Drawing of Bellevue and surrounding area, William Clark 1804-1806
April 30, 1803 The United States signs the Louisiana Purchase Treaty acquiring approximately 828,000 square miles in exchange for $15 million ($428.1 million in 2025).
July 21, 1804 The Corps of Discovery Expedition, led by W∴B∴ Meriwether Lewis and Br∴ William Clark, pass the mouth of the Platte River and encamp on the west side of the Missouri River (future location of Bellevue).
Winter 1822-23 Joshua Pilcher, senior partner for the Missouri Fur Company, constructs a trading post in Bellevue and places Lucien Fontenelle “in charge of the supply room and ledgers.” 1
1824 The company is reorganized and Fontenelle is now a partner.2
1828 Fontenelle buys the post for use by John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company. A young Peter Sarpy works as a clerk in the post.
1832 Fontenelle sells the post to the US Government, who in turn uses it as the Missouri River Indian Agency (also known as The Bellevue Agency). He moves a few hundred yards to the south where he builds a new home and trading post. Shortly after Fontenelle’s death, Sarpy takes over the post.
The Bellevue Agency, 1833 by Karl Bodmer
1846 Peter Sarpy establishes a new trading post and ferry across the river from Bellevue.3
Spring 1854 Petition for dispensation was introduced to the Grand Lodge of Illinois by Br∴ AR Gillmore, Br∴ LB Kinney, Br∴ LL Bowen, Br∴ PJ McMahan, Br∴ George Hepner, Br∴ AW Aolister and, Br∴ A Lockwood.4
May 30, 1854 The Kansas-Nebraska Act creates the Nebraska Territory which includes parts of modern day Nebraska, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. The territorial capital is Omaha.
April 3, 1855 The first regular communication is held under dispensation in the second story of Peter Sarpy’s Trading Post. Large Mackinaw blankets are hung around the room for privacy. A committee was formed to prepare By-Laws and a petition was received for Isiah H. Bennet.
May 29, 1855 the second regular communication is held, where the committee on the above petition reports “Your committee, having investigated the character of the applicant, consider him in every respect worthy of becoming a member of our Fraternity; but it becomes the painful duty of your committee to report that the worthy petitioner has been called by an all-wise providence to the Supreme Grand Lodge of the Universe”.
Fall 1855, Peter Sarpy hands in his petition for initiation. Not having a ballot box or ballots, the makeshift voting consisted of an empty gallon pickle jar, a box of small gravel stones for affirmative, and a cup of lead bullets for negative. The jar, stones, and bullets were placed upon a primitive altar of two trunks covered with a blue blanket and the results announced.
October 3, 1855 At a meeting in Springfield, the Grand Lodge of Illinois grants a charter to Nebraska Lodge #184 and is received by W∴M∴ LB Kinney who was in attendance.
January 5, 1856 The first degree conferred by a Nebraska Lodge takes place at Bluff City Lodge, No. 71, Iowa, where Peter Sarpy is initiated.
September 23, 1857 Nebraska Lodge #184 of Illinois, Giddings Lodge #156 of Missouri, and Capitol Lodge #101 of Iowa establishes the Grand Lodge of the Nebraska Territory and each is charted as Nebraska Lodge #1, Western Star Lodge #2, and Capitol Lodge #3.
March 1, 1867 Nebraska becomes the 37th State and it’s capital is moved to Lancaster (later renamed Lincoln).
