Editor's Introductory Comments (preview)

Offered here are the introductory comments from my upcoming work on Freemasonry in Old San Diego. Reproducing articles from 1850-1901 from local newspapers, it is presented as an aid to research and understanding. This work is intended to be expanded in future editions.

 

 

Editor's Introductory Comments

Freemasonry in San Diego, indeed in all California, formally began shortly after the United States takeover of the California Territory resulting from victory in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848).

 

By this time in the development of craft Masonry, all new lodges could only be chartered by an established grand lodge. In the United States most grand lodges held jurisdiction over the area of an entire state and could not encroach upon the another grand lodge's jurisdiction.

 

But by 1849, California was not yet a state and had no grand lodge. So grand lodges from other states and jurisdictions were able to charter and establish lodges there until such time as California could form its own grand lodge. It all began with the chartering and establishment of California Lodge #13 out of the Grand Lodge of Washington, D. C. in San Francisco in late 1849. California Lodge #13 together with four other lodges chartered from other grand lodges formed the Grand Lodge of California in May 1850 located in Sacramento. Under the new Grand Lodge of California, California Lodge was given the number "1."

 

Old San Diego was in many ways a Masonic town. Many if not most American males who lived there belonged to the fraternity. Whether in politics or business, the men of San Diego Lodge #35 played an important role in the growth and development of San Diego. The actual inception of Freemasonry in San Diego is lost to history. However, Orion Zink, Historian of San Diego Lodge #35, documented both the popular tale of its beginning as well as the formal steps taken to constitute San Diego’s first Masonic lodge. As Mr. Zink stated:

 

Tradition has it that the formation of a Masonic lodge in San Diego was first suggested at a picnic, when it was discovered that several of those present were Masons. However, the first action to form a lodge was taken June 20, 1851. At a meeting held that evening at the Exchange Hotel, a petition for a dispensation was drawn up and forwarded to Grand Lodge. The petition was granted Aug. 1, 1851, and San Diego became the oldest lodge south of the Tehachapi…

 

During the Lodge’s stay in Old Town, from 1851 until 1870, meetings were usually held in private homes…They also met in the little brick court house, and in the Railroad Block. They were in the latter place from 1866 to 1870*

 

From its earliest days, the story of Freemasonry in San Diego has been the story of San Diego Lodge #35. It was not until 1866 that San Diego County established its second Masonic lodge – Southwest Lodge #283 in National City.

 

***

 

There have been at least two major works describing the place of Freemasonry in California: Fifty Years of Masonry in California (2 vol.) and, One Hundred Years of Freemasonry in California (4 vol.)

 

Both of these works are large and very comprehensive; covering various topics all relating to the formation and expansion of Freemasonry in the state. The first work, Fifty Years of Masonry in California, published in 1898, is a fine example of late nineteenth century scholarship. The second, One Hundred Years of Freemasonry in California, published in 1950, reflects that date in style and presentation.

 

However, both of these works are what I would term "big canvas history." This is where an idea or institution is traced and documented over a large spatial area, i.e. the great state of California in this case, pulling information from a wide variety of sources, public and private. What is presented here is "small canvas history." It concerns a very small geographic area and draws from a limited resource pool. In the case of this work, solely under consideration is the city of San Diego, specifically the areas of Old Town San Diego and New San Diego. The sources are limited to the newspapers, the San Diego Herald and the San Diego Union. Only information that was publicly available is here considered.

 

***

 

The documents contained herein were transcribed from the pages of the San Diego Herald and the San Diego Union and detail incidents and episodes from the first 100 years of Freemasonry in San Diego. The first newspaper printed in Old San Diego was the San Diego Herald with John Judson Ames as editor. Ames was himself a Freemason. The Herald's premier issue was the May 20, 1851 edition. Almost from the first issue, the Herald printed articles and notices related to the fraternity, the formation of San Diego Lodge and various lodge happenings.

 

Ames moved to San Bernardino in 1860 and started the San Bernardino Herald. Once Ames left, there would be no newspaper in San Diego for the next eight years. In early 1868, a prominent San Diegan, Philip Crosthwaite paid a visit to his sister and her husband, William Gatewood, in Texas where he published a newspaper. Gatewood visited San Diego, saw the possibilities and, long story short, the first issue of the San Diego Union, under his owner-editorship, was published on October 19, 1868.*

 

An interesting aside, J. J. Ames as stated above was a Freemason. However, Philip Crosthwaite was also a Freemason with Ames. Crosthwaite even served as Master of San Diego Lodge at one time. So far, I have been unable to uncover any evidence in public sources whether W. J. Gatewood, founder of the San Diego Union was a Freemason. Though E. D. Bushyhead, silent partner and successor to Gatewood as owner of the Union was a member of the fraternity.

 

These newspaper articles are presented complete and unedited, without prejudice or comment for the consideration and contemplation of the brethren and also as an aid to fellow researchers. Though this is not meant to be a complete listing of every mention of the fraternity in San Diego newspapers, I believe it is representative. In addition, I firmly believe that the publication of this work is not the last but rather the first step in an on-going research project. This work will grow and evolve in future editions.

 

I welcome all comments and criticisms.

 

Fraternally,

Sean K. T. Shiraishi

December 22, 2015

---

* From "Masonry in San Diego," an unpublished document. San Diego History Center Archives. In 1870, San Diego Lodge relocated to New Town on Fifth Avenue between F & G Streets in the Dunham Building.

* For more information regarding this, please see http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/82summer/journalism.htm. From the Journal of San Diego History, Summer 1982.