st. john's lodge no 2 - The Trestleboard

California by Saschel Woods on Peter Lassen's wagon train. Woods formed Western Star Lodge No. 98 and held its first meeting on October 30, 1849, at Benton City on Lassen's Ranch. On April 17, 1850, its name was changed to Western Star Lodge No. 2. Sadly though, the number "1" was assigned to the wrong lodge due to faulty information at the time. And so, Western Star Lodge No. 98, the oldest chartered lodge in the state of California and the first to meet and organize, became Western Star Lodge No. 2 when it rightfully should have been No. 1.

On May 9, 1851, the lodge changed its meeting location place from Benton City to Shasta. In 1853, the members' first Shasta meeting place burned to the ground, as did almost the entire business district of Shasta. This resulted in the future meetings being held in the unfinished second floor attic of Dr. Benjamin Shurtleff's home at Shasta until a new building was built. The last meeting was held there on Dec. 27, 1854, and the members marched in a Grand Procession to their new and present meeting place at 15344 Main St., Shasta.

This building was built in 1854 by Julias Norton and Silas Tucker to house their mercantile business. It was referred to as "Norton & Tucker's fireproof brick building" and consisted of two stories and a basement. It was built on the same spot as a previous building and like many others rebuilt at Shasta at that time, it was built to be fireproof – with thick brick walls, iron doors and tin roofs.

The lodge purchased the second floor for $2,400. The second floor has served as their Lodge Room from then on. In 1859 Norton & Tucker went bankrupt and the lodge acquired the remainder of the building.

The lodge meeting room is elaborately furnished. Much of the furniture that was purchased then is still being used today. The furniture consists of chairs, the altar, and the secretary's desk.

In 1928, a vault was constructed to store and preserve relics, documents, antiques, and anything pertaining to the