Freemasons. Capital City Lodge no. 217 (Saint Paul, Minn.).

On April 7, 1895, nine men from St. Paul's West Seventh Street area met to discuss forming a Masonic Lodge. Eight of the men were employed by the Chicago, St. Paul & Omaha Railway Company's repair shop at Toronto and Randolph Streets.

In June 1895, the Masonic Grand Lodge of Minnesota granted permission to organize a Lodge, the 217th Lodge to be chartered in Minnesota. All the Lodge's new officers and most of the initial members were employees of the Omaha Railway Company. The Lodge became known as the Railway Lodge.

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