“The Malheur Cave is a classic example of a large lava tube cave. This Oregon cave is 17 miles east of Crane Hot Springs and 52 miles east of Burns. It is owned by the Masonic Lodge of Burns. The cave is 3,000 feet long and the height varies from 8 feet near the entrance, to a maximum of 20 feet far back into the cave. An underground lake fills the lower end of the cave, and fluctuation can cause the water to rise within 1,000 feet of the entrance. In 1938 two members of the lodge, Ulysses S. Hackney and Charles W. Loggan, came up with the idea of holding an outdoor stated meeting of Masons in Oregon inside the Malheur Cave. Their idea was well received. Under Special Dispensation, the first official outdoor stated meeting of Masons in the Western United States was held at the Malheur Cave on October 1st, 1938 at 8:00 pm. That evening an old-fashioned “Buckaroo" supper was held at the entrance of the cave. After supper the Lodge was opened in the cave on the Master Mason degree, and the MM degree was conferred upon Brother Fellowcraft William Merle Bennett. Forty-nine masons registered, and twenty-one different lodges from seven states and one foreign country were represented. Lighting was by gas lanterns.”
“The Malheur Cave is a classic example of a large lava tube cave. This Oregon cave is 17 miles east of Crane Hot Springs and 52 miles east of Burns. It is owned by the Masonic Lodge of Burns. The cave is 3,000 feet long and the height varies from 8 feet near the entrance, to a maximum of 20 feet far back into the cave. An underground lake fills the lower end of the cave, and fluctuation can cause the water to rise within 1,000 feet of the entrance. In 1938 two members of the lodge, Ulysses S. Hackney and Charles W. Loggan, came up with the idea of holding an outdoor stated meeting of Masons in Oregon inside the Malheur Cave. Their idea was well received. Under Special Dispensation, the first official outdoor stated meeting of Masons in the Western United States was held at the Malheur Cave on October 1st, 1938 at 8:00 pm. That evening an old-fashioned “Buckaroo" supper was held at the entrance of the cave. After supper the Lodge was opened in the cave on the Master Mason degree, and the MM degree was conferred upon Brother Fellowcraft William Merle Bennett. Forty-nine masons registered, and twenty-one different lodges from seven states and one foreign country were represented. Lighting was by gas lanterns.”