Please enjoy this written history of the Los Angeles Harbor Lodge History.

Prior to the formation of San Pedro Lodge #332, the Harbor Area of Los Angeles County had only Wilmington Lodge #198 near San Pedro. Other Lodges were at Compton and Santa Monica .

A number of San Pedro Masons belonged to Wilmington Lodge, which they attended under difficulties. The Stated meetings were held on Tuesdays, on or before the full moon, probably because moonlight nights made for safer travel by foot. Masonic brothers from San Pedro traveled at times by skiff to the foot of Canal Street when the tides were favorable, but when they were not, a frequent course was to walk over the S.P. RR. Trestle that spanned the mud flats extending from San Pedro to Wilmington . In later years the flats were filled in with rock and dirt to form a mole, which shortened the trestles.

San Pedro, Circa 1905

There were no night trains, so that in the early days, a spring wagon carryall, operated by W. H. Carpenter, was hired by the San Pedro Masons when a wagon road was passable, to convey 8 or 10 brothers to the Lodge and wait for them until Lodge adjourned. At a later date, when San Pedro Lodge was established, Mr. Carpenter was initiated and frequently served as Tyler .

When a brother was Raised in Wilmington Lodge, it was customary for him to provide the banquet, and usually other brothers brought a couple of kegs of beer – or even a little hard liquor to enliven the occasion.

Again, referring to some of the travel difficulties that beset San Pedro Masons when they attended distant Lodge meetings, P.M. Bro. E. E. Young in his memoirs said that after the Long Beach Lodge was formed (at the same time as the one at San Pedro), it was a custom to borrow a handcar from the Salt Lake Railroad, or even a locomotive and go to and from by those means. But if no handcar or loco was available, they rode over on the afternoon train, and then trudged home along Terminal Road beach, which was a rather rough walk.

When it was decided to form a new Lodge in San Pedro, after receiving the endorsement of Wilmington brethren, preliminary meetings and discussions were held in San Pedro at the real estate office of Past Master Daniel R. Clay who was Master of Wilmington Lodge #198 in 1896. The office was between 6 th & 7 th Streets on Beacon Street , about 100 steps up from the Beacon Street to the section then known as VINEGAR HILL.

The first organizing meeting was held on June 17 th , 1897, followed by others on July 9 th and 16 th . A petition for Dispensation to form and open a new Lodge, at San Pedro, was submitted to Grand Master William Thomas Lucas under date of July 13, 1897.

On July 28, 1897 the first Lodge Meeting Under Dispensation was held in the Eagles' Fraternal Hall located on Front Street , about the middle of the block between 5 th and 6 th , over Levi's store which occupied the ground floor of the building.

On October 15, 1897 the Grand Lodge of California granted a Charter to San Pedro Lodge No. 332, currently with Lodge Charters granted to Long Beach and Redondo.

The names listed on the San Pedro Charter are:

D.R. Clay, E.E. Young, I.C. Lawyer, A.F. Hult, Ira Pearce, E.W. Coleman, C.P. Neilson, F.N. Strom, J. Adams, T.H. Fawcett, W.H. Leishman, R.W. Hill, A. Freser, J.F. Schroeder, G.F. Johnson and J.H. Powers.

Under this Charter, the first official meeting of San Pedro No. 332 was held on October 29, 1897; at which time the Lodge was regularly constituted by Acting Grand Master Charles E. Mitchell, Grand Lecturer of the Grand Lodge of California.

P.M. Bro. D.R. Clay served as the first Master to the end of 1897; Edward E. Young as second Master of the year of 1898 and Ila C. Lawyer for the years 1899, 1904 and 1907. At the beginning of the year 1898, there were 20 members on the roster, and for the 29 meetings held during the year, the attendance averaged 19.7 men per meeting – an almost 100% attendance record.

The first initiate was John W. Buckley, foreman of the San Pedro Lumber Co.; and the second initiate was Theodore Gustave Schultze, a blacksmith. Both received their Entered Apprentice Degree from the U.D. Lodge on August 13, 1897. H.M. Long, plumber, and John Gray, shipping clerk, were made Entered Apprentices on September 10, 1897; and others shortly thereafter.

Thru-out its history, S.P. Lodge #332 seems to have been as liberal in its rejections as in its elections.

To inform brothers of the meetings in its early days, a blue flag with white Square and Compass was flown from the flagpole of the Fraternal (Eagles') Hall on meeting days, which everyone in the small village could see. About 1901 the Lodge moved from Front Street to the Odd Fellows' Hall on 5 th Street , but the town grew, and as the need for a Masonic Temple increased, the Lodge saw its own Cornerstone laid at 221 Sixth Street on July 15, 1916 by Grand Master William Rhodes Hervey and his Corps of Grand Lodge Officers. Bro. Harry Weaver was Master from then to the end of the year, and Bro. Robert Irwin followed for the first full calendar year of occupancy in this First Temple .

In the Fall of 1946, the 6 th Street Temple was vacated after a sale to Catholic bodies, because the location had become unsuitable. Several years thereafter, terminating in 1958, the Lodge rented quarters in the Odd Fellows' Temple at Gaffey Avenue and Tenth Street in San Pedro.

What is left of the Odd Fellows Lodge

A new Temple construction was undertaken on property located in the 1600 W. block on Ninth Street . Ground was broken on April 2, 1955, and on April 6, 1956, Grand Master E.V. Stewart and Officers of the Grand Lodge of California laid the cornerstone. Bro. James L. Hendrix was then Worshipful Master of the Lodge.

Occupancy of the new Temple was begun under the regime of Bro. Fred S. Cain, Master, on April 12, 1958; virtually all Past Masters of the Lodge living in the area; and a group of about 14 sojourners who represented every organization and Degree in Freemasonry from the Entered Apprentice to the 33 rd Degree and all the Rites.

The Hiram Award & LA Harbor Lodges Influence.

This history was written and is posted on the California Grand Lodge Research Website.
The following is written Verbatim as found on the Research Website.

[Probably one of the most dedicated, ENTHUSIASTIC and hard working Freemasons in our area is Brother Walter L. Kemmerer, member of Los Angeles Harbor (formerly San Pedro) Lodge No. 332, long time member of our lodge, Consultant to the Grand Lodge Film and Ceative Projects Committee and the originator of our Hiram Award. We offer this with the thought that you consider it before the next Hiram Award Ceremony in your lodge as with time many have strayed from the original precepts. The following is the orginal and should be the present intent of the program in the following words of Brother Kemmerer.]

In order that we can understand the beginning of the Hiram Award I would like to explain its background and origination.

The first Hiram Award was presented by Worshipful Vern L. Belcher at San Pedro Lodge No. 332 F. & A.M. on February 8, 1964. The recipient was Past Master, 1932, Andrew D. Miller, Jr. It was held in the lodge room for Master Masons only. Each time we had a presentation of the award from then on there was always a very good attendance.

In October 1976 while attending Grand Lodge I was approached by Worshipful Walter Heimgartner of Galt Lodge No. 267 and asked if I was the one who was the originator of Mariner's Night in San Pedro. He wanted to know if I would assist his lodge in planning a dinner. I said I certainly would, not knowing where Galt was. I soon found that Galt was located east of Sacramento and since I agreed I told him I would assist him regardless of the location.

I suggested a dinner be held in the lodge dining room and that an award be presented. I was informed the lodge dining room would only seat between 99 and 102 for dinner. I told him if we were going to have an event we should have a larger dining room and his reply was that his lodge was the largest dining room in town that was possible for us to use. I suggested they look around and see if they could get a larger room, maybe even a barn.

After weeks of searching Worshipful Heimgartner called me and said he had obtained an old administration building from the school department. However, there was no water or toilets in the building. I suggested he make arrangements with the gas station for the facilities which was one block away. This was all accomplished.

I suggested that they select a brother of the lodge who had served his lodge, his community, his country, and his God to present with a special award to be called the King Solomon Award. This was agreeable to all and the selection was Glen W. Ingram, P.M., of Galt Lodge. About a week later I thought, why call it the King Solomon Award since we were having such good success with the Hiram Award in San Pedro. I contacted Worshipful Heimgartner and asked him if he would make the change and he did.

Galt Lodge at that time had 102 members and the population of the city of Galt was 4,500. I suggested they contact the various localities and invite other lodges to attend as well as ladies, children and non-Masons. Everything worked like clockwork and on Tuesday, March 8, 1977, the dinner was held. It was a complete success with 456 dinners served which was 10% of the town's population. They came from far and wide, from many parts of the community. In attendance were Past Grand Master of Masons in California, John F. Roberts, Jr., and his lady, and County Supervisors from Sacramento and San Joaquin counties. Entertainment was by the Sweet Adelines who came from Stockton as well as the Shrine Band from San Francisco. Worshipful George Hunt, Master of Galt Lodge, made the presentation to the recipient on behalf of his lodge and his fellowmen. Brother Walter L. Kemmerer, representing the Grand Lodge Committee on Film and Creative Projects, was the guest speaker.

When the Grand Master of Masons in California, Kermit Jacobson, heard of the great acceptance of the award he called and congratulated Brother Kemmerer on the success of the event and told him he thought it would be a good thing for the Grand Lodge to initiate. A meeting was arranged by Senior Grand Warden Donald G. Ingalls and the Chairman of the Film and Creative Projects Committee to discuss the project. It was agreed to try it for one year on the road and see what effect it would have. Needless to say, it was an immediate success and resulted in requests from other states for information regarding the Hiram Award.

From the very inception of the Hiram Award in San Pedro, H. Douglas Lemons was interested in the program and was appointed to the committee by Grand Master Kermit Jacobson. When he became Grand Master he was very instrumental in making presentations as well as approving of the Award.

The question arises as to who shall receive the highest award Grand Lodge and Blue Lodge can bestow upon a brother. The answer is a worthy Master Mason. How many should a lodge have in one year? The answer is one per year. It should never be a secret presentation. The responsibilities are too great and the shock may cause serious damage even to a strong and healthy brother.

Also, the candidate must be notified once he has been selected to receive the Hiram Award so that he can invite his freiends and relatives. Some have traveled from the East Coast to attend a presentation. There was a case where two sisters and a brother came from the East Coast to see their brother receive the award and they had not seen him for 32 years.

There shall never be more than one Hiram Award presented in one evening and no other presentation should be made. Positively, never two or three at the same time. In one case we heard of a lodge having eight in one evening. Remember, brethren, this is a solemn event and when you have more than one you take away from the very reason you are honoring a brother with the greatest award his lodge can give - it is his night and his night alone.

Remember, my brethren, Masonry owes a great deal of gratitude and a special tribute to our many brethren who have devoted their lives to the Fraternity, and so, in return, let us give them one night alone to stand at the altar and be recognized by his brethren throughout the world.