, Grand Master Ziegler lays out a valiant argument for the duties and powers of the Grand Master.
Grand Master Ziegler’s philosophy is summarized in the following statement, “…during the recess of this Grand Lodge the Grand Master is the only exponent of Masonic laws and principles, and that this high prerogative must not be exercised by ignoramuses of the deepest die, who arrogate themselves to the rare accomplishment of being Masonic jurists, with a view to leading the Craft to insubordination and disobedience to the lawful powers that be.”
He argues that the Grand Master’s powers are derived from the Landmarks and ancient usages and cannot be questioned by Lodges or Masons. He also argues that these powers cannot be abridged or limited by Grand Lodges without perpetrating an innovation in the body of Masonry. In other words, the Grand Master’s powers are absolute and cannot be questioned or constrained by anyone. Here he is arguing for changes in the constitution which would allow the Grand Master to dispense justice as he deemed appropriate rather than being muddied by, “legal technicalities and delays.”The changes he argued for were never adopted and the Grand Master’s powers continue today in much the same way as they did then.
Most Worshipful Brother Ziegler reiterates some of the topics in his 1886 message especially that of making Masons too quickly. He makes the statement that, “Masonry is too cheap and easily attained,” which is fascinating to hear in the year 1887. He also again argues against the joint occupancy of Masonic Halls with other groups arguing that, “The design of Masonry is of an exclusive character and it cannot be associated or mixed with other societies without marring its beauty and purposes.”
Following his service as Grand Master, Most Worshipful Brother Ziegler continued to be a pillar of the Grand Lodge. In addition to serving as the Chairman of the Jurisprudence Committee from 1888 through 1893, he served in a variety of other roles. In 1893 he drafted a resolution limiting the powers of delegates to a Masonic convention to be held in 1894 which essentially prevented them from considering or supporting the idea of a Grand Lodge of the United States. Overall, Most Worshipful Brother Ziegler could be a strong traditionalist when it came to Freemasonry. He had no sympathy or patience for efforts at modernization which he viewed as blasphemous.
From his arrival in 1879 to his death in 1911, Brother Ziegler was a prominent citizen of the city of Spokane. He not only founded Spokane Lodge #34 he also was a founder of Oriental Lodge #72. He was instrumental in the construction of the original Spokane Masonic Temple as well. After arriving in Spokane, Brother Ziegler opened a hardware business at the corner of Howard and Riverside Streets. Unfortunately, he carried with him some of the bad luck that had plagued him in Illinois and his first building in Spokane was destroyed by fire in 1889. Once again he rebuilt, this time in brick, and the five-story building he constructed was considered the first skyscraper in the city.
Louis Ziegler passed to the celestial Lodge on January 15, 1911 and his memorial was delivered at the 1911 Grand Lodge Session by Most Worshipful John Arthur as the two had agreed several years before. Most Worshipful Brother Ziegler distinguished himself as a great Grand Master in this jurisdiction. His character and perseverance in the face of extraordinary tragedy provides us with a shining example of the value of following the principles of Masonry to their fullest. Hopefully, this summary of Brother Ziegler’s words and actions has done justice to a truly great Washington Mason.