San
Francisco Valley
- 1868 -

In 1896 the Grand Consistory of California renamed and
renumbered the existing bodies. The Grand Consistory then, by
agreement, surrendered its Charter to the Supreme Council. However, a
condition was placed upon the surrender of the charter of the Grand
Consistory. The resolution stated, in part, that a "Particular
Consistory" was to be chartered as San Francisco Consistory No. 1
replacing Yerba Buena No. l. On January 13, 1898, the Consistory was
organized and by the year 1900 all four bodies were active. Early meetings
were held in the Masonic Temple at Post and Montgomery. This Temple, built
during the Civil War at a cost of $250,000, was said to be the most
beautiful in the Country. It was destroyed by fire in the great earthquake
of 1906. With the building all records, photographs and history were lost.
The rite was several years
procuring a meeting place and new costumes for degrees before activities
could return to normal. A new Scottish Rite Temple located on the
corner of Sutter and Van Ness was
completed and occupied in 1911. By 1913 the membership reached about 1360.
Following World War II membership reached an all time high of 4,000 in
1928. In spite of the Great Depression and World War II, the membership
was still about 3,000 in 1960. By 1913 the membership reached about 1360.
Following World War I membership reached an all time high of 4,000 in
1928. (1)

Bibliography
Sources
My
thanks to all those, names and nameless,
who helped me amass the materials used in compiling
this history of the Orient of California.
Ill:.
Robert D. Haas 33°
1. California First
Century of Scottish Rite Masonry p. 25 ff.
San Francisco Bodies