LODGE HISTORY
Washington Lodge No. 20 was a testament to courage and optimism, arriving as Sacramento's fourth lodge during a time that was not propitious. Its sister lodges were in dire straits: Tehama and Jennings were crippled by a massive debt from caring for the sick and destitute, while Sutter had been destroyed by fire.
Compounding these problems were the floods of early 1850, which inundated the town and sent belongings and even entire buildings floating away. On top of it all, the ever-present threat of cholera created a pervasive sense of dread.
Despite this climate of crisis, 20 Master Masons, led by Jesse M. Morrill, met on February 19, 1852, to organize a new lodge. They signed a petition for a dispensation, which was recommended by Tehama Lodge and granted just two days later by Deputy Grand Master B. D. Hyam.
Charles Duncombe was Master; Jesse M. Morrill, Senior Warden; and Jeb L. Thompson, Junior Warden.
On May 5, 1852, they received their charter, as Washington Lodge No. 20.
He was subsequently re-elected to the same position in 1853, 1854, and 1857.
To learn more about Nathaniel Greene Curtis, click here.
One of the earliest noticeable characteristics of Washington Lodge was the general levelheadedness and solid business methods of its guiding spirits.
In its early years, Washington Lodge was concerned with securing its own meeting place, appointing a committee of Joel Ball, J.A. Bullard, and Nathaniel Greene Curtis to discuss purchasing a hall with other Masonic and Odd Fellows Lodges.
The lodge also maintained a charity box for general relief, but ensured that recipients were worthy of the assistance. The lodge's membership grew significantly during this time.
In May 1853, Washington Lodge had 39 Master Masons, and a year later, that number more than doubled to 94. Many new members joined through affiliation, including Governor John Bigler.
THE GOLD RUSH AND FREEMASONRY IN SACRAMENTO
The California Gold Rush, initiated by James Wilson Marshall's discovery in January 1848, led to a massive influx of people into the state, with Sacramento becoming a key destination for those heading to the northern gold mines. The city's population exploded from approximately 150 in April 1849 to 11,000 within two years.
During this period, Masons sought to establish fraternal associations. In September 1849, about 100 Masons met in Sacramento and attempted to form a relief association.
However, they soon discovered that Caleb Fenner held a charter for Connecticut Lodge No. 75 from the Grand Lodge of Connecticut. The lodge was officially organized on January 8, 1850, and elected John A. Tutt as its first Worshipful Master.
In April 1850, representatives from several lodges met in Sacramento and successfully organized the Grand Lodge of the State of California, which was established before California became a state. The first officers were elected, with Jonathan D. Stevenson as Grand Master.
The text also highlights the early challenges and philanthropy of the Masons. Many early lodges, known as "Moon Lodges," held meetings on or near a full moon due to transportation difficulties. During a cholera outbreak in 1849 and 1850, Masons like Dr. Morse, J.D.B. Stillman, and Albert Maver Winn provided significant relief, with Winn personally spending a large sum of money on aid that the state legislature later refused to reimburse. Governor Peter H. Burnett also engaged in relief work.
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 No. 20.
A casual survey of Washington Lodge's minutes will show it recommending 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 Ingram, 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 or another, and it is known that 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 No. 20 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."
Selections by the Social Media Committee from
50 Years of Masonry In California and One Hundred Years of Freemasonry in California
published by Grand Lodge, Free & Accepted Masons of California
and The First 100 Years of Sacramento Lodge No. 40 by Walter E. Stoddard, PM
