The Sterling Elks Lodge was chartered May 26, 1916 with
104 members. John R. Coen was the first Exalted Ruler of Sterling
Elks Lodge, and he later went on to be elected Grand Exalted
Ruler of the Elks.
The Lodge held their meetings in the Odd Fellows Hall on
Main Street for a while. But as the membership grew, they
needed more room, so they moved to the Masonic Hall on Second
Street. They bought the present property and built the Sterling
Elks Lodge, moving into their new building in 1918. The dedication
of the new building was a huge celebration. It consisted of
a big parade, dedication services, initiation services, a
speech by Governor Shoup, and a dance. The celebration lasted
for three days. All the stores in town were decorated with
the colors of the Elks. More than 500 visitors from all around
the state attended it. The initiation class consisted of 22
new members and was presided over by Milton F. Anfenger of
Denver Lodge #17. District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler Frank
Moore of Fort Collins Lodge Presided over the dedicatory services.
Sterling Elks Lodge was just like most other Elk Lodges of
that era. It was built primarily from slot machine money.
They went though some pretty tough times during the depression.
A lot of the members didn’t have money to pay their
dues, so rather than drop them, they let them pay with part
of their crops, chickens, eggs, labor, or any other product
they had that was worth money. After the depression, money
was still pretty short for awhile, so the Elks sold stocks
to the members that wanted to purchase them, as a means of
having a cash flow. As the Lodge got more solvent, the Elks
bought the stocks back. Some of these stock certificates can
be found in the archive room of the Lodge. We had a few members
that were fairly wealthy, and, with the help of everyone,
they managed to keep the doors open.
Lawrence Giacomini was an attorney in Sterling and also
an Officer of the Lodge. He always told the story of him going
to Denver to see about acquiring a bar and gabling license.
He was successful. When he arrived back in Sterling that night,
there were several members waiting on the curb for him, and,
as they say, the rest is history.
In 1937, the Lodge held a mortgage burning ceremony,which
celebrated paying off the note on the Lodge building.
In 1938, a swimming pool was added, and, in the early 1940’s,
the first kitchen was added at a cost of $13,000.00.
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In 1945, the Lodge purchased a residence property
adjoining our property for a price of $9,000.00. The Dome
Room was added in 1949. A major face lifting of the exterior
of the building was completed in 1952. That’s when the
double stairways leading upstairs were put in at the urging
of the Fire Marshall. Up until that time, the building had
a front porch that went all across the front, and there was
a single wooden stairway leading up to the Lodge room.
In 1964, the Ball Room and kitchen were added. This addition
consisted of 8400 square feet and was advertised as the largest
dance floor between Omaha and Denver, with a maple dance floor
capable of handling more than 500 people and perimeter seating
for 200.
The Elks have had a part in any major function that has happened
in Sterling. In the 1940’s, during the polio epidemic,
the Sterling Elks bought the first iron lung in Logan County
and donated it to St. Benedict Hospital.
In
October of 1946, the Lodge donated $6,000.00 to construct a
dining hall at Camp Bob Wait, in Glen Have, Colorado, for the
Boy Scouts of America.
In November 1946, the Lodge voted to
donate $2,500.00 towards the construction of 2 double-combination
tennis courts and skating rinks, in conjunction with the Lions
Club, for the City of Sterling. Later that same month,
the Lodge voted to donate $25,000.00 to the
Sterling Recreation program Fund. The Elks Contributed money
and manpower to the first outdoor swimming pool in Sterling
at Pioneer Park, donated to the city Auditorium, and just
about everything else that was new to Sterling during that
period of time.
The Elk Officers laid the cornerstone at the Logan County
Hospital on April 19, 1953. They dedicated the flagpole at the
Recreation Center and the flagpole at the Cemetery.
We have held many benefits for the people of Logan County and
many fund-raisers for programs. In February 2003 we held our
first annual fundraiser for Hospice, raising $17,000.00.
We acquired the property both to the east of our property,
and to the west as well. We have since sold off the property
to the west. We own 80 acres at North Sterling Reservoir,
which is leased to the State Parks. |
