Masonic lodge moves forward

It all began when several of our local men made their way back from Santa Ana in early 1906.

The weather was cold and rainy, and the condition of the dirt roads made it nearly impossible to drive their horse-drawn carriages back to our town.

They had traveled to Santa Ana as members of that town’s Masonic lodge, but when they returned, they planned to start a local chapter here in Huntington Beach.

Ten members met on April 26, 1906 in the office of the Huntington Beach Lumber Co. to form the lodge.

This week, we’ll continue our look at this venerated organization as it proudly celebrates its 100th birthday.

Little did those early founders realize that what they had created would endure here for more than a century.

With the establishment of Huntington Beach Masonic Lodge #380, events moved rapidly. The lodge helped establish the Order of Eastern Star, Seaside Chapter for women here on April 17, 1907. This chapter elected Hannah Mary Hubert as its first matron.

The lodge would continue to meet in its hall upstairs in the Collins Building at Main Street and PCH from 1909 on.

In 1911, the members wanted to have their own lodge building, and in that year they purchased property on the southwest corner of Fifth Street and Walnut Avenue for $2,500, but the property was never developed, and in 1947 it was sold.

With the discovery of black gold (oil) here in Huntington Beach, membership in the lodge grew along with the town’s population. In the early 1920s, a whole week was needed to process the large number of new memberships. It was at this time that the Grand Lodge of California established a program of supporting the public schools. One of the first projects was the laying of the cornerstone of the new Central Elementary School at 14th Street and Palm Avenue.

More than 2,000 people arrived on Oct. 5, 1923 to listen to the master of ceremonies, Masonic Grand Warden David Reese of Ventura, welcome everyone to this great outdoor occasion.

Reese recited the poem “The Building” by Edgar A. Guest.

John Eader, Master of the Huntington Beach lodge, arrived with several Masonic officials, including Senior Grand Warden O.M. Robbins, Junior Grand Warden M.L. Keeler and Deputy Grand Master E.B. Trago.

On this cornerstone was inscribed the date of Oct. 5, 1923, and on the other side words of Abraham Lincoln: “I will study and get ready, and maybe my chance will come.”

Inside this stone a copper box was placed containing a Grand Lodge statement, a list of Grand Lodge members, a list of Orange County Masons, a list of teachers, a list of American Legion members, and a copy of the Huntington Beach News and Post newspapers.

Less than three years later, the lodge was called upon to lay another school cornerstone, this time for the new Huntington Beach High School.

On this occasion, on Sept. 22, 1926, 1,000 people, many from our local lodge, witnessed the laying of the cornerstone by members of the Masonic Grand Lodge.

Members of the Knights Templar of Santa Ana led a parade of Masters and Past Masters of the Masonic Lodge to the ceremonies from 17th Street.

The cornerstone part of the program was presided over by Mason Sam Burke, and on this stone was inscribed “Erected Anno Domini MCMXXVI.”

But before that stone was fixed in place, a time capsule was placed inside that contained a list of officers of the lodge, an American flag, a list of teachers, a copy of the 1926 Cauldron yearbook, name of the architect and a copy of the building contract, photos of the old high school, a list of high school board members and a copy of the Holy Bible. The ceremony concluded with an invocation by Masonic Chaplain A.E. Prink.

The lodge was again called upon to lay a cornerstone, this time for a ceremony held on Dec. 7, 1935, for the dedication of the new Federal Post Office at Main Street and Olive Avenue.

Louis Conrady served as master to represent our lodge at the ceremony, and Roy Le Fevre officiated the cornerstone laying.

In August 1936, our lodge hosted a huge barbecue at Lake Park for 500 children from the Masonic Summer Camp on Balboa Island. Although the camp is no longer in Balboa, our lodge hosts a barbecue every year at Lake Park.

The lodge still continued to look toward finding a permanent location, and in 1936 a committee was formed to raise money for this purchase. They continued searching for a location until World War II interrupted their search.

When the war ended and people flocked to California, property increased in value, and the lodge meeting hall rental increased in 1946 to $200 a month, and so a search was renewed in earnest.

Next week we’ll see if they finally succeeded in finding a site and look at more of the Masonic Lodge’s rich hundred-year history.