History of Yellville Lodge No. 117
As told by Brother Altus "Shorty" Doshier P.M.
March 2003

Yellville Masonic Lodge received its charter from the Grand Lodge of Arkansas, November 3rd, 1858. Arkansas and Marion County were only twenty-two years old. Although the village was already named Yellville, it wasn't incorporated as a town until fourteen years after Yellville Lodge received its charter. The first Masonic Lodge in Yellville was reportedly located on the hillside northeast of the American Legion Hut building on Fallen Ash Road. It was one of several buildings burned along with the courthouse during the Civil War by the Union soldiers. All of the records were destroyed in the fire. The lodge was eventually relocated to the Yellville Square. Meetings were held upstairs until a fire forced another move. After the fire, the lodge moved to its current address on North Mill Street - located between Yelcot Telephone Co. and Harps Market. This building was built by Gene Allen and sold to Arza Hall when he was sheriff. The lodge bought this building from Mr. Hall and it stayed pretty much the same until 2000 when the old lodge was completely renovated inside.
Masonry was very active when this area was in its youth, and because of the lack of transportation, many communities had their own Masonic Lodges. With transportation becoming easier, many lodges merged together to save money and try to keep Masonry alive as many families moved away to find jobs, causing participation to decline. Because of the many mergers, many Masonic Lodges from the past located close to Yellville are now a part of the history of Yellville Lodge, including King Hiram Lodge of Cotter, Pilgrims Rest Lodge of Gassville, Fallen Ash Lodge of Flippin, Bruno Lodge of Bruno, and Union Lodge of Rush.
Yellville Lodge is one of the few lodges in Arkansas in a recovery. Its active masons are excited to learn, teach, and fellowship with each other. More local masons are becoming active, vacationing and relocated masons are enjoying visiting, and men are becoming interested in the same ideals their fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers had hope in and are asking how they too can become a Freemason and carry on this noble heritage.
Member of Yellville Lodge include elected officials, public servants, business leaders, military officers and enlisted men, ministers, preachers and clergymen. It also includes white-collar and blue-collar workers, self-employed, and many retirees. As diverse as the people of Marion County are, so are the members of Yellville Lodge. Men from many different walks of life make up the membership of this little lodge, yet many look forward to meeting together twice a month, fellowship with each other on an equal level, and depart with pride and respect.
Yellville Lodge promotes the most important tenets of Freemasonry, which are friendship, morality, and brotherly love. Its members trust in God, love their country, and support its laws. They defend freedom, promote charity to those in need, and try to live a life dedicated to the same moral code of conduct of Freemasons all over the world.
The fires that the lodge buildings have suffered, have robbed us of some of our past. We would like to have originals or copies of any memorabilia of the lodge, including letters, photographs, documents, or newspapers. If anyone has any of this information please send it to: Yellville Masonic Lodge, P.O. Box 293, Yellville, Arkansas 72687 or contact the webmaster at cwmcbeejr@yellvillelodge117.com