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{{WikipediaImport}}{{More citations needed|date=September 2008}}
{{Infobox Grand Lodge
|name=Grand Lodge of Idaho A.F. & A.M.
|motto-latin=
|image=Grand Lodge of Idaho (emblem).png
|caption=Seal of the Grand Lodge of Idaho A.F. & A.M.
|established=1867
|jurisdiction=Idaho
|location=[[Boise, Idaho]]
|country=USA
|website= [http://www.idahoaf.am/ idahoaf.am]
}}
The '''Grand Lodge of Idaho''' (full formal name '''Grand Lodge of Idaho, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons''') is one of several bodies that govern [[Freemasonry]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Idaho]] as recognized by the [[United Grand Lodge of England]].<ref>The others being the Prince Hall Grand Lodges of Oregon and Nevada - [http://bessel.org/glspha.htm Bessel.org] page on Prince Hall Grand Lodges</ref> It was established in 1867 by five Masonic Lodges operating in [[Idaho Territory]].

Membership in Freemasonry nationwide peaked during the period from 1900-1950.  In Idaho "membership in Masons statewide has declined from 11,000 in 1982 to 4,388 members" in 2010, and "the number of [[Masonic lodges|lodges]] has declined to 56."<ref name=bossick>{{cite web|title=To do good: Masonic lodge sees upswing in membership|author=Karen Bossick|publisher=Magic Valley Times-News|date=November 6, 2010}}</ref>

The Grand Lodge of Idaho is headquartered in [[Boise, Idaho|Boise]].

==History==
[[File:Hailey - Masonic Lodge ID1.jpg|right|thumb|[[Hailey Masonic Lodge]]]]

The first organized Masonic activity in present-day Idaho dates to 1862, when a group of Freemasons organized an informal Masonic club in [[Florence, Idaho|Florence]] in what was then [[Washington Territory]]. That same year, a dispensation was granted by the [[Grand Lodge of Washington]] to form a new [[Masonic Lodge]] in [[Lewiston, Idaho|Lewiston]]. This Lodge was chartered in 1864 but disbanded a year later after a decline in gold mining activities in the area.{{citation needed|date=February 2011}}

In July 1863 the [[Grand Lodge of Oregon]] granted a dispensation to a Masonic group in Bannock City (now [[Idaho City, Idaho|Idaho City]]). This Lodge was chartered as Idaho Lodge No. 35 in 1864. The Grand Lodge of Washington, which considered all of Idaho Territory to be within its jurisdiction, charged the Grand Lodge of Oregon with illegally chartering the lodge. This controversy continued for some time and spread throughout the Masonic community in the United States. Even so, over the next couple years Masonic Lodges in northern Idaho Territory were granted charters in Washington while southern Idaho Territory Lodges continued to receive charters from Oregon.{{citation needed|date=February 2011}}

By 1867 the need for a local Grand Lodge was recognized by the active Masonic Lodges in southern Idaho Territory. These Masonic Lodges, Idaho Lodge of Idaho City, Boise Lodge of Boise, Placer Lodge of [[Placerville, Idaho|Placerville]], Pioneer Lodge of [[Pionerville, Idaho|Pioneerville]], and Owyhee Lodge of [[Silver City, Idaho|Silver City]], met in December 1867 to form the Grand Lodge of Idaho. This meeting is considered to be the founding of the Grand Lodge of Idaho. The new Grand Lodge issued charters to these five Lodges in June 1868 which superseded their original charters from Oregon.{{citation needed|date=February 2011}}

Idaho Lodge, which spearheaded the drive to create a Grand Lodge in Idaho Territory, was given the distinction of being recognized as its first chartered Lodge. Today Idaho Lodge No. 1 is headquartered in Boise.{{citation needed|date=February 2011}}

A Masonic Lodge in [[Grangeville, Idaho|Grangeville]] was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Idaho in December 1873, becoming the first northern Idaho Lodge under the Grand Lodge of Idaho's jurisdiction.{{citation needed|date=February 2011}}

Freemasonry spread quickly in Idaho. By the time Idaho attained statehood in July 1890 there were 21 active regular Masonic Lodges in the new state. In 1910 there were nearly 60.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.eaglerock19.org/images/GLID-1900.jpg |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-10-08 |archive-date=2011-07-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719120115/http://www.eaglerock19.org/images/GLID-1900.jpg |url-status=dead }}</ref>  Since its founding the Grand Lodge of Idaho has chartered 97 regular Masonic Lodges. However in the post-World War II era, the number of Masonic lodges has declined. As of 2006, there were only 64 actives lodges in Idaho, and by 2020, the number had further decreased to 47. 

The Idaho Lodge of Research, a special Masonic Lodge dedicated to Masonic scholarship, was chartered in 1965.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.eaglerock19.org/history.html |title=Masonic History in Idaho |access-date=2006-06-30 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120728115250/http://www.eaglerock19.org/history.html |archive-date=2012-07-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Membership==

As in most Masonic jurisdictions, membership in a Masonic Lodge under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Idaho is open to any male over 18 years of age who believes in a Supreme Being. In addition, Idaho Lodges require a candidate to be an Idaho resident for at least six months and apply for membership in his local Lodge. However, once he becomes a member of his local Lodge he may become a "plural affiliate" (i.e. a member of another Lodge simultaneously) elsewhere.{{relevance inline|date=February 2011}}

==Prince Hall Freemasonry in Idaho==

In the early 1990s the Grand Lodge of Idaho formally recognized [[Prince Hall Freemasonry]]. However, as of 2006 there is no separate Prince Hall Masonic jurisdiction in Idaho. Prince Hall Freemasonry in the state is currently administered by the [[Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Oregon]].

==Current Lodges under the Grand Lodge or Idaho==

{| class="wikitable"
! Lodge
! Chartered
! Location
|- 
| Idaho No. 1
| June 23, 1868
| Boise (originally Idaho City)
|-
| Boise No. 2
| June 23, 1868
| Boise
|-
| Placer No. 3
| June 23, 1868
| [[Horseshoe Bend, Idaho|Horseshoe Bend]] (originally Placerville)
|-
| Mount Idaho No. 9
| December 1873
| Grangeville
|-
| Nez Perce No. 10
| December 1874
| Lewiston
|-
| Lemhi No. 11
| December 1874
| [[Salmon, Idaho|Salmon]]
|-
| Silver City No. 13
| December 1874
| [[Homedale, Idaho|Homedale]] (originally Silver City)
|-
| [[Hailey Masonic Lodge|Hailey No. 16]]
| September 1885
| [[Hailey, Idaho|Hailey]]
|-
| Paradise No. 17
| September 1885
| [[Moscow, Idaho|Moscow]]
|-
| Portneuf No. 18
| September 1886
| [[Pocatello, Idaho|Pocatello]]
|-
| Eagle Rock No. 19
| September 1886
| [[Idaho Falls, Idaho|Idaho Falls]]
|-
| Coeur d'Alene No. 20
| September 1886
| [[Murray, Idaho|Murray]]
|-
| Richfield No. 21
| September 1887
| [[Richfield, Idaho|Richfield]]
|-
| Weiser No. 23
| September 1888
| [[Weiser, Idaho|Weiser]]
|-
| Kootenai No. 24
| September 1891
| [[Coeur d'Alene, Idaho|Coeur d'Alene]]
|-
| Shoshone No. 25
| September 1891
| [[Wallace, Idaho|Wallace]]
|-
| Washoe No. 28
| September 1892
| [[Payette, Idaho|Payette]]
|-
| Ashlar No. 29{{ref|n1|[n1]}}
| September 1892
| [[Nampa, Idaho|Nampa]]
|-
| Elmore No. 30
| September 1892
| [[Mountain Home, Idaho|Mountain Home]]
|-
| [[Salubria Lodge No. 31|Salubria No. 31]]
| September 1893
| [[Cambridge, Idaho|Cambridge]]
|-
| Unity No. 32
| September 1893
| [[Genesee, Idaho|Genesee]]
|-
| Grove City No. 33
| September 1896
| [[Blackfoot, Idaho|Blackfoot]]
|-
| Cataldo No. 34
| September 1896
| [[Kellogg, Idaho|Kellogg]]
|-
| Butte No. 37
| September 1902
| [[Emmett, Idaho|Emmett]]
|-
| Mount Moriah No. 39
| September 1902
| [[Caldwell, Idaho|Caldwell]]
|-
| Rathdrum No. 41
| September 1904
| [[Rathdrum, Idaho|Rathdrum]]
|-
| Lakeside No. 42
| September 1904
| [[Sandpoint, Idaho|Sandpoint]]
|-
| Bonners Ferry No. 43
| September 1904
| [[Bonners Ferry, Idaho|Bonners Ferry]]
|-
| Twin Falls No. 45
| September 1906
| [[Twin Falls, Idaho|Twin Falls]]
|-
| Meridian No. 47
| September 1906
| [[Meridian, Idaho|Meridian]]
|-
| Arco No. 48
| September 1906
| [[Arco, Idaho|Arco]]
|-
| Malad No. 51
| September 1908
| [[Malad City, Idaho|Malad City]]
|-
| St. Johns No. 52
| September 1909
| [[Shelley, Idaho|Shelley]Merged in to Eagle Rock 19]
|-
| Buhl No. 53
| September 1910
| [[Buhl, Idaho|Buhl]]
|-
| Wendell No. 54
| September 1910
| [[Wendell, Idaho|Wendell]]
|-
| Kamiah No. 56
| September 1910
| [[Kamiah, Idaho|Kamiah]]
|-
| Spirit Lake No. 57
| September 1910
| [[Spirit Lake, Idaho|Spirit Lake]]
|-
| American Falls No. 58
| September 1910
| [[American Falls, Idaho|American Falls]]
|-
| Lincoln No. 59
| September 1910
| [[Gooding, Idaho|Gooding]]
|-
| Oriental No. 60
| September 1910
| Boise
|-
| Jerome No. 61
| September 1910
| [[Jerome, Idaho|Jerome]]
|-
| Prairie No. 62{{ref|n3|[n3]}}
| September 1911
| [[Craigmont, Idaho|Craigmont]] (originally [[Gifford, Idaho|Gifford]])
|-
| [[St. Maries Masonic Temple No. 63|St. Maries No. 63]]
| September 1911
| [[St. Maries, Idaho|St. Maries]]
|-
| Mount McCaleb No. 64
| September 1911
| [[Mackay, Idaho|Mackay]]
|-
| Potlatch No. 66
| September 1911
| [[Potlatch, Idaho|Potlatch]]
|-
| Burley No. 68
| September 1912
| [[Burley, Idaho|Burley]]
|-
| Paul No. 77
| September 1920
| [[Paul, Idaho|Paul]]
|-
| Hagerman No. 78
| September 1921
| [[Hagerman, Idaho|Hagerman]]
|-
| Fidelity No. 80
| September 1921
| [[Glenns Ferry, Idaho|Glenns Ferry]]
|-
| Keystone No. 81
| September 1921
| [[Pocatello, Idaho|Pocatello]]
|-
| Ionic No. 82
| September 1922
| [[Cascade, Idaho|Cascade]]
|-
| Caribou No. 84
| September 1922
| [[Soda Springs, Idaho|Soda Springs]]
|-
| Kooskia No. 87
| September 1924
| [[Kooskia, Idaho|Kooskia]]
|-
| Challis No. 92
| September 1949
| [[Challis, Idaho|Challis]]
|-
| Capital City No. 93
| September 1950
| Boise
|-
| Mount Kinport No. 95
| September 1952
| [[Pocatello, Idaho|Pocatello]]
|-
| Kaniksu No. 97{{ref|n4|[n4]}}
| September 1995
| [[Priest River, Idaho|Priest River]]
|-
| Lodge of Research No. 1965{{ref|n5|[n5]}}
| September 1965
| Boise
|-
|}
{{refbegin}}
: {{note|n1|[n1]}} Known as Nampa No. 29 until 1988.
: {{note|n3|[n3]}} Known as Acacia No. 62 until 1943.
: {{note|n4|[n4]}} Previously existed as Kaniksu No. 85, 1922-1987.
: {{note|n5|[n5]}} Lodge of Research No. 1965 is a special Lodge dedicated to Masonic scholarship.
{{refend}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.idahomasons.org/ Grand Lodge of Idaho]
*[http://www.idahomasons.org/ Idaho Masonic Family Alliance]
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=EwdKAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA400&dq="Grand+Lodge+of+Idaho" Google book passage on "Grand Lodge of Idaho"]

{{Grand Lodges in the United States}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Lodge Of Idaho}}
[[Category:1867 establishments in Idaho Territory]]
[[Category:Grand Lodges|Idaho]]
[[Category:Freemasonry in the United States]]
[[Category:Grand Lodges|Idaho]]