The History of our Lodge
Free and Accepted Masons
Selections by Miquel H. Squyer, P.M.
from 100 Years of Freemasonry In California published by
Grand Lodge, Free & Accepted Masons of California
Washington Lodge has had many distinguished Members from the past including four Governors of California : John Bigler was the first California Senator from Sacramento John Bigler, Governor, also member of Tehama #3
On Public Schools: As early as 1853 Washington 20 was much concerned with schooling of the children of our deceased Brother Powell late of New York City. Six years later Chico Lodge #11provided scholarships for some Masonic Orphans at the Alameda Institute for young Ladies and Gents. Many other references to Lodges providing funds for board and room and tuition. Martinez Lodge was used as a public school.
On restoring a Brother: In 1871 Washington Lodge #20, on February 2, 1871, acting against better judgment, restored a Brother who had been suspended for non payment of dues since 1862. The restoration was made at the earnest solicitation of the Master of Western Star # 2 , of Shasta, in whose jurisdiction the Brother was living at that time. Ten days later the Brother was dead, and on April 6, Washington Lodge received a bill from Western Star for $ 135.50 for his funeral expense including $ 20 for music of a brass band. The bill was rejected.
Grand Lodge of California opened for the first time April 19,1850, 12:00 noon. At that meeting Connecticut Lodge was changed to Tehama #3 . The first Lodge was in the attic of a store building called the Red House on the southeast corner of Fifth and J Streets. This Temple was described as follows: " The second story was kept as a lodging house and beds were let at $ 5 per night. Masonry being a progressive and moral science taught by degrees only; To ascend where the craft were to receive their wages was found to be occupied by those who from their sex and morals, were ineligible to receive the degrees of Masonry; thus the Lodge found it necessary to vacate and find other quarters.”
Prior to 1888 many Masonic Lodges in California met on or near the nights of a full moon and were known as Moon Lodges. In those days the principal means of transportation was on horses or by walking. Remember there were no flashlights, only lanterns, kerosene, candle and carbide, which were expensive and inefficient. Washington Lodge in the early days was a Moon Lodge. In 1950 there were only three Moon Lodges remaining, Mariposa #24, Georgetown #25, and Harmony #164 located in Sierra City.
Tehama #3 has been called the " Mother of Lodges” in Sacramento. In the first 15 years of its existence, it recommended dispensations for four Lodges -- they were Sutter #6, April 1850; Washington #20, February 1852; Concord #117, February 1857, and Elk Grove #173, 1964.
Membership 1900 1949
Tehama 129 688
Union 184 673
Sacramento 158 709
Washington 84 705
Concord 329
In 1849 and 1850 Sacramento was described as a Lazar-house, defined as an institution of derelicts, diseased beggars and from the bible the brother of Mary and Martha whom Jesus raised from the dead. Sacramento had hundreds of sick and dying, needing relief. Most had cholera from drinking contaminated water on the overland journey to California. Several Brethren exemplified the tenets of brotherly love, relief and truth. They were Dr. Morse of Essex, Vermont graduate of New York College of Medicine 1844, came to Sacramento in 1849; Brother J. D. B. Stillman organizer of Masons and Oddfellows Hospital at Sutters Fort; Brother Albert Maver Winn President of Masons and Oddfellows Relief Association. Col. Winn was commissioned Colonel of the 1st Regular Mississippi Militia. These Brothers were men of means and dug deep in there pockets and gave much of their time. Brother Winn was later commissioned a Brigadier General by Governor Peter H. Burnett and reappointed by Governor Bigler. General Winn submitted a bill to the Legislature for reimbursement of $14,000, which was denied. Winn’s actual expenditures came to $21,500. Think of it in terms of about 50 times that much in today's dollars. Governor Bigler, a member of Washington #20, was very active in relief work during the crisis, and was also very active in local and State politics, elected Governor in 1851 and serving two terms. Bigler was charter member of Tehama #3 but let his dues lapse and was suspended. He quickly set things aright and became a member of our Lodge until his death.
Washington was the fourth Lodge organized in Sacramento -- it came into being in a difficult time. Tehama, Jennings & Sutter, sister Lodges, were in dire straits. Tehama and Jennings were staggering under a huge relief debt. Jennings went under both from debt and the floods.
Our first Master, under dispensation received February 19, 1852, was Charles Denscombe; Senior Warden was Jesse Morrill; and Junior Warden Jeb Thompson . On May 5, 1852 we received our charter and on May 13, Nathaniel Green Curtis was elected master under the charter. Brother Curtis later became Grand Master of Masons in California.
In Section #2 above, the reader was introduced to General Winn. An interesting aside concerning General Winn is that he lived in Vicksburg, Mississippi from 1834 until 1849 and was appointed a Colonel in the Regular Mississippi Militia. Who appoints colonels in State Militias ? We know Winn was a Mason in Vicks-burg, Mississippi when John Anthony Quitman was Grand Master of Masons in Mississippi, 1820-1837 and Governor of Mississippi 1835 until 1839 or longer. so it is a good assumption that Quitman appointed Winn a Colonel. Winn was a prominent City Councilman in Sacramento and the Mayor. In 1850 Governor Burnett commissioned Winn a Brigadier in California State Militia, and was reappointed by Governor Bigler in 1854. In August 1850 there was a squatters revolt and armed squatters killed the elected sheriff of Sacramento. Governor Burnett ordered General Winn to take over the City under Martial Law, to put down the squatters riot, which was done rapidly and efficiently restoring peace and harmony . General Winn moved to San Francisco in 1860 and in 1875 founded The Native Sons of Golden West. He moved to Sonoma late 1875, died August 26, 1883 at age 73 years.
Going back to Washington Lodge in the early 1850's a quote from 100 years of Freemasonry in California is as follows: "One of the earliest noticeable characteristics of Washington Lodge was the general level headedness and solid business methods of its guiding spirits. As early as the second meeting under dispensation they concerned themselves not only with obtaining just a meeting place, but with obtaining a meeting place of their own. They appointed Joel Bell, J.A. Bullard, and Curtis as a Committee to confer with various Masonic and Odd Fellows Lodges of the city on purchasing a suitable lot on which to build a Masons and Odd Fellows Hall. They carried the same practicality into their charitable works. The charity box was on the alter at every meeting. "
Washington Lodge had 39 Master Masons in May 1853; 94 in 1854 -- most of the1854 gains were by initiation. In the period of 1854 to 1857 three new Lodges were formed: Sacramento 40, Union 58, and Concord. The falling off of gold production and the Civil War made things even worse, bringing numerous withdrawals and suspensions for non payment of dues. By 1865 we only had 52 members on the roll. By 1900 we climbed back to 85 members. Note that this number grew to 705 members in 1949.
The Other Mother of Lodges
Frequently in a burst of enthusiasm, many a Secretary will refer to his own Lodge as a Mother of Lodges. No Secretary had any more right to do so than that of Washington Lodge. A survey of Washington's minutes will show it recommended dispensation for no less than nine Lodges in and around Sacramento from 1852 to 1864, and one in Virginia City, NV. (The recommendation for the Virginia City Lodge was probably the cause of the old time rumor that an early Sacramento Lodge assumed the prerogative of Grand Lodge and issued a dispensation to a lodge in Nevada. It was dated January 1,1863.)
In 1930 Charles Igram making a digest of our Lodges minutes for Grand Lodge History Committee, observed: This Lodge was the Mother Lodge of perhaps a score (20), of Lodges in all directions from Sacramento. In 1872 we refused to recommend several unaffiliated brothers of Sacramento who wished to open a lodge to be known as Industrial Lodge.
Our minutes have little to say about the Civil War aside from an allusion or two to the public enemy. There were some strong feelings one way and another, and it is known one of the most distinguished of Masons was denied a high state appointment, as late as 1883 , for alleged pro-Southern sentiment during the war. The only time the Lodge itself officially went on record was May 4, 1865, when it passed a long rhetoric filled resolution condemning the assassination of Lincoln. It was perhaps the strongest resolution of its kind passed by any Lodge in the State.
Another thing noticeably absent from the records of Washington Lodge in the early years is the naive humor found in the minutes of other less erudite Lodges of mining and agricultural districts. The word "erudite" means "deeply learned, polished or taught." Its use is probably affirmed by a large number of the brethren at the time being in law and other Learned professions."
Washington Lodge as noted was one of the 20% of all Lodges in California to loose their hall from fire. Our report on the loss was a model of brevity. The Secretary in a terse marginal note in the record book of Nov. 2,1854 -- “Fire destroyed Lodge Room.”
This Lodge had a nice way of dealing with frugal Sacramentans who thought they could save money by joining the craft in other jurisdictions and affiliating with a local Lodge on their return home. There was no writing of angry letters or recriminations over jurisdiction. If a man happened to visit his old home in the East and, while there, was made a Mason, he could later get into Washington Lodge very easily. All he had to do was pay an affiliation fee equal to the difference between the initiation fees of Washington Lodge and the Eastern Lodge, "and otherwise comply with the Bylaws". The only catch was the difference could sometimes be pretty steep.
In the historians look over the record of Washington Lodge, he is not so much impressed with events as with the brethren themselves. On the long roster, reaching back to 1852, he sees the names of a Grand Master, a Junior Grand Warden, a Grand Orator, a Secretary of State of the State of California, two of whom became United States Senators and two Ministers to foreign countries. Another interesting brother was Justin Gates whose traveling drugstore brought relief to thousands of his fellow creatures.
The Grand Master Nathaniel Green Curtis was a Masonic Institution. Master of Washington Lodge the first three years of our existence, he had distinguished himself in the craft in Tennessee before coming to California. He was made a Master Mason in South Memphis Lodge No. 118 when he was 20 years and 9 days old, and was elected Master of the same Lodge one month and 19 days before he was 21 years old, perhaps the youngest Master of a Blue Lodge in the history of US. Masonry. He affiliated with Washington Lodge under dispensation, February 21, 1852, the day we received our dispensation. In 1856 he was Deputy Grand Master, and elected Grand Master in 1857 for the first of four consecutive terms.
In a previous segment, we discussed Nathaniel Green Curtis, our first Master (3 years) of Washington Lodge, perhaps the youngest Master of his lodge in the US. He became Master of the South Memphis Lodge before his 21st birthday. Brother Curtis became Deputy Grand Master in California in 1854 and Grand Master in 1857 for four consecutive terms.
Until his death in Sacramento July 12, 1897. his four terms as Grand Master had been equaled only by Leonidas Pratt, of Mountain Shade Lodge #18 of Downieville and by John Mills Browne of Naval Lodge #87 of Vallejo. Curtis was born in Waite County, North Carolina, February 8,1825, moved to Tennessee early in life, came to California 1850 settling in Sacramento where he made his home and practiced law until his death in 1897. Curtis laid the cornerstone of the present State Capitol and the old Masonic Temple in San Francisco. He held many high State and City Offices and was a Major General, California National Guard.
As a lawyer, Curtis was extremely capable and resourceful, with a talent for developing human interest. He was the first one ever to use emotional insanity in a murder trial where he was council for the defense. Using this argument, he won acquittal for Mrs. Laura D. Fair.
Another interesting Past Master of our Lodge was Henry Harre Hartley, born in England 1826, moved to US, became a member Washington Lodge 1854, became Senior Warden 1855 and Master 1856. He was also High Priest of Chapter 3, and Commander of Sacramento Commandery #2, becoming Grand High Priest and Grand High Commander. At the time of his death, March 12, 1868, he was Deputy Grand Master of Masons in California. Like Curtis, Hartley's name appeared high in the annals of Sacramento jurisprudence. He ran for Justice of the Supreme Court, but was defeated by 6,000 votes. An idea of the popularity among the craft may be gained from the fact a year following his death, the Brethren of Lakeport opened a new Lodge and named it after him, Hartely Lodge #199.
Noted People from Washington Lodge John Nelles Young, Grand Orator in 1868, is our next notable. He was a lawyer whose name appeared on the roll of Washington lodge in 1877, Master in 1882, 1883, and 1884. Past Master Young was also a State Legislator from Sacramento in 1880, 1881, and 1884. Benjamin Bernard Redding was one of our members, Secretary of State under Governors Latham and Low , and Trustee of the State Library. From1874 to 1882 he was a very busy as Regent of University of California, Fish Commissioner, Trustee State Miners Hospital. Redding died in mid-career August 21, 1882.
Our first Governor from Washington 20 was John Bigler; next governor was Milton S. Lathom, who in 1861 was appointed First Sovereign Grand Inspector in California for the Scottish Rite. Latham's name appears in Washington Lodge as a member in 1859. Latham was Governor for five days when he resigned to accept the US Senate seat of the late David C. Broderick who was killed in a duel with a former California Supreme Court Justice, David S. Terry.
Latham was educated in Alabama and had strong Southern leanings. He was not re-elected and came home to California a private citizen. Latham joined Washington 20 in 1859, withdrew in1862, died in New York City March 4, 1882. The next Governor from Washington 20 was Romualdo Pacheco, born in Santa Barbara October 1831 and the third native Californian to join the Masonic Fraternity. He was an outstanding Statesman and was the personification of the great American sense of justice and fair play. Born a Mexican citizen he attained the highest honors a State could confer upon him. He became a Congressman from California after his term as governor 1873 until 1883.
President Harrison appointed him US Minister to Guatemala and other Central American Countries. Governor and Ambassador Pacheco died in Oakland, January 1899.
This segment is on the life of Hiram Warren Johnson, the fourth member of Washington Lodge to become Governor of California. His life span started three years before the Golden Spike Ceremony and ended in the era of transcontinental flight across both oceans. It spanned the greatest period of enlightenment and scientific development in American history.
Johnson was born in Sacramento, September 2, 1866. He was exposed to law and politics from the day of his birth , for his father earned his living at law and served as both a state Senator and Assemblyman , and it was not unexpected that Hiram moved in the same direction. He attended Sacramento public schools and entered University of California, dropped out in his junior year to study law under his father’s guidance. While in the university he edited the year book and played on the baseball team. In 1886, he married Miss Minnie L. McNeal from his home town. He studied under his father’s tutelage and was admitted to the bar in 1888, when he established his law practice. It soon became apparent Hiram had his own ways and ideas of doing things. He and his father took diametrically opposed stands on vital issues.
In1892, Hiram moved his practice to San Francisco and came into prominence as CO-prosecutor in the Ruef-Schmitz Graft trials just before the earthquake in 1906 (Ruef was a political boss, and Schmitz was mayor of San Francisco). He continued to move up politically until 1910 when his friends prevailed on him to run for Governor on the Republican ticket. Johnson was a progressive minded man, violently opposed to graft of any kind and dead set against the Southern Pacific Railroad Company's domination of California politics. He made an automobile tour of the state speaking in every city, town and crossroads , and won the election by 22,000 vote majority . From his inauguration in January 1911 until his death in 1944 , he was never out of high public office.
In 1912 Johnson bolted the Republican for the progressive or "Bull Moose" Party and was reelected Governor in 1914. He was back in the Republican Party in 1916 when he was elected US. Senator from California, an office he held for five consecutive terms. As a Senator, Johnson by no means invariably conformed to his party's platform or general policy. He still did his own thinking, even to the point of supporting Franklin D. Roosevelt for the Presidency in 1932.