BRIEF HISTORY OF OLIVE BRANCH LODGE NO. 269 IN TULARE

Full Lodge history download available using link provided.

Olive Branch Lodge No. 269 received a dispensation from Grand Master Clay Webster Taylor dated March 5, 1883 and a Charter on 0ctober 11, 1883.  Lorenzo Dowell Murphy was its first Master; John Albert Goble, Senior Warden, and Launcelot Gilroy, Junior Warden. Olive Branch Lodge received its dispensation through the recommendation of Visalia Lodge No.128.

Although we know little about most of the charter members of Olive Branch Lodge, charter Senior Warden, John Albert Goble, was a very prominent pioneer in Tulare.  From the recent book, “A Town Called Tulare”, we learn that John Albert served many years as president of the Bank of Tulare, secretary of the Tulare Irrigation District and member of the school board that established the first city high school.  John Goble was an insatiable inventor.  He designed the big four-face clock for Central School that was a landmark atop the brick building for many years, and worked out the automatic bell system that loudly sounded the hours of the day and night.  He designed an alarm clock, a hot water system to warm beds for invalids, and an adding machine.  When outlaws Sontag and Evans were robbing trains in Tulare County in the 1890’s, John Albert wrote to the Wells Fargo Company suggesting several methods of foiling the bandits: powerful searchlights mounted atop the trains to illuminate the robbers; an early version of tear gas to drive them off; and a method of putting dye on mailbags and money sacks to help trace the bandits if they managed to escape.  John Albert learned to speak Chinese at a time when many immigrants from that country lived in Tulare.  Once, when a boisterous, drunken mob gathered to “clean out Chinatown”. He armed himself and threatened to shoot the first man who took a step toward the frightened Orientals.  No one took the dare and the mob dispersed.

It will probably be of interest to know that Olive Branch Lodge was instrumental in starting ­and recommending Lodges at Porterville and Corcoran.  Also of interest is the fact that there were 58 members on the roll in 1886.  Three years later there were 91; dropping to 89 in 1900 and growing to 211 in 1930. After a drop during the great depression it again increased and in 1950 total membership was 272.  In 2007 the membership was 103 men.

Although there were many applicants in the early years, many were rejected. Some explanation can be gained from the minutes because there was much more charity work carried out by the local Lodge such as providing nursing care for those members in need. lodge members just didn't want to take in new members who might prove to be a burden on the Lodge. Another reason was that this community was "dry" and didn't approve of the use of alcoholic beverages. Also noted in the minutes the short time it took most of the applicants to learn their proficiency. Either they were very smart and eager or the requirements were different.  

As the years have gone by the lodge and its members continued meeting in several locations downtown and had always rented a hall or room.  In 1924  Guy Noble reported on the American Legion building on West Tulare Street and recommended that committee be appointed to raise finances for the purchase and remodeling.  This is our present Masonic Lodge and is located at 135 West Tulare Ave, between H and I St, west of the railroad tracks.  It had formerly been known as the Hamm Building and included only about enough land for the building and was purchased for the sum of $5,500.00.

Recent public events have included in 1995 first Cornerstone Ceremony sponsored by Olive Branch Lodge in its history.  This cornerstone ceremony was for the new Tulare Police Station on South ‘M’ St.  A stone and time capsule were placed in a concrete bollard south of the main entrance to the Police Station.  In 2006 for the second time in the history of Olive Branch Lodge the Grand Master of California opens Grand Lodge at the Masonic Temple and presides at a cornerstone ceremony at the new City of Tulare Fire Station on North ‘M’ St.

This concludes the brief history.  Please download the full history of our lodge using the link shown above.