HISTORY OF TUJUNGA LODGE No. 592

In 1920 a group of Masons formed The Acacia Masonic Club of Monte Vista Valley (also known as the Tujunga Masonic Acacia Club). In the earliest years of the Club, meetings were held regularly in the Town Hall of Sunland. Later, in the basement of the home of Brother George B. Shaffer on Walnut Drive (now Mt. Gleason Avenue).

George B. Shaffer became known as the "Father of Tujunga Lodge". December 7, 1923, the Club met for
the first time in the second floor of a new building located at Valmont and Sunset Boulevard (now Commerce Avenue), and continued meeting there until 1957. This building was owned by Brother and Judge Herman Breidt.

The Club grew to the point that by May 5, 1924, a petition for dispensation signed by twenty two local Masons was submitted to the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the State of California, it was granted on July 24, 1924.

Tujunga Lodge was instituted on August 7, 1924, by Worshipful Dwight W. Stephenson, Inspector of the 77th Masonic District. Tujunga Lodge No.592 was constituted on October 18, 1924, in the Hollenbeck Masonic Temple by the Most Worshipful David Ree, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the State of California.

Our Lodge history book has a very interesting Masonic article in it from the Glendale News Press: "26 years after he was hanged by a group of irate ranchers who opposed the Owens Valley Water Project, Leicester Campbell Hall, died a natural death at the age of 76.

He was an attorney representing Los Angeles City in the water project and was kidnapped by a group of Bishop citizens and ranchers on August 29, 1924, taken to the outskirts of town and strung up to the limb of a tree.

As he was dangling in the air he gave the Masonic signal of distress. He was immediately cut down and revived by his kidnappers, whose identity he refused to reveal to an Inyo County Grand Jury inquiry."

On December 29, 1924, George L. Aiken, a pioneer developer of the Sunland Tujunga Region, became the first Brother to be raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. Roy E. Murray became the first affiliate after the Charter Members.

By 1930 Tujunga Lodge No.592, had 79 members. By 1940 membership had grown to 134.

Tujunga Lodge established a Temple Building Committee on September 2, 1947. Brother Irving Heckman, PM, passed away on May 1, 1948, bequeathing his estate to Tujunga Lodge. The Tujunga Masonic Building Association was incorporated on June 7, 1948, and on that day Brother Sam McWilliams offered his homestead on Olcott Street in Tujunga for the building site.

The location was denied a zoning variance which caused that plan to be abandoned for a time. The Building Association continued to work on its plan for a building for the Tujunga Lodge. Brothers Sam McWilliams, William Nicholson, and George Adams passed away, following the example of Brother Heckman, they too left their estate to Tujunga Lodge.

In 1950 Tujunga Lodge had 237 Master Mason members. The Los Angeles Examiner and the Glendale News press, reported that Tujunga Lodge No.592 would hold a dinner and official reception honoring the Most Worshipful Louis C. Drapeau, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the State of California, at 7PM, Thursday, July 24, 1952. Cost of the dinner was $2.59, and included a Spencer Steak.

On September 7, 1954, The Tujunga Masonic Building Association was authorized to purchase the site at 7216 Valmont Street, Tujunga, CA. The Association was authorized to begin construction early in 1955.

Formal ground-breaking ceremonies were held on July 23, 1955. 'Grandma Anna Adams lifted the first shovel full with a small gold cast shovel made by Brother G. J. Ellwanger. The ground- breaking shovel was chrome plated and mounted on a plaque which is on display in the Lodge den.

The cornerstone was laid March 3, 1956, by the Most Worshipful Edgar V. Stewart, Jr, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the State of California. Its contents were comprised of articles and items from Tujunga Lodge, Tujunga OES, Tujunga Bethel Jobs Daughters, Order of the DeMolay, and various current newspaper articles.

The trowel used to lay the cornerstone was chrome plated and mounted on a plaque which is on display in the Lodge den.

Tujunga Lodge formally moved into its new Temple on June 3, 1957. The new one story L-shaped building is 8,800 square feet, of concrete block construction, on a lot 145' X 300', consisting of a 45' X 65' lodge room, a dining room of equal size with a stage, a large kitchen, and many smaller rooms.

Most of the construction and finishing was performed by members of the craft and affiliated organizations. The Tujunga Lodge temple was formally dedicated on March 29, 1958. The Most Worshipful Leo E. Anderson, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the State of California, presided over the dedication ceremonies.

By 1960 Tujunga Lodge No.592 had 374 members on the rolls. Less than 50% of our members live within easy driving distance of the Lodge. Some of our Brothers live in other states: AZ, CO, GA, KS, MO, NV, OR, UT, and WA.

Current update in the archives of this Lodge, is the Grand Masters Achievement Award for 1998. The 1st in it's history that this Lodge received such a most prestigious and coveted award. The Most Worshipful Anthony P. Wordlow came to the Lodge to present such Award to Wor. Gani R. Hernandez, Jr., P.· .M.· . who was the Master of the Lodge for the year 1998.

In the year 2001, another milestone in the history of our Lodge is the nonstop influx of petitioners, from late November of year 2000 and no one knows when it will stop. The candidates' age ranges  from 21 to 55. When they go through their degrees, they see the next ones on the same occasion, since we do them by threes or by fives. The next schedule for degrees comes the following week or just a few days later so that their euphoric status is still fresh that makes them more enthused moving on. Tujunga Lodge became the busiest Lodge in the face of the earth in 2001. We did the degrees by three, fours and even fives on Saturdays. Coaching followed suit since we're the only one  coaching as many as 50 in one night. 
The candidates were having goose bumps realizing that nowhere else they can join with strong ties bind them together in unity.

This history of Tujunga Lodge No.592, was compiled through the efforts of Brothers Reginald Wilson, PM, Alva L. Criswell, Edward Hernandez, PM, Arthur S. Beddoe, PM, and encouraged by our

Past Master, Gani R. Hernandez, Jr., 1998, who became Master again in the year 2001 due to unavoidable circumstances that their Senior Warden did not move up for some personal reasons.