Order of the Eastern Star

Salmon is home to the oldest remaining chapter of the OES in the state of Idaho. Although it was the second chapter to be organized in the state, the first chapter, in Mount Idaho, did not last very long before it was disbanded.

Salmon's chapter, the Hugh Duncan No. 2, was chartered March 18, 1886, and the Reverend Hugh Duncan was authorized to institute the chapter. Rev. Duncan, a native of Scotland, was a resident of Sheridan Montana, who came to preach once a month to the people of Salmon. He was a past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge A.F. and A.M. of Montana and was the driving force in the creation of this chapter. In honor of the man who worked so hard to get the chapter started, the charter members voted to name it after him.

The first officers elected to serve the chapter were

Anna B McCaleb
Emma Wentz
Emma J White
Barbara McNicoll
Ada J Merritt
Margaret R Hornbeck

Ellen F Beattie
Clara M Mintzer
Anna B Sharkey
Anna Stevens
James L Kirtley
George G Wentz

Montaville White
Robert McNicoll
Anthony Hornbeck
James Beattie
Olin Mintzer
Frank B Sharkey

Isaac Stevens
Josiah C Chase
W. H. Porter
Peter Van Norden

The chapter held its meetings for many years in the upper story of a log building in Salmon. Later as the chapter grew more prosperous and the Masons moved to larger quarters, the chapter naturally followed. The meetings were moved to the third floor of the Pioneer Mercantile building which was owned by and housed the mercantile business of George L. Shoup, the first governor of Idaho. The first story was expressly built by Mr. Shoup for the Masonic Lodge and OES meetings and was richly furnished by him and given to the Masons as a gift. The lodge held there meetings in this location for many years, until they purchased the property just across the street from it, and had it remodeled for their needs. There they were housed on the second floor, until the building burned down in 1931. They lost all their records in the fire, but managed to salvage the brick walls, which then went into building their one story building, which they were still occupying in 1961, at the time this article was written.

The chapter has had a rich and proud history over the past 111 years, and more information about it can be obtained by contacting: Order of the Eastern Star, Hugh Duncan No. 2 Chapter, 207 W. 4th St, Salmon Idaho, 83467

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Information for this page was obtained from the Diamond Jubilee Edition of the Recorder-Herald newspaper, dated 1961, and used with permission.

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