The History of Masonry in Fresno
The
first reference to Free Masonry in Fresno County appeared in the Fresno
Weekly Expositor on March 15, 1871 calling for Masons in Fresno County
to appear at a meeting on April 7th, at the Courthouse in Millerton,
California. Five men; C.G. Sayle, Samuel Brown, J.N. Griggs, James
Dunlap, and Jeff Donahoo presumably paid for the notice.
In the week following the meeting, it was reported that 10 men
had attended this April 7th meeting, and that they had resolved to proceed with
the formation of a new Lodge of Masons.
However, it is unclear at this time if any immediate action
came about as a result of that meeting. No additional articles have been uncovered
regarding the progress of the group.
The town of Millerton was subject to flooding by the San
Joaquin River. With the arrival of
the Central Pacific Railroad in April 1872 at a place called Fresno Station,
people started moving from Millerton down to the new town on the valley floor.
With the change of the county seat from Millerton to Fresno in 1874, it may have
been too difficult to establish a lodge in Millerton at that time.
There are no public records regarding any informal Masonic
meetings that took place from 1871 to 1875. However, some additional early
organization activity must have occurred.
According to California Grand Lodge publication "One Hundred
Years of Freemasonry in California" (1950), the owner of the Fresno Weekly
Expositor newspaper, James W. Ferguson was a Mason, and "a man of wide vision
and public spirit". This seems to infer that Ferguson had some influence
with regard to the origins of Masonry in Fresno.
At some point during the 1876 "Centennial Year", a small group
of Masons had become known to one another and began discussing the formation of
a Lodge in Fresno. The closest Lodge was
Visalia No. 128 (formed in 1859) some 50 miles to the south of Fresno,
and the La Grange Lodge No. 99 (formed in 1873, now named Yosemite) approximately
60 miles to the north.
In
the Jan 27, 1877 edition of the Fresno Republican, a small article
appeared on page three, indicating that proceedings had taken place for the
formation of a new F. & .A.M. Lodge in Fresno. The article requested that
all Master Masons in good standing desiring to be charter members of the new
lodge to please submit their names to Acting Secretary A.M. Clark.
It was thought that there were enough Masonic sojourners in
the area who had settled in the Fresno area as a result of the gold fields in
the northern counties of California, the silver lode in Nevada and men coming
from back east to generally seek their fortunes in the west.
According to the Memorial and Biographical History of the
Counties of Fresno, Tulare and Kern,
California
- Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892, “Fresno Lodge”
had on April 12, 1877 been granted a
Dispensation to assemble as a Lodge.
On April 25, 1877, a meeting of all charter members of
Fresno Lodge took place in the Odd Fellows Hall, at Mariposa and 'J' (now named
Fulton) Streets. An announcement was made by-way of a classified ad in the
Fresno Republican on April 24, 1877. Interestingly, the Masonic Square and
Compass was printed upside-down. The announcement was signed O.S. Putnam,
Master.
At the first meeting, the newly formed Lodge elected the
following officers: Orville Seth Putnam (Employee of Siverman & Einstein Dry
Goods), W. M.; Samuel Goldstein, S. W.; Angus Marion Clark (Fresno County
Clerk), J. W.; George Bernhard (Merchant), Treasurer; C. G. Sayle (Dry Goods Proprietor), Sec.; William H.A. Creed (District Attorney),
S. D.; A. Kutner, J. D., and R. H. Fleming, Tyler.
Fresno Lodge UD met every Saturday evening at the IOOF Hall (reported in the May 5, 1877 edition of the
Fresno
Republican) until 1881.
During the annual communication of the California Grand Lodge
in October 1877, it was determined that the relatively new Fresno Lodge had not
satisfactorily developed. A year later, on Oct 10, 1878, the new Fresno
Lodge F. & A.M. No. 247 was granted a full charter by the California Grand
Lodge, John Mills Brown, Grand Master and Alexander G. Abell, Grand Secretary.
At that time, the Grand Master appointed William H. A. Creed,
W. M.; Samuel Goldstein, S. W.; and Angus. M. Clark, J. W. The Lodge has
been ably presided over by the following Worshipful Masters: O. S. Putnam, W. H.
A. Creed, A. M. Clark, E. D. Edwards, A. C. Williams, H. Levy, E. F. Selleck and S. B. Tombs. Total membership to date, degrees and affiliation, was
197.
The following month, Nov 9, 1878, Fresno Lodge No. 247 held an
Initiation Ceremony, with William H. Creed serving as Worshipful Master.
(Reported in the Fresno Republican on Nov 16, 1878, page six.)
While Fresno Lodge met at the IOOF Hall on Saturdays, some ads placed in the newspaper indicated that stated meetings would
be held on the Saturday
preceding
the full moon. Many lodges in California followed this
practice, especially Lodges in the mountainous regions. They became known
as "Lunar Lodges". Since there were no lights, a Stated Meeting that was
held closest to the full moon gave the brethren some light by which they could
find their way back home. Because
the lunar month and the calendar month are different, this would give rise to
the possibility that stated meetings were not held on the same day each month
(for example, the third Friday of the month).
Fresno Lodge held its meetings on Saturdays from 1878 to 1884.
In 1885, they moved their stated meetings to Friday nights.
The installations of new officers in the various Fresno
Fraternal Lodges (IOOF, Knights of Pythias) were extraordinary lavish occasions, and Fresno
Lodge was no exception. The Grand Ball of December 23, 1881, held at
the Metropolitan Hall, was heralded as "the finest affair of this kind ever
witnessed in this city".
In 1881, Fresno Lodge moved its monthly stated meeting
location to the Winchell Building on Mariposa Street.
In
October 1885, talk had started about building a Masonic Temple in Fresno.
The lodge room in the Winchell Building had become inadequate, and the
population in Fresno was increasing dramatically (from 1,000 in 1880 to 11,000
in 1890).
During the week of Nov 14, 1885, excavation work began for the
construction of the new temple at Tulare and 'J' (now named Fulton)
Streets. The cornerstone for the building was laid on Dec 4, 1885, by Most
Worshipful Wiley James Tinnen, California Grand Master, with time-capsule placed
inside the stone.
June 24, 1886 was the projected date for dedication of the
finished work. The Honorable P.D. Wigginton was to deliver the address at
the Dedication Ball. The San Francisco Electric Light Company demonstrated
a relatively new invention; the electric light bulb.
This new three-story building was 100' by 55', with business
offices on the first, meeting rooms for non-Masonic organizations on the second
floor, and a lodge room and banquet room exclusively for Masons on the third
floor. The work was contracted to Carl, Crowly & Abernathy of Stockton,
California at an estimated $19,199 to build. Later, it was reported that
the cost of the new building was approximately $30,000.
At the time, the California Masonic Code required that any lodge
building constructed would be at least two-stories, with the lodge room on the
upper floors to better protect the secrets of the lodge. This Masonic
Temple Building also housed a number of businesses; attorneys, real estate
agents (Hughes & Sons Real Estate), insurance agents, a drug store (Smith
Brothers) and a furniture store.
The economic boom period of 1880's, which gave rise to the
construction of the Masonic Temple Building, turned "bust" in the 1890's.
The Lodge, unable to fully shoulder the financial burdens of owning the
structure, sold the building to Jeff G. James of San Francisco, but continued to
rent and occupy the third floor.
In June 1887, repairs to the roof of the building nearly
resulted in a fire. The hazard was quickly attended to and a fire avoided.
But the Temple would not be so fortunate six years later.
On August 6, 1893, a disastrous fire destroyed the Masonic
Temple Building. The fire was first thought to have begun on the roof of
the Goldberg & Bowen building on 'I' (now named Broadway) Street between Kern
and Tulare streets, opposite the Hughes Hotel. But later it was determined
that the fire started in the rear of the Williams Furniture store.
By the time the chemical truck of the fire department had
arrived, the roof of the Goldberg building was engulfed, and the tower of the
Masonic Temple immediately adjacent was smoking. Within twenty minutes after the alarm was sounded, the entire
block was a blaze. The fire was so intense; it blistered the paint on the
Hughes Hotel building across the street.
The guests of the Hughes Hotel were awakened and guests and hotel
employees busily soaked blankets and placed them on the awnings and eves of the
hotel building to prevent embers and intense heat from igniting the structure. As the fire raged, the west wall of the Goldberg building fell
into the street, followed ten minutes later by the Einstein building. The
Masonic Temple building was in ruins; the second and third floor had collapsed.
Only the ground floor masonry walls were standing.
The Fresno Republican reported that Jeff G. James of
San Francisco, owner of the Masonic Temple Building, suffered an estimated loss
of $30,000, and was only insured for $10,000. Smith Brothers Drugs, a
building tenant, had an estimated loss of $3,000.
As the Masonic Temple Building was home to a number of other fraternal
organizations, the following losses ensued; Fresno Masonic Lodge No. 247, $1,500,
insured for $750; Pythian Sisters, $300, no insurance; Hermann Sons, $400,
insurance $200; Knights Templar, all uniforms and paraphernalia, $9,000,
insurance $1,500; Royal Arch Chapter, $1,000, insurance $600; Arion Singing
Society, $350, insurance $150; Order of the Eastern Star, $700.
County Recorder Angus M. Clark ran into the burning Masonic
building and was able to save the Knights Templar Commandery records, but all
other Lodge records were lost in the fire.
A woman living in the Einstein building reported men running
from the Goldberg shortly before the flames broke out. The Fresno police
indicated that they were in possession of evidence that pointed to an incendiary
theory. Over the following weeks, there would be much controversy regarding how
an entire block of buildings could have burned, and how the buildings could have
been saved. The ability and tactics of the Fresno Fire Department was
questioned, as well as the capability of the La France trucks and equipment, and the
pipelines (hydrant) and pressure.
On August 10, 1893, in the sweltering summer heat, the work of
removing the rubbish of the fire began. A number of Masonic jewels,
swords, and other relics of the fire were unearthed. That same evening, Fresno Lodge No. 247 held a meeting in the
Odd Fellows Hall to discuss plans for rebuilding a new Temple. It was
proposed that another three-story building be constructed, with the third floor
strictly reserved for Masons. Jeff G. James was present at the meeting to
discuss the financial arrangement. A plan was to be unveiled at the August
25th lodge meeting.
At the August 25th meeting in the Edgerly block, there was
discussion about reorganizing Fresno Lodge No.247, as all records had been lost
in the fire. A committee was formed to study the building of a new temple.
On September 29, 1893, workmen began clearing the old
foundations of the burned buildings to make way for new construction.
In
the Oct 19, 1893 of the Fresno Morning Republican, it was reported that the new
Masonic Temple building was being rapidly built, with the roof framing in
progress.
By January 1894, local business men were announcing in the
newspaper that they were moving their businesses to the new Masonic Temple
Building. On March 5, 1894, the Fresno Parlor, Native Sons of the Golden
West indicated that they would be locating into an "elegantly furnished" hall of
the Masonic Temple.
On April 12, 1894, the new Masonic Temple was re-dedicated.
Over 500 people attended the ceremony presided over by Grand Master Dr. H.S.
Orme, resident of Los Angeles.
The Masonic Lodges and affiliated organizations of Fresno would continue to use this
building for seventeen years until 1911.
Several
Masons in Fresno began talking about forming a new Masonic Lodge in Fresno.
On December 7th of 1904, a group of Masons assembled in the first floor parlor of the home of James Cyrus Pottle, 1526 K Street (now named Van Ness) in Fresno. Pottle had been the Master of Sanger Lodge No. 316 in 1899 and 1900, and an Inspector for the 38th Masonic district. He had recently moved to Fresno as a merchant.
At this meeting J. C. Pottle was elected Worshipful Master, Elliott William Lindsay (county schools superintendent), was elected Senior Warden and Albert Bazzle Clark (local banker) was elected Junior Warden.
They voted to have William Angus Sutherland (attorney) prepare the petition for a Dispensation.
While they voted to fix dues at $6.00 per year, they deferred
the subject of a name for this new lodge.
The
second meeting was held on December 16, 1904.
At this meeting it was reported that 14 Masons had paid their first year
dues for a total of $84.00 and Charles Sheldon Pierce, (lumberman) was elected
Treasurer.
There was some discussion about what name to use for the new lodge. "Center Lodge" was suggested, as was "Raisin City Lodge". But it was Herbert Z. Austin (Superior Court Judge) who suggested that the name "Las Palmas Lodge" would be more appropriate. He argued that "Center" inferred too much territory of Central California and was not distinctive enough.
He also envisioned Fresno becoming a large financial and
agricultural-industrial hub, and that the Las Palmas Vineyard was known
worldwide. Las Palmas Vineyard was a 160 acre property owned by Benjamin
R. Woodworth, in the Nevada Agricultural Colony, close to what is now McKinley
and Cedar Avenues in Fresno. Thus the name "Las Palmas Lodge" was adopted.
It
was at this meeting that 15 Masons signed the petition asking the Grand Master
for a Dispensation to meet as a new Masonic Lodge in Fresno under the name of
Las Palmas Lodge. On January 5,
1905 Grand Master George W. Hunter signed the Dispensation and Las Palmas Lodge
was formally created.
The 15 Masons who were the Charter Members were:
James Cyrus Pottle,
a local merchant who was a Past Master of Sanger Lodge and Inspector.
He would be the Master in 1905 while under dispensation.
Elliott William Lindsay,
the County Superintendent of Schools and member of Fresno Lodge.
Joseph Philip Bernhard,
a local attorney and member of Fresno Lodge.
He would be Master in 1907.
William Angus Sutherland,
a local attorney and banker and member of Fresno Lodge.
He would be Master in 1909.
Herbert Z. Austin,
a local Judge and member of Fresno Lodge.
He would be Master in 1908.
John Simeon Jones,
a farmer and capitalist and member of Reedley Lodge.
Alexander Marion Drew,
a local attorney, state assemblyman, and member of Fresno Lodge.
Albert Bazzle Clark,
a local banker and member of Reedley Lodge.
He would be Master in 1906.
John Quincy Anderson,
a local realtor and member of Fresno Lodge.
Charles Sheldon Pierce,
a lumberman and member of Fresno Lodge.
Briceno Amendez Fassett,
a local “agent” and a past master of Hanford Lodge.
Duncan Donald Allison,
an ice merchant and member of Fresno Lodge and their Master in 1895.
Bro. Allison would be the “Funeral Master” for many years.
Albert Graves Wishon,
the founder and owner of San Joaquin Light and Power Co.
who was a member of Visalia Lodge.
William Oscar Miles,
The Fresno County Clerk and a member of Fresno Lodge.
Charles Lewis Walter,
a local Real Estate agent and member of Selma Lodge.
When these 15 Masons signed the bylaws of Las Palmas Lodge as charter members
and the Grand Master signed the dispensation to form a new Lodge, their
membership in their previous lodge was automatically terminated.
In the January 6, 1905 edition of the Fresno Republican, it
was reported that fifteen Master Masons from the Fresno area had met to organize
a new Lodge in Fresno. There had been a resurgence of community
prosperity, with new population and capital pouring into Fresno. The
growth of Free Masonry in Fresno had been so "phenomenal" (according to the
Fresno Morning Republican), that a second Lodge was needed.
In reality, the second Lodge was formed out of philosophical
differences within the existing and prospective sojourning membership. It
was said at the time that Fresno No. 247 had become un-enterprising; adhering to
"old-ways". In a 1930 re-enactment of the first conceptual meeting, the
conversation between the charter members referred to the Fresno Lodge as being
"stagnant", and that perhaps a little competition might be good.
At the Annual Communication held at the Grand Lodge of
California in San Francisco on October 12, 1905, a Charter was granted to a new
Lodge in Fresno, California; Las Palmas Lodge No. 366.
On October 26, 1905, the Right Worshipful Edward H. Hart,
Deputy Grand Master and other grand officers performed the Ceremony of
Constituting Las Palmas Lodge in Fresno. At the time, J.C. Pottle served
as Master, E.W. Lindsey as Senior Warden, and A.B. Clark as Junior Warden; J.Q.
Anderson, Treasurer; W.A. Sutherland, Secretary; J.P. Bernhard, Senior Deacon;
H.Z. Austin, Junior Deacon; D.D. Allison, Marshal; C.L. Shierreff and W.R.
Price, Stewards; C.E. Stewart, Tyler.
From the original meeting in January, 1905, while Under
Dispensation, until Chartered in October of 1905, Las Palmas Lodge admitted 36
Master Masons by affiliation in addition to the 15 Charter Members.
They Raised 9 men, and had 4 Fellowcrafts waiting to be Raised and 1
Entered Apprentice waiting to be passed to the degree of Fellowcraft.
Within 10 months of its start, Las Palmas Lodge went from 15 Charter
Members to a total of 60 members. Dr. Angus B. Cowan, a noted physician in
Central California, was the first petitioner for degrees.
In the early part of the 20th
Century, the City of Clovis was about 15 miles north-east of the City of Fresno.
Today they share a common border.
Early in 1910, a group of Master Mason's met to promote a new lodge for Clovis. The first meeting, held under dispensation, was on June 16, 1910 in the John E. Good Building located at 5th and Front streets. Leroy Taylor was Worshipful Master; Fred Smith was Senior Warden, Lewis Gibson was Junior Warden. These Masons came from other Lodges around the valley and from back east.
The Grand Lodge of California issued
a charter on October 3, 1910 and Clovis Masonic Lodge No. 417 was born. The
following 13 were the charter members: Frank Arthur Anderson, Lewis Willis
Gibson, Lewis William Harvey, Henry Edward Hawkins, Nathan Henry Hayes, Herbert
Guary Johnson, Elbert Sylvester Kirkpatrick, Guy Fawkes Matheny, Harry E.
Armstrong, Frederick Walter Smith, Francis Palmer South, Leroy Taylor ( the
first Master of Clovis Lodge), and Luther Edward Weldon. Las Palmas Lodge No.
366 was the sponsoring lodge for Clovis Masonic Lodge, and James C. Pottle, the
first Worshipful Master of Las Palmas Lodge, was the Inspector and the guiding
hand for the formation of Clovis Lodge.
Clovis Lodge was up and running quickly and was doing very well. Some of the
more prominent people of the town of Clovis were becoming members. James G.
Fergusson, head book keeper for the Clovis Lumber Company, received his degrees
in the first year. On June 16, 1912, exactly 2 years from its inception, Clovis
Lodge received a small setback in the form of a fire which destroyed its
furnishings, records and charter. Within a week, all of the necessary steps to
re-furnish the lodge, replace its charter and gather itself was in effect.
After the fire, the members of Clovis Lodge, moved across the street to the
Freitas Hall at the corner of 5th and Front Streets, which is now Clovis Avenue,
and rented the upstairs for $10.00 per month. Downstairs was a pool hall and
there were plenty of evenings that the ritual work in the lodge room was to be
interrupted by the cheers of the patrons down below. They stayed at this hall
until 1930 when they purchased their own building, the former First Presbyterian
Church, located at the corner of 5th and DeWitt Avenues, which was used until
consolidation with Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge in January of 2015.
Two families have provide many members to Clovis Masonic Lodge. They are the
Reyburn, and Matthews families. Together these two families alone have been
responsible for a total of 14 members and 5 Masters. Some of the other more notable last names
of the members of past are, Good, Parker, Blakeley, Clifford, Sargent,
McCormick, Clay, Polson, Howison, and many more that are too numerous to
mention. It is also worth mentioning that many of the roads and schools in and
around Clovis bear the names of many of these men.
It was evident that there was need for a larger Lodge building
and eventually, Las Palmas Lodge, Fresno Lodge, and other Masonic bodies formed
the Fresno Masonic Temple Association for the purpose of raising funds and
making plans to construct a new building.
During
the month of August, 1910, plans for the new Masonic Temple at 'K' (now named
Van Ness) and Merced Streets were distributed to several contractors around the
state for bid. The plans called for a three-story building, with the
"revenue" on the first floor (offices for rent), lodge rooms on the second
floor, and a banquet facility and stage on the third floor.
In September, 1910, Architect Starbuck & Wilde of Oakland,
California, was to assist with the selection of a contractor to build the new
temple. Starbuck has drawn up the plans, and was critical to understanding
the specifications and bidding process. A building permit was pulled later
in the month to start construction. Estimated cost: $33,200.
On Oct 19, 1910, the red-sandstone cornerstone was laid for a
new Masonic Temple at the corner of Merced & 'K' Streets (now Van Ness Avenue)
in Fresno. A small advertisement was placed on page seven in the Fresno
Morning Republican on Oct 18 inviting all Masons and associated bodies
to attend. The notice was signed by J.W. Smith, Master, and Ray W. Baker,
Secretary. (The Master and Secretary of Las Palmas Lodge.)
Approximately
500 masons, including California Grand Master Dana R. Weller, attended the
ceremony. As soon as the Lodge was opened at the old Temple, Lodge was
called to refreshment so that all members could participate in a parade,
complete with the Fresno Sciots Marching Band, from the site of the old Masonic
Temple Building at Tulare & 'I' Streets, to the new site.
With permission of the owners of the old Masonic Temple
Building, the cornerstone was excavated, and the enclosed time capsule was
transferred to the cornerstone of the new building.
New items were also added to the time-capsule: a list of
officers and members of all Masonic bodies in Fresno, the City Directory of
1910; copies of the daily Republican Herald, Tribune, and Sunday Mirror
newspapers; coins of 1910; a list of directors of the Fresno Masonic Temple
Company; a list of Fresno City and County officials; a scroll containing the
names of the architects, builders and contractors involved in the project; and a
Fresno Republican booklet.
Masonic organizations that participated in the cornerstone
event were Fresno Lodge No. 247, Las Palmas Lodge No. 366, Fresno Chapter R.A.M
No. 69; Fresno Commandery Knights Templar No. 8; Lodge of Perfection No. 8;
Fresno Chapter of Rose Croix No. 8; Knights of Kadosh No. 8; Scottish Rite; and
Raisina Chapter O.E.S.
In 1911, the building was dedicated and open for business.
Local Masonic organizations would use this building for the next 50 years.
By 1927 there were a total of 4 Masonic Lodges in Fresno plus Eastern Star,
Scottish Rite and York Rite. The
1911 Temple was crowded.
At the December, 1927 Las Palmas Stated Meeting the following appears:
“Jas. R. Erskine presented many problems confronting the Masonic
Fraternity of Fresno in regard to the building of the new Masonic Temple and
after considerable discussion by the various members a motion was regularly
made, seconded and carried that a committee be appointed to canvas the members
of Las Palmas Lodge as to the amount each member would pledge for the purpose of
erecting a suitable Masonic edifice in the City of Fresno, with the
understanding that in case of a member’s death the full amount the member had
paid would be immediately refunded to the family of the deceased member.”
Nothing happened for 25 years, probably due to the Great
Depression and WW II.
With the establishment of two Lodges in Fresno and a growing
population, some leading Masons thought that there was a need for a third Lodge.
The thinking was that since there were enough sojourners in the area, there would be
no need to convince members from the two existing Lodges in Fresno to join.
Ardie Lee Smith, a Past Master of No. 247, headed the
canvassing group, and on October 29, 1916, Center Lodge No. 465 was inaugurated.
The charter members of the lodge were Walter Edward Bonnet, A.A. Brown, John
Foster Davies, Nelson Dennis, Robert Carl Ellithrope, James Erasmith, James E.
Darwin Harrison, Martin Berry Havner, Edwin LeRoy Hughes, Henry August Momson,
Ben T. Norris, Goff Norvel Manwell, Emory Ratcliff, Wilhelm Emil Richard
Schottstaedt, Herbert Alan Sessions, David Amanuel Shope, Casper Nelson Torp,
and William Richard Wells.
Center Lodge met on Saturdays in the Temple Building at Van
Ness and Merced Avenues, until the construction of the Scottish Rite Temple in
1937. Center then met at the Scottish Rite Temple on Wednesdays.
On Dec 21, 1935, under the auspices of Center Lodge No. 465,
the cornerstone for the Fresno Memorial Auditorium was laid at 'N' and Fresno
Streets. The ceremony was conducted by the then Grand Master of
California, Earl W. Warren, who would later become the Governor of the State of
California in 1950 and Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the years immediately following World War I, there was a
great influx of people coming into Fresno from all parts of the nation.
This included a considerable number of Masonic sojourners. These sojourners
gradually associated themselves, and in 1922, obtained a Dispensation
to form Sun Garden Lodge.
The charter members of Sun Garden were Ralph Hunt Andrews,
Joseph Herbert Allen, Walter J. Avery, Charles Clinton
Beals, Earl L. Bennett, W.R. Couse,
Ralph M. Gish, Arnold Good, Earle Gordon Granger, Herbert Rutledge Hargrave, Burtram Harry Hunter, Albert V. Klein, Thomas F. McKey, W.A. Preston,
Kenneth J. Staniford, Orville R. Taylor, R.S. Thomas, George Ulsteen, G. Gaylord
Watson, Ray D. Wharton, William P. Winning, and Alfred W. Wright. Several
of these men eventually became Masters of the Lodge.
Sun Garden Lodge wanted to meet in the existing Masonic Temple
Building at Van Ness and Merced Streets; however there was simply no room.
Already there were three "Blue Lodges" meeting at the location in addition to
the York Rite, the Scottish Rite, and a number of associated women's groups.
Furthermore, none of the current members of Sun Garden had made any fiscal
contribution to the building of the structure.
Sun Garden, for a time, met at 908 'M' Street, but later moved
to the Woodman's Hall at the southeast corner of Van Ness and Tuolumne Streets.
In 1933, the Woodman's Hall was gutted by fire, so Sun Garden then established
itself in the Odd Fellows Hall on the northeastern corner of Broadway and 'M'
Streets.
In 1916, there was talk of constructing a new Scottish Rite
Temple, which could be used by all Masonic bodies in Fresno. At the time,
there were 465 members in the Lodge of Perfection.
Although a new Masonic facility had been built only six years
before, there was already a need for an additional facility to handle Scottish
Rite activity, which had a tradition of conveying degrees by way of stage
performance since the 1850's. But other issues took precedence, and the
idea was shelved.
As reported in The Fresno Bee (News of the Lodges) on December 21,
1924, the Las Palmas membership was spearheading a drive to build a new Masonic
facility to house all lodges in Fresno. At the time there were 4 (Fresno,
Las Palmas, Center, and Sun Garden) Lodges in the city. The temple at Van Ness and Merced
streets in downtown Fresno was becoming inadequate to house and meet the needs
of the growing Masonic organizations. A 125' by 150' parcel was owned by the Scottish Rite Masons at
'L' and Stanislaus Street. There had been an attempt to develop a building
committee in 1921, but other issues prevailed. Many Masons in the various
Masonic bodies of Fresno favored building a new
five-story
temple at the site. Estimated costs at the time were $350,000; an enormous
amount of money in 1924.
In December of 1927, it was again reported in the Fresno Bee
that the building committee was still working to solidify plans for building a
new temple.
On
October 27, 1935, it was announced that a new Scottish Rite Temple would be
built on the southwest corner of Stanislaus and 'L' Streets at an estimated cost
of $250,000, one-hundred thousand less than the last announced estimate eleven
years before. With the United States coming out of a depression, plans had
been scaled back.
By the time building construction was started on April 7,
1937, all funds for construction of the facility had been raised with money in
the bank; a rather unique situation for the times. On May 8, 1937, the
cornerstone for the new Scottish Rite Temple was put in place.
Construction was completed and the interior furnished one year later in May
1938.
During the week of August 22, 1938, members of the public were
invited to tour the facilities, followed by a formal dedication on Oct 1st.
At the official dedication, William P. Filmer 33-degree,
Sovereign Grand Inspector General presided over the event. Louis Flint,
organist and musical director of the Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco, and
organist for Scottish Rite Temple No. 1, gave an organ recital for the occasion.
More than 600 members of various Masonic bodies attended the dedication.
At the time, it was reported that the Scottish Rite Temple had
912 members.
The end of WW II brought a surge in Masonry to Fresno in a
fashion similar to what had occurred at the end of WW I.
There was a need for an additional Lodge to help confer all of the
degrees on all of the applicants.
An agreement was reached that each of the five Lodges in Fresno and Clovis would
contribute at least three members who would then be the Charter Members of this newly
formed Lodge. On August 5, 1948,
Most Worshipful Chester H. Warlow, the California Grand Master (and Fresno
native) and other grand officers performed the Ceremony to Constitute (Under
Dispensation) Ponderosa Lodge in Fresno. In due time Ponderosa Lodge would
be granted a Charter and assigned number 700.
Unlike the other Lodges in Fresno which met either at the Masonic
Temple on Merced Street, or the Scottish Rite facility on 'L' Street, Ponderosa
met at its own temple building at 11 San Pablo Avenue in Fresno, at the corner
of San Pablo and Divisadero streets. The historic building had been home
to The Congregational Church, built during the early 1900's and used as such
until 1951. In that year, the building was purchased by Ponderosa Lodge
and used as a temple facility until April 18, 1971. It was then sold to
the Pentecostal Church of God Assembly for a very low price.
In August 1973, the Pentecostal Church sold the building to
King Solomon Lodge No. 6 F. & A.M. for $65,000. (King Solomon Lodge No. 6
had been meeting at the King Solomon Lodge building at 'F' and Tuolumne Streets
since 1938, and had been negotiating on property at 'F' and Merced Streets to
build a new 6,500 square foot temple, but economic conditions made the
development project unfeasible; a high rate of interest between 10.00% and
11.00% was common as the U.S. economy was being rocked by the oil embargo).
Thereafter, Ponderosa Lodge alternated meeting place between
the Fresno Masonic Center #247 on East Shields Avenue, Clovis Masonic Temple, and the Las Palmas
Masonic Center on East Clinton Avenue.
On April 1, 1991, Ponderosa Lodge No. 700 officially merged with Las
Palmas No. 366, combining assets and resources. The combined Lodge became
known as Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge No. 366.
By 1952, there was much talk about the need for a new temple building. The
structure on Merced Street was basically falling apart. There were large
cracks in the brick work, and the fire escapes were woefully inadequate.
Whenever there was a social event in the third floor dining hall, the ceiling in
the lodge room below would creak and shake. A new Temple Association was
proposed for the purpose of building a larger structure to house at least six
Masonic organization; Fresno No. 247, Las Palmas No. 366, Center No. 465, Sun
Garden No. 530, Royal Arch No. 69, and Knights Templar No. 29.
On July 15, 1952 Las Palmas Lodge unanimously approved a resolution to form the
Fresno Masonic Building Association and purchase 5 acres of land on Clinton
Ave.. A $2,500 appropriation was
made, but 3 other Masonic Lodges in Fresno had to make a like appropriation.
By 1956 it had been determined that the structure would not
withstand a major earthquake. Furthermore, the building was a possible
fire trap, having inadequate fire escape facilities from the second and third
floors. Fresno fire marshal Floyd
Watson, being himself a Mason, advised the Lodges that he planned to condemn the
building. In 1957 fire sprinklers
and other improvements were made at a cost of $15,000. Many older Masons were having trouble negotiating the
staircase in the building as there was no elevator. The grand staircase on
the Merced entrance was wide enough to accommodate four to five people abreast
ascending or descending. But the fire escapes could only accommodate one
person at a time. It was not unusual to have 150 to 200 persons in the
banquet room on the third floor.
The yet to be confirmed chain of events is that Las Palmas
Past Master T. D. Moyers offered 5 acres of land along Clinton Avenue between
Fresno and First Streets to the newly
formed Fresno Masonic Building Association for the construction of a half
million dollar Temple to house all of these Masonic Bodies.
According to this unconfirmed chain of events, PM Moyer attached a
condition to his proposed gift.
Ground had to be broken within 1 year.
The Grand Lodge of California gave permission, but differences started to
surface about the project. Many on
the newly formed Building Association felt that they could not secure sufficient
loans to build a temple with multiple lodge rooms and all of the other features
that were desired. By
1957 nothing had been accomplished and the one year deadline passed.
The minutes of Las Palmas Lodge on January 8, 1959 show that
at the close of the installation of the 1959 Officers, PM T. D. Moyers presented
the new Master (Robert Walker Reynolds) with a deed to 2 ½ acres of land on Clinton Ave for the
construction of a new Temple for Las Palmas Lodge.
There was a condition that the Temple be completed by January 1, 1962
(within 3 years).
On
June 4, 1959, a kick-off dinner to launch a new fund-raising drive was planned
by Lawrence H. Wilson for the purpose of raising $150,000 to build a new Masonic
Building specifically for Las Palmas Lodge. The dinner was held at the
Masonic Temple at 2030 Merced Street in downtown Fresno.
The plan was to erect a 12,000 to 14,000 square foot building on a two
and a half acre parcel at the southwest corner of Clinton and Orchard Avenues.
The temple was to have a large lodge room, social hall, sizable kitchen,
reception room, secretary’s office and club room.
This particular move represented a drive northward out of the
downtown area, which had been the center of Masonic activity for more than 75
years.
At the time, Las Palmas Lodge had over 1,100 members, and was
the seventh largest "Blue Lodge" in the State of California. It was hoped
that bids would be taken in August of 1959, and the building completed by
December of that same year. This would require an extraordinarily
optimistic fund-raising drive, and very aggressive building schedule.
The fund raising effort was enormous, and creative.
Masons from all over the Central Valley were being asked to contribute.
Las Palmas would even host "blood-drives"; members would donate a pint of blood,
which was collected by the local Blood Bank and cash given to lodge in exchange.
It was referred to as "blood-money".
Las
Palmas Lodge broke ground on the new building on June 4, 1960, exactly one year
after the kick-off dinner. Fresno mayor Arthur L. Selland, and Norman S.
Foley, chairman of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, both spoke at the
ground-breaking ceremonies.
The final plans called for a 14,000 square foot facility,
costing between $150,000 and $160,000, with an additional $30,000 to furnish the
building.
For the first time in the history of the California Grand
Lodge, permission was granted Las Palmas Lodge to construct a new Masonic Temple
with the lodge room on the ground floor.
Previously, all newly constructed Masonic Temples had to have their Lodge
Room on a second (or higher) floor so that people could not look in the windows
and witness the ritual. Since there
would not be any windows in the Lodge Room, there were not any privacy concerns.
Completion of the building was now expected in January of 1961.
Past Grand Master, and vice-chairman of the California Highway
Commission, Chester H. Warlow presided over the ground breaking ceremony.
Over 300 people attended the event. Worshipful Master Charles D. Dart,
Warlow, and T.D. Moyers are shown breaking ground.
On Sept 17, 1960, the cornerstone of the building was
laid during a ceremony conducted by Most Worshipful Joe L. Shell,
Grand Master, before more than 400 Las Palmas members. A sealed brass urn
was placed behind the cornerstone prior to placement.
In the urn was placed the 1960 Membership Roster of Las Palmas Lodge,
newspaper clippings of the Lodge, the temple brochure outlining the building
campaign, Lodge resolutions authorizing the building of the temple, the program
guides from both the 1959 and 1960 Officer Installations, and the program guide
from the Golden (50th) Anniversary of Las Palmas Lodge held in 1955.
The new Las Palmas Temple was open for business in time for
Hambleton Frederick Leas to be installed as Master on January 5th of
1961.
The last meetings at the 2030 Merced Street Temple by the
other Lodges were in 1961. At this time these other Masonic Bodies took
residence in the Scottish Rite Temple.
The City of Fresno acquired the property later that year, and in 1963,
the unsafe building was torn down to make way for a multi-story parking
structure; part of the Fulton Pedestrian Mall.
On Sept 23, 1967, the cornerstone of a new Masonic Temple on
East Shields Avenue was laid. The new building would be 19,000 square
feet, with a projected cost of $500,000, and replaced the old Masonic
Temple at Merced and Van Ness Avenues. The new temple became home to
Fresno Lodge No. 247, Center Lodge No. 465, Sun Garden Lodge No. 530, and the
York Rite Bodies, which had a combined membership of about 2,000.
The building contract was awarded to Hollis & Sons by George
E. Hiatt, president of the Fresno Masonic Temple Association, and Wayne H.
Towne, secretary, on March 2, 1967.
On February 10, 1968, the new Fresno Masonic Temple was dedicated
by Most Worshipful Eugene S. Hopp, California Grand Master. The York Rite was
the first to use the new building on Tuesday, January 2, 1968, followed by an
installation ceremony on January 5 of Fresno lodge No. 247 officers.
In due time all three bodies of the Fresno York Rite would merge with out of town bodies and Fresno would no longer have any York Rite presence.
On October 1, 1992, both Center Lodge No. 465, and Sun Garden
Lodge No. 530 consolidated into Fresno Lodge No. 247 to continue as Fresno Lodge.
On January 9, 2015 Clovis Lodge No. 417 consolidated into Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge No. 366 to continue as Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge No. 366.
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