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About Us - 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

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