Sheridan Lodge No. 8 A.F. & A.M. of Wyoming
Lodge 8 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons of Wyoming has a history of dedicated service to the people of Sheridan, Wyoming for over a century. Local Freemasons organized Lodge 8 on May 26, 1886 under a dispensation granted by the Grand Lodge of Wyoming. Henry Held, a local blacksmith and pioneer, was installed as our first Worshipful Master. Under the dispensation, the lodge could conduct regular business, including the initiation of candidates. Wellen C. Griffen was the first candidate to be initiated, passed, and raised within the lodge. On December 8, 1886, Wyoming Territorial Grand Master Nathaniel R. Davis granted a charter, designating it Sheridan Lodge 8.
Lodge 8 first met in a small wood-framed building owned by Thomas Galloway. In 1887, the lodge purchased the building and an adjoining lot. The first Masonic Temple also served briefly in 1888 as office space for Sheridan County government officials. Quickly growing beyond the confines of their small building, a new building was purchased with help from other Masonic bodies along Main Street. Located at the corner of Main Street and Brundage, this served as the home to Lodge 8 and several other Masonic groups until 1967 when the current Masonic Temple opened.