Trestleboard
February 2022 v.1
It is interesting and a little challenging for research purposes that there are always events that our Brothers didn’t record in the Lodge Minutes for one reason or another. For example, the first Elk Grove fire of 1892. This fire which occurred on July 1st destroyed most of Elk Grove including the railroad depot, Andrews Building, the Toronto Hotel, and the International Order of the Odd Fellows building. It is evident that the damage to our Lodge could not have been too extensive as our Brothers attended the Stated Meeting on the 9th of that month as usual.
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Harry Leo Stich
Served as Master, 1893, 1894
The first occurrence of Brother Stich in the Tiler Register is on January 28, 1888 when he signed in as a member with no indication that he was visiting or from where. He continued to sign in as a member. Then August of 1888 he served as Junior Warden pro tem. At a Stated Meeting in April of 1889 Brother Stich asked for a demit from Elk Grove Lodge No. 173 and upon motion of the Lodge a recommendatory demit was granted. Four months later, in August Brother Stich signed in as a visitor with no mention of his blue lodge. In October of 1889 the Minutes reflect that Brother Stich had submitted an application for affiliation with the lodge, accompanied by a demit from Hills Ferry Lodge No. 236 in California. His application was approved in November of 1889.
BROTHERS PASSING
It’s not unusual to see varying numbers of our Brothers sign in the Tyler Register, depending on the meeting. Stated business meetings seem to be the least attended with the Master having to draw Brothers to fill in as officers so we will have a quorum. Other meetings that involve the initiating, passing or raising of a brother will command greater attendance including visitors from surrounding local lodges. As I was reviewing our Lodge Tyler Register and Minutes I came across a Special Called Meeting on June 14, 1893 that had the largest attendance of any I have ever seen. All the officers reported for their stations. There were also visitors, over 47 of them in fact. As I turned to the Minutes it sadly became clear. This Special Meeting of Elk Grove Lodge No. 173 had been called for the purpose of attending the funeral of
Brother Thomas Moore Taverner, Past Master. Since his Lodge assignments have been addressed previously in the November 2021 edition of Chronicles we will not revisit that here.
The following is an abridged version of Worshipful Taverner’s obituary: [1]
“Thomas M. Taverner, was an early settler of Sacramento county and in his life were evidences of the sterling traits of character which command respect and confidence in every land and clime. Because of the fact that he was a pioneer settler, a loyal and helpful citizen, a reliable business man and a trustworthy friend, he is indeed worthy of representation in this volume devoted to the representative men, past and present, of California.
Mr. Taverner was born in Devonshire, England, arriving in [California] in 1853, when a young man of about twenty years of age. He had made the journey by way of Cape Horn and ultimately landed at San Francisco. During the greater part of his residence in California, however, he made his home in Sacramento County, and was one of its well known and honored pioneers. The history of early development and progress here was familiar to him, and he bore an important part in reclaiming the wild land for the uses of civilization. It was during the period of the Civil war that he settled upon the ranch which is now occupied by his widow and family, and there he remained until his demise, his labors and energies causing a great transformation in the appearance of the place. He was a very successful agriculturist and left at his death nearly three thousand acres of land. In addition to general farming he was at one time extensively engaged in the raising of sheep and had about three thousand head of sheep upon his place… In business affairs he was energetic and thoroughly reliable, and, moreover, he possessed a persevering spirit that enabled him to carry forward to successful completion whatever he undertook.
On the 6th of September, 1874, Mr. Taverner was united in marriage to
Miss Esther A. Hirst, who was born in Cancashire, England… To Mr. and Mrs. Taverner were born four children: John T., who is now a resident of Reno, Nevada; George M., who is living in Sacramento county, California; Mary E., also of Sacramento county; and Effie M., the wife of Clarence L. Bader, of Sacramento. [There is a reference at the grave site to a 5th child, William, who preceded his father in death. He was 22 years old]
He served… as a trustee of the Lee school district. He was prominently identified with the Masonic fraternity at Elk Grove, and he attained to the Knight Templar degree in
Masonry, belonging to the commandery at Sacramento. A self-made man in the truest sense of the word, he gained prosperity through strong and honorable purpose, and yet he found time to take a public-spirited interest in anything that tended to improve his district and elevate society. In his death Sacramento County lost one of its valued citizens and honored pioneers. He was a kind and devoted husband and father, an obliging and considerate neighbor and a popular and well known citizen.
His son, George M. Taverner, is now the manager of the Taverner estate, on which he resides with his mother. He too… is a member of the Masonic fraternity of Elk Grove.” [George M. Taverner also served as Master of Elk Grove Lodge in 1911]
After the customary services in the lodge room the lodge was called off and brethren escorted by the Knights Templar proceeded to the Methodist Episcopalian Church on Elk Grove Boulevard where religious services were held. After which the recession proceeded to the Masonic Cemetery where Worshipful Taverner was interred with Masonic honors.
Thomas Moore Taverner
Served as Master, 1887, 1888
Shown here in a Knights Templar uniform
Elk Grove Masonic Cemetery, Row 6, Plot 3, Grave 1
ARMED WITH A TYLER’S SWORD?
In a Stated Meeting in December of 1892, Brother John Elliott was reported to be deranged and unable to attend to his business. The relief committee agreed to address the matter. However, Brother Elliott continued to attend our Stated Meetings and on April 29th, Worshipful Master Harry Stich assigned Brother Elliott to fill in as Tyler pro tem. At the May Stated Meeting Brother E.E. Barry reported that Brother John Elliott had been examined by the court and pronounced insane and the court ordered placement in the Napa asylum. The Secretary was ordered to correspond with the Secretary of the Yount Lodge No. 12 in Napa regarding Brother Elliott. By June of 1893 the relief committee reported that Brother Elliott’s mind was improving and that his family was not in any need of assistance. The Secretary had not received any report from Yount Lodge in regard to Brother Elliott and was ordered to write again to Yount Lodge. In August of that year Brother I.L. Freeman reported that Mrs. John Elliott had received word from the asylum at Stockton (there is no indication of when he was transferred to Stockton) that her husband, Brother John Elliott left the asylum secretly and that nothing could be learned of him. The Master stated that he would correspond with the Lodge at Stockton in regard to this matter. At the September Stated Meeting Brother Elliott was reported at home and attending to business and in December of 1893 he again signed into the Tyler Register.
GAVEL FOLLOW-UP
You may recall in January we noted a gavel that was sent to our Lodge in 1892 from the Chadwick Lodge No. 68, Coquille City, Oregon. Chadwick Lodge was asking us for a $1.50 donation to help them in paying the debt incurred while erecting their Masonic Hall. An interesting approach at soliciting funds. No idea how well it worked for them. In April of 1893 we received a follow-up communication from Chadwick No. 68 again requesting $1.50 for the myrtle wood gavel they sent. In August of that year we responded by sending them $0.25 from the treasury.
COOLING OFF A MOON LODGE?
Within the first few editions of the Chronicles of Elk Grove Lodge published back in 2021, we addressed the fact that ours is a Moon Lodge. Some of our Brothers traveled distances of several miles to attend our meetings. This travel was accomplished on unimproved dirt roads and paths, in a darkness we don’t see today with street lights. As a result the stated meetings were held as close to a full moon as possible to make use of that light for travel. As time went on our Brothers gradually became more detailed in keeping documents like Tyler Registers and Minutes. By 1893 we began seeing not only the date a meeting was held but the day of the week along with the time. Our Stated Meetings were normally scheduled for Saturdays at
8:00 PM. Many of our Brothers were farmers of some type and crops and livestock did not necessarily recognize weekends. This of course goes for wagon makers and blacksmiths as well. When you worked, you earned a living and work generally lasted from sunup to sundown. However, in July and August of 1893 those meetings were held at 9:00 PM. It is just a guess at this point but while late, that extra hour allowed not only for more work during the longest days of the year but also provided extra time for a brother to open the windows for the lodge to cool down a little before we began our meetings.
As a reminder, this is where we were meeting at the time. The merchants on the first floor had insulation provided by our Lodge Hall on the second floor.
Our Lodge as it appeared in 1880, before the great fire of 1892. After the damage that occurred during that fire which destroyed much of the downtown area, our Lodge Hall was lengthened somewhat to include 6 windows on the second floor.
Photo courtesy of the Elk Grove Historical Society.
[1] History of the New California Its Resources and People, Volume II. The Lewis Publishing Company, 1905
-Brother Don Price, Lodge Historian