USA > California > Siskiyou County > History of Siskiyou County, California > Part 47
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raising large amounts of money for the cause. In 1866 he attended a gathering at Albany, New York, as delegate from Alleghany county, to organize a military order still existing there, and similar in its character to the Grand Army of the Republic. In the minutes of the meeting we find the name recorded as Colonel W. I. Nichols, an honor he dis- claims, as he says he only represented the rank and file of the army. In 1867 he removed to California. After one year spent in traveling over the Pacific coast, and after teaching two years in Trinity, he removed to Siskiyou and taught continuously, until in 1879 he was elected vice-president of Ashland College and professor of mathematics. He severed his connection with the institution in the spring of 1880, and entered upon the practiceof law at Yreka. He enjoys a fair share of the patronage of the people of the county, and possesses their confidence and respect. In politics he is a staunch Republican. He was married February 6, 1875, to Miss Jennie T. Baldwin, daughter of the Rev. J. T. Baldwin, of the Presbyterian church, a sister of Mrs. John Cleland, and both natives of Ellicottville, New York. By this union there is one son, Charles Percy, born December 24, 1876. In 1863, by invitation of the trustees and faculty of Syracuse University, Mr. Nichols delivered the annual address before the college senate. He delivered the centennial poem at Yreka, an extract from which appears in this volume.
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RESIDENCE OF HON.A.B. CARLOCK, FORT JONES, CAL.
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HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS.
The work accomplished by this greatest exponent of brotherly love is too well known to require rehearsal here. The history of the order is briefly as follows :-
It was first instituted in London in 1745. Lodges were subsequently formed in Liverpool. In the year 1800 they were all united as the London Order. In 1809 a member introduced the order into Man- chester, and in 1814 the lodges there united as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of the Man- chester Unity. This proved to be by far the more successful of the two orders. April 26, 1819, a day annually celebrated in America, Thomas Wildey and others organized at Baltimore the first lodge of the order in the United States, Washington Lodge, No. 1. This was chartered by the Manchester
Unity, February 2, 1820. Since that time over 1,000,000 persons have been initiated into the order in America. The introduction of Odd Fellowship into California in 1849, by the formation in Sacra- mento of an Odd Fellows association for the relief of the destitute, is one of the brightest pages in the history of the State. Since then the order has grown to giant proportions here, with more than 20,000 members.
YREKA LODGE, NO. 19.
The early history of this lodge and of the intro- duction of Odd Fellowship in this county, is related in the following letter by one of the participants :-
SAN FRANCISCO, October 26, 1878.
Dr. F. G. HEARN, YREKA, CALIFORNIA-Dear Friend und Brother: When you were here at the session of the Grand Lodge, I met you at the " Russ House," and in talking over old times and particularly of the early history of Odd Fellowship at Yreka, you wished me to write out all I knew on the subject of the introduction of the Order into that remote part of the State.
As there never has been a correct history given, I propose, as far as my memory will serve me, to give you in a concise manner all I know on the subject.
In the winter of 1852-3, which will be ever mem- orable to all old Californians, we were snowed in at Yreka, so that there was no communication with the outside world ; all kinds of provisions gave out, not a pound of flour was to be had, and starvation stared us in the face. Many of us had crossed the plains that summer, and had nothing to depend on but the remnants of worn-out stock that had served us so faithfully in our pilgrimage.
Captain David Morrison, in whose company I traveled from Dubuque, Iowa, and a few more of us met to consider what was best to be done for the mutual benefit of the members of the Order. It was thought best to call a meeting of all Odd Fellows on a certain day, which was on a Sunday, of course. Quite a number of Brothers answered to the call, among whom I can call to mind, J. S. Knapp, John Cook, George Cook, W. T. Shepard, John Nutter, Leonhard Piekl, Jacob Gauze, Brother
1 Stone, Professor Ramsey, Judge Robinson, and if my memory serves me right, J. Tyson-if not a member of our association, he was a very willing
and efficient worker in our cause. At that first meeting it was proposed and agreed to form an Odd Fellows Association, similar to a Subordinate Lodge.
It would be impossible for me at this time to give the days, dates, names, etc., of the officers, number of members, etc. But I do remember that Brother P. G., David Morrison was elected W. G., or Presi- dent of the Lodge; and that all the offices were filled, and that we had a relief committee, whose duty it was to afford immediate and substantial aid to all Odd Fellows who might be in distressed cir- cumstances, whether with or without cards, so that they could prove themselves to be Odd Fellows.
It was virtually and truly a Lodge of " Odd Fel- lows" who met every week with no other object than to carry out practically, the pure and holy princi- ples of Odd Fellowship as taught in the "Ritual." Not greed, gain, and selfishness; but love, friend- ship and truth, exemplified in every-day life by dif- fusing the principles of benevolence and charity; not that cold, grudging, exacting charity, that insid- iously creeps into many Lodges and leaves its slimy filth on all it touches; but that other charity that has a heart and soul in it. That charity that will grasp a distressed brother's hand, that will warm into life his sinking and fainting spirits, that will infuse new hopes, fresh courage, and inspire him to go forth and renew the battle of life, knowing full well that he is a member of a warm and true-hearted brotherhood; and no matter what misfortune may overtake him in life, whether in the prime of man- hood or in the decline of age, if he pursues a manly and upright course, will never see him perish in the struggle.
Such were the aims, and ends of our association; which was the nucleus of Odd Fellowship in "Yreka," and though humble and unpretentious in its mission of love, it nevertheless was the seed sown, that has brought forth such an abundant harvest.
Our organization was kept np during the winter, or until provisions became plenty, and the mines could be worked, then the members scattered in all directions.
Our president, David Morrison, left for San Fran- cisco. I had charge of his business, and in my communications with him I urged the need of a Charter or Dispensation for a Lolge. I received a letter from him dated May 2, 1853, informing me that he had called on G. H. Parker, District Deputy Grand Sire for the State of California. This you will see was just previous to the organization of the Right Worthy Grand Lodge.
Immediately on the receipt of that letter we went to work on a petition to the Right Worthy Grand Lodge for a Charter, which petition was rather crudely drawn up, none of us ever having been petitioners for a Charter, and being wholly without any books or forms, it was hardly to be expected that it would be acceptable, which proved to be the case, as the Grand Lodge declared it to be informal.
After that I communicated with the Right Worthy Grand Secretary, T. Rogers Johnson, on the subject, and received a copy of the Odd Fellows Digest, sent by Grand Master S. H. Parker. A second petition was then drawn up in form, signed by a number of Brothers, and accompanied by the
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HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
three following withdrawal cards: George Cook, Jolm Cook, and W. Donnellan, also two visiting cards. This petition I forwarded to my friend. David M. Morrison, to present to the Grand Master, which was rejected as not having a constitutional number of withdrawal cards, which will be seen in the fol- lowing portion of a letter which bore date of July 17, 1853, which I have embodied in this history as a legitimate portion thereof, written by a Brother who was an untiring co-worker with us, who knew full well what kind of material there was in our midst to build up a Lodge out of :-
SAN FRANCISCO, July 17, 1853.
MY DEAR FRIEND DON: I will now answer your letter. You say you received my communica- tion and Digest, sent you by the R. W. Grand Mas- ter Parker. You say nothing about a commun- ication I sent you after received your petition for a Charter. I suppose you have not received it. I am very sorry you no doubt think I have neg- lected to attend to it, which I assure you is not the case. I immediately presented your petition to the Grand Master. He went with me to the Grand Secretary. They then consulted what they could do for you, as there was not five withdrawal cards accompanying the petition. They concluded if you could not send five cards, some member of one of the Lodges here would withdraw and sign your peti- tion, and fill the law, and accommodate you in obtain- ing a Charter. The Grand Secretary wrote you a com- munication. I sent you a copy of the proceedings of the Grand Lodge. I also called on D. Norcross, a good Odd Fellow, who has Regalia of all kinds. I got a bill of him of what your Regalia would cost. Regalia can be had at almost any price. He showed me a set he had got up for a Lodge at Stockton, which costs three hundred dollars. I wrote a communi- cation, myself, informing you that if it was possible for me to leave my business, nothing would afford me more pleasure than to go up and open your Lodge for you. I enclosed it all in one envelope, directed to you, and left it at Adams & Co.'s express office, it must be near a month since. I will here say that anything you may want attended to, in any way I am always ready to do the best I can for you. This, the persons I have referred to can assure you of. Yours in F., L. & T. D. M. MORRISON.
You will see by this letter that a proposition was made to have two Brothers of one of the San Fran- cisco Lodges, take cards and so make out a consti- tutional number. But that was hardly practicable.
Not at all discouraged in our unsuccessful efforts thus far to obtain a charter, we determined to make one more effort. You will bear in mind that the Brothers, one and all, in and around Yreka, took a very active part in the matter, and nobly sup- ported our efforts to have a Lodge started. Also many of the best citizens who were not members of the " Order."
After many consultations and informal meetings, I was instructed to write to the Grand Secretary, T. R. Johnson, that if an installing officer or Dep- uty Grand Master would come up we would be re- sponsible for all expense, whether a Lodge was insti- tuted or not.
It must be remembered that traveling at that time was very difficult, and very few would care to under- take a mule ride across the mountains, besides a capable man's time in San Francisco was of much value; all of which was considered, and a subscrip- tion was started, to raise funds to meet all expenses that might accrue, which subscription I have enclosed with other papers.
In answer to my communication to the Grand Secretary offering to pay all expenses of a Grand Officer, I received from him the enclosed letter dated San Francisco, October 24, 1853, in which he informed me that he had found a Brother who was willing to undertake the journey and institute our Lodge as soon as I should notify him that we were ready, which I did by return Express. On Novem- ber 14th a gentleman came to my ranch about a mile from town and introduced himself as P. B. Dexter, Deputy Grand Master, and stated that he was clothed with all the powers of the Right Worthy Grand Master and a little more.
I said to him the little more was just the thing we so much needed, and the little more, after con- sultation, amounted to the accepting of "J. L. Knapp" and "A. G. Annibal," two Brothers with visiting cards, as Charter members, with the under- standing that they were to obtain from their re- spective Lodges withdrawal cards, and forward the same to the Grand Secretary, to be filed in his office with other papers of the Lodge.
After a suitable hall had been secured, which was the upper story of a stone building with a brick floor, on or near the corner of Main and Miner streets, and all other preliminaries satisfactorily arranged, on the night of November 15, 1853, a little band, consisting of John Cook, George Cook, J. L. Knapp, A. G. Annibal, and W. Donnellan, accompanied by our brother, P. B. Dexter, Deputy Grand Master, met together in our hall, and there proceeded to organize our Lodge, which was done by the election of your humble correspondent as N. G .; John Cook, V. G ; and to the best of my memory, J. L. Knapp, Recording Secretary, and A. G. Annibal, Treasurer.
After the installation of officers, a number of propositions were received, and under a Dispensa- tion, the Lodge proceeded to initiate a number of applicants, and also conferred the degrees on initiates, among whom was Dr. J. G. Cummins, who afterwards was elected V. G., also H D. Van Wyck, who filled the office of Recording Secretary. Thuson that memorable night, Yreka Lodge, No. 19, sprang into existence, and took rank among the best Lodges of the Juris- diction. Before the Lodge closed, an order was drawn on the Treasury sufficient to cover all expenses, including Charter, books, Odes, Regalia, etc., also the expenses and time of Deputy Grand Master, P. B. Dexter. The amount I cannot remember, but there was ample funds on hand to meet all demands. I should have stated that previous to this many of the Brothers had taken steps to obtain withdrawal cards from their respective Lodges.
You may judge of the prosperity of the Lodge when I say to you that at the time I left Yreka to attend the Grand Lodge which met in Sacramento, (having been elected a delegate to represent Yreka Lodge, No. 19) the membership at that time, April
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HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
22, 1854, amounted to fifty-nine (59) in good stand- ing; ninety-nine (99) degrees had been conferred, and the receipts amounted to $2,393.75.
I am proud to state that at the session of the Right Worthy Grand Lodge, held in San Francisco May, 1859, Grand Master Van Bokkelen in his report gave to Yreka Lodge, No. 19, the credit of being the best working Lodge in the jurisdiction.
In conclusion, I will state that many of my let- ters and papers have been lost or destroyed by flood, and it is from the few remaining papers and my own memory alone that I have thus far been enabled to collect together and put in shape, the simple facts belonging to the history of Odd Fellowship in Yreka.
No doubt I have omitted the names of many worthy and efficient Brothers, also much that would go towards making the history far more interesting, yet at the same time I give you all I have; in doing so, I have taxed my mental powers more in reality than my shattered constitution was able to stand.
The many fond memories that cluster around that eventful period of my life's history, when I was brought in contact with those noble, manly hearts, with that pure refined gold of brotherhood mani- fested among those that composed that little band who were linked together as one man in the bond of fellowship, has ever been a source of gratifying pleasure.
How often in after life, when suffering at the hands of those I have trusted, and wronged by those who bore the magic name, I say how often in after life, when ready to denounce all as unworthy, have I looked back on those true men in those trying times, and thanked the Lord that it ever had been my fortune to be blessed with such companionship.
Yours fraternally, W. L. DONNELLAN.
The lodge is still in a most flourishing condition and meets every Thursday evening at Odd Fellows' Hall. The present officers :- John M. Walbridge, N. G .; Charles Voss, V. G .; A. E. Paine, S .; Charles C. Peters, T .; Samuel Magoffey, W .; E. H. Schofield, C .; Samuel Pellet, R. S. N. G .; Robert Nixon, L. S. N. G .; J. E. Day, R. S. V. G .; F. G. Hearn, L. S. V. G .; W. A. B. Mills, L. S. S .; E. Dudley, I. G .; John Uerlings, O. G.
MT. SHASTA LODGE, NO. 70.
The order having become strong enough in Yreka to support another lodge, application was made to the Grand Master, in 1857, for a dispensation, which was granted to the follo ving charter members :- Eli H. Stone, A. D. Meacham, George H. Coe, James D. Turner, William Grow, E. K. Phipps, and Louis Weyteman. At this session of the Grand Lodge in 1858, upon recommendation of the Grand Master, a regular charter was issued to Mt. Shasta Lodge, No. 70.
The lodge was instituted August 20. 1857, by R. L. Westbrook, D. D. G. M. December 23, 1874. the lodge surrendered its charter and combined with Yreka Lodge, No. 19.
MARION LODGE, NO. 101.
The petition for the establishment of this lodge, at Sawyer's Bar, then in Klamath county, went before the Grand Lodge in May, 1861, and a char- ter was issued to Past Grands G. W. Sleeper and H.
D. Van Wyck, and Brothers H. C. Randall, H. Behnke, and George F. Ferry. The lodge was insti- tuted May 28, 1861, by William Morton, D. D. G. M., assisted by a number of brothers from the lodges in Yreka. It then had twenty-five members. The officers installed were :- George W. Sleeper, N. G .; H. C. Randall, V. G .; J. H. Lueket, S .; J. Sulli- van, T.
In 1874 this lodge erected a new hall, which was dedicated on the sixth of November of that year, with appropriate ceremonies and exercises. The lodge owns quite an extensive library, which it has been accumulating for some time, and to which the publie has access by the payment of a slight monthly fee. The greatest membership was thirty-seven, and at present the lodge is in good circumstances, with twenty-seven members, and owns property to the value of $1,000. In charitable objects since its organization Marion Lodge has expended $2,700. The present officers are :- G. A. Mohr, N. G .; G. W. Bigelow, V. G .; S. H. Birdsall, R. S .; J. Rainey, T.
FORT JONES LODGE, NO. 115.
In 1861 several contributing members of Yreka Lodge, No. 19, and Mount Shasta Lodge, No. 70, liv- ing in Scott valley, took steps to have a Lodge established in Fort Jones. Application was made for a charter and work commenced on a hall, but the Salmon river excitement called away so many of those interested that the matter was dropped. The question was revived in 1863, and on the first day of July, Fort Jones Lodge was instituted by George W. Chase, D. D. G. M .; with the following charter members :-- A. B. Carlock, R. S. Green, D. B. Kingery, James M. Smith, L. H. Varnum, John P. Wilson, and L. S. Wilson, of whom all are still liv- ing save John P. Wilson. A. B. Carlock, R. S. Green, D. B. Kingery and L. S. Wilson are still active members. The first meeting saw the lodge membership increased by five initiations and two cards, thus starting the lodge in its career with four- teen members. The first officers were :- R. S. Green, N. G .; A. B Carlock, V. G. ; John P. Wilson, R S .; L. S. Wilson, P. S. ; L. H. Varnum, T .; D. B. King- ery, War .; J. M. Smith, Con. ; A. Dowd, O. G .; F. Crooks, I. G .; R. D. Stone, R. S. N. G .; James G. Winegar, L. S. N. G .; Samnel Whitmore, R. S. V. G .; W. B. Miller, L. S. V. G. Notwithstanding it was reduced in membership by the creation of Etna Lodge, No. 184, it is now in a most flourishing con- dition, with 111 active members. The majority of these are young men recruited fro n excellent social and physical classes, an I zealous in Odd Fellowship, fitting themselves to carry on the work, when those who have grown gray and bent with years, shall have been laid away to rest. There are members in the lodge who have been active Odd Fellows for more than twenty years, and a few date back to the time when the order was struggling for existence forty or fifty years ago. With the wide experience of these veterans, and the enthusiasm of the young and fresh material, the future prosperity of the lodge is assured. The hall was complete I in 1863, andI was nsed until April 26, 1876, when the present hall was ledieited. It is of concrete, two stories high, the hall being in the upper story, and twenty-eight by sixty feet in size. The library room is twenty-six
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HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
by twenty-eight feet. The hall was built by the lodge, and is handsomely furnished. The old hall is used now for a school house.
The lodge has a sum of money at interest and also owns a cemetery laid out in fine style on the old government reservation. Trees, shrubs, and handsome monuments beautify this last resting- place of the members of this order of brotherly love. Since its organization the lodge has expended for sick benefits, charity, and relief the sum of $7,500. The dues are ten dollars per annum and the bene- fits allowed are four dollars per week to an initiate meniber, five to first degree, six to second, and seven to third, fifty dollars for a funeral of a brother and thirty dollars for funeral of the wife of a brother. There have been thirty-one Past Grands during the existence of the lodge, and of these the following are still in retive membership :- Aaron Bar, A. B. Carlock, E. J. Cummings, D. Cameron, H. J. Dig- gles, J. A. Davidson, R. S. Green, C. T. Hall, David Horn, J. M. Hopper, Thomas Jones, W. A. Jordan, D. B. Kingery, J. M. Luttrell, W. B. Miller, Joel Newton, C. E. Owen, J. J. Pool, I. A. Reynolds, E. Reichman, R. D. Stone, W. P. Skelly, and Samuel Whitmore. The following Past Grands have died, John Clark, J. V. Doll, A. J. Goodnoe, L. B. Gilkey, and John P. Wilson. In other membership the lodge has lost by death, Alexander Walker, William B. Walker, and Constantine Humphrey. The offi- cers for the first half of the year IS81 were :- E. C. Owen, N. G .; John E. Dudley, V. G .; R. S. Green, S .; H. J. Diggles, T .; Alexander Parker, Jr., War .; A. M. Evans, Con .; William Hickman, O. G .; Josiah McVay, I. G .; James A. Davidson, R. S. N. G .; Jacob Bills, L. S. N. G .; John C. Wood, R. S. V. G .; Henry Mack, L. S. V. G .; P. M. Shadduck, R. S. S .; E. A. Starr, L. S. S .; I. A. Reynolds, Chaplain.
ETNA LODGE, NO. 184.
Prior to the establishment of this lodge, members of the order in Rough and Ready (Etna) were con- nected with lodges remote from their homes, attend- ance upon the meetings being inconvenient and expensive. To remedy this defect, a meeting was called at Furber's Hall, May 30, 1870, at which Abisha Swain, Henry Behnke, Daniel Davis, R. P. Taylor and J. S. Beard were present and expressed their views. It was decided to organize a lodge, and to unite with the school district in the erection of a two-story building, the upper portion of which should be used as a hall. Abisha Swain, J. A. Diggles and Josiah Doll were selected as a building committee; W. T. Laird, W. K. Doney and J. A. Diggles being the school trustees. The lodge was formally organ- ized January 18, 1871, the charter members being :- Robert P. Taylor, James A. Diggles, John S. Beard, Josiah Doll, Frank M. Blevins, Daniel Davis, Henry Geney, Henry Behnke, Charles Koppler, Abisha Swain, Abraham S. Bush and Elisha H. Hall. The fol- lowing officers were installed by Joel Newton, D.D .:- R. P. Taylor, N. G .; James A. Diggles, V. G .; J. S. Beard, R. S .; Josiah Doll, T .; Daniel Davis, C ; Henry Behnke, W .; Henry Geney, I. G .; A. S. Bush, O. G .; E. H. Hall, R. S. N. G .; Charles Koppler, R. S. V. G .; F. Blevins, R. S. S .; Abisha Swain, L. S. S. At the same time the new hall was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies and festivities. The
building is twenty-eight by fifty-two feet and cost over $3,000. The lodge, at present, has a member- ship of forty-three, and is in a prosperous condition. They have contracted for the sale of their interest in the building to the school district, and contem- plate the erection of a substantial brick building on a lot on School street, recently purchased. All the charter members are now living, save Henry Behnke, who died November 7, 1871. The present officers are :- H. W. Sullivan, N. G .; C. W. Nutting, V. G .; Martin Marx, S .; C. H. French, T .; R. H. Stras- burg, H. W. Sullivan and J. B. Parker, Trustees; James Amos, P. N. G.
The lodge meets at its hall in Etna, every Satur- day evening. A new hall, thirty-two by eighty feet and two stories high, is now being erected.
SISKIYOU ENCAMPMENT, NO. 15.
A charter for this encampment was granted June 13, 1858, to A. D. Meacham, N. C. Mayhew, S. M. Veach, J. M. Heath, W. Morton, J. W. Thomas, E. A. Hazen, C. Abbott, W. S. Moses, and G. W. Sleeper. It was instituted June 30, 1858. Since that time it has become strong and still flourishes with a large membership.
The present officers are :- W. J. Wallis, C. P .; E. H. Schofield, H. P .; Charles Voss, S. W .; A. E. Paine, S .; H. Seheld, T .; Robert Nixon, J. W. It meets at Odd Fellows Hall, Yreka, the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month.
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