Corinthian-Hammonton Lodge
No. 9
One Hundred Fifty
Eight Years of Masonry in Marysville.
In studying the history of Masonry in Marysville,
the reader must keep in mind three distinct Lodges long since consolidated:
Marysville No. 9; Corinthian No. 69; and Yuba No. 39. Of these, Marysville and
Corinthian are most important to this narrative. They were consolidated December
1,1874, at which time Marysville Lodge took the name of Corinthian so that the
Lodge would not lose an annuity from the estate of one of its members, A.P.
Wiley. Corinthian Lodge in turn took Marysville number 9. Hence, Marysville
Lodge No. 9 became Corinthian Lodge No. 9.
The Yuba Lodge consolidation with Corinthian
Lodge No. 9 did not take place until 1916.
The earliest Masonic beginning in Marysville
antedate the organization of the Grand Lodge of California by several months.
Yet, for some unaccountable reason, the Marysville Lodge brethren as in some
organizations had no part in the organization of the Grand Lodge.
In March 1849, John R. Crandall of Peoria,
Illinois having made up his mind to migrate to California, petitioned the Grand
Lodge of Illinois for a dispensation to open a Lodge out here. It was granted,
and late in 1849 or very early 1850, not long after Crandall’s arrival. It was
used to open the first Masonic Lodge in California and was called the
Marysville-Lavely U.D., named after the Grand Master William Lavely of Illinois.
The officers were John Crandall, Master; A.O. Garrett, Senior Warden; W.
Moffett, Junior Warden; and for some time their meeting place was in a tent near
the corner of Fourth and E Streets.
In May 1850, Crandall moved to the Trinity River
diggings, leaving his lodge in charge of Senior Warden Garrett, who appears to
have continued the work till the Lodge was taken over by a new Master, Henry
Watkins. On November 27, 1850, Watkins and B.S. Olds appeared before the Grand
Lodge of California requesting and received a charter for the Lodge which had
changed it’s name to Marysville Masonic Lodge No. 9.
Marysville, the town, was a trade center, supply
depot for the northern mines and head of navigation on the Feather River. The
town experienced a phenomenal growth from the day it was laid out in 1850 by
Charles Covillaud, who named it after his wife Mary Murphy. On June 27, 1853,
Marysville Lodge recommended and received a dispensation for a second lodge in
Marysville, and three weeks later, July 15, Yuba Lodge came into existence. On
September 1, 1853, it is said General John Sutter was elected to receive the
degrees of Marysville Lodge. Nothing indicates that he ever took them however.
The Masonic Hall Association of Marysville was
organized on September 18, 1863, with capital stock of $25,000, divided into 500
shares of $50 each. The affairs of the association were managed by a board
of trustees elected by the stockholders. The first board of trustees was
composed of the following: H.H.Rhees; T.W. McCready; Peter Decker; C.G.
Bockius; D.E. Knight; W.H. Hartwell and W.L. Williams.
The contract for the Masonic Building which was located at the N.E.
corner of Third and East Streets was let October 30, 1863, to W.C. Swain,
$21,500 being the contract price, and on December 26, 1864, the trustees took
possession of the structure. The hall was on the third floor, and was used
by the Masonic societies as a lodge room. The second floor was used for
offices and living apartments, and the ground floor was rented for stores.
It was on New Years Day, 1864 that the laying of the corner-stone
took place. The ceremony was a most imposing and interesting character and
drew a large audience of interested parties outside of the fraternity
membership. There was a parade and the Grand Marshall E.Hamilton, assisted
by aides L.B. Ayer and James Moore, Marysville Commandery No. 7, Knights Templar,
marshaled by Charles Raish, formed the escort, followed by the Marysville Brass
Band. The Blue Lodge was next in line, followed by the Chapter and finally
by members of the Grand Lodge of California.
At the site, Charles Bockius, President of the Marysville Hall
Association, invited the Grand Master, Judge William C. Belcher to proceed with
the ceremony. The Grand Master then delivered an address on behalf of the
Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, following which the stone was laid
assisted by other Grand Lodge members. In the evening. beginning at 9:30,
a grand ball was held in the Marysville theater, which was attended by very
prominent people of the community. The dedication of the building took
place December 27, 1864
Hammonton Lodge No. 433 of Sutter, California
merged with Corinthian No. 9 of Marysville during the middle of 1996 to become
Corinthian-Hammonton No. 9.
After the California Market fire in 1956 destroyed the original
Masonic building and a few important articles and furniture were saved, the
masons contracted and helped build the current cinder block building located at
the present location. The building consists of the only elevator in the
district and modern appearances throughout with up-to-date kitchen facilities.
Three rental offices on the ground floor supplement income used in the operation
of the Lodge.
A relic of which the Masons of Marysville are
very proud is an American flag brought to this country from Japan by Charles
Egbert DeLong, who was in 1869 appointed minister to Japan by President U.S.
Grant. The flag is the banner which was carried by DeLong's embassy during
his travels into the interior of Japan and is the first foreign
flag ever carried in that country.
A full coat of mail used in the wars of Japan over 700 years before
is also in the collection which DeLong presented to the Marysville Masonic
fraternity, together with several bronze candlesticks. Some of this was
lost in the fire of 1956 but the candlesticks are being used today.
DeLong, a member of Marysville Lodge was born in New York on August
13, 1826. He served in the California legislature in 1857, 1860 and 1862.
Many of the artifacts, beautiful chairs, pictures and original
memorabilia of the original lodges are at the Corinthian-Hammonton Lodge, which
was saved during and after the terrible fire which destroyed Marysville Lodge on
December 25th, 1956.
Excerpts taken from the History of Yuba
Co. by Peter DeLay
