WILLOW  GLEN FRATERNITY No 399

A Brief History

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Back in 1927, when the railroads sought a new right-of-way through San Jose, they focused on the unincorporated part of San Jose known as “The Willows" or “Willow Glen.” However, the residents of Willow Glen did not relish the idea of a railroad running through what was then, and still is, one of the most beautiful areas of San Jose. So, on September 8, 1927, the City of Willow Glen was incorporated for the specific purpose of keeping the railroad out!

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Some of the “activists”, who fervently fought to bring this about, discovered they had something else in common; they were masons! Desiring to establish a local masonic lodge, 38 Master Masons met in the Willow Glen elementary school, on October 1, 1928. A Mister Edwin Hunter suggested they form the Willow Glen Masonic Club for this purpose, and John W. Davis was elected President and James S. Sullivan as Secretary.

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After one year their petition for a lodge was granted, and on November 15, 1929, the Grand Lodge of California issued a dispensation to form a lodge to be known as Willow Glen Lodge. On December 4, 1929, the lodge was instituted with Thornton Delos Webster as the first Master, Lawrence L. Gott, Senior Warden, and Harry Burris, Junior Warden. John W. Davis became the first Secretary and remained in that office until 1967.

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On October 16, 1930, a charter was granted to Willow Glen Lodge #676. Since that time the lodge has had only 3 meeting places. The first two were the Willow Glen Municipal Auditorium and Brown’s Hall, now the “Adobe Building” on Lincoln Avenue. In the early 1970’s, the lodge moved to its present location.

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Respectfully submitted,

Richard A. Meyers, PM