The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-08-01
Continued from page II
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parlor and two bedrooms. To these
rooms the lodge property was moved.
The parlor was turned into lodge
room, and the bedrooms into ante
rooms. Here the lodge remained over five
years. The fall of 1852 was a trying
one for the lodge, numbers of Odd Eel
lows arrived from the gold fields, sick
and in distress. and with but one Wis
iting card among them, many OF them
not being aware that a lodge existed
here.
However, being convinced that they
were Odd Fellows, far from home and
in a strange land, they were helped.
The lodge funds were soon exhausted
and the expenses were met by subscrip-
tons among the members. Later on
fair was gotten up, to pay the expenses
OF many Of the Brothers to their homes,
but when their lodges were COMMUNE
Gated with, most all, if not all, We're
found not to be in standing, and the
money expended was not repaid. In
July of 1853 the lodge received from the
Grand Lodge of the United States the
sum of $1,000, which, under its auspices,
had been contributed by various lodges
in the United States for the special
purpose of building a hall in this city.
HlOISy was SidtcIOlAS
eeived it was wholly inadequate for
the purpose intended. It was at once
placed in the hands of the trustees for
Investment, and under their able and
efficient management, the lodge accu-
1nulated in a few years the sum of $1,000
for a building fund.
Here the lodge remained until July
Of 1855, when it moved to the upper
story of the coral stone building former
iy the store of H. May & Co, where
the Boston building now stands. In
this hall the lodge remained until 1889
when it moved into its new hall. which
it occupied until February of 1908, when
it was torn down to make way for this
hall, and the lodge moved into the EiSs
hall for. the Intervening time. But to
go back again. With the sum of $1,000
the lot, was purchased on which this
hall stands. excepting a portion pur-
chased later on, and having obtained
q charter from the government. it was
decided to build at once. What funds
were needed, in the deficiency for meet
ing the expense, were borrowed. The
debt was afterward paid off from the
rents received from the stores, and from
the lodge itself The corner stone of
this building was laid on April 26th,
escorted by various organizations,
marched to the old Fort street church,
where the Progress block now stands,
where a special service was held. After
the service, all marched back to the
site of the building, when the corner
stone was laid in due form, the address
of the day being given by Bro. B. F.
Durham, n. c., of the lodge. The day
was generally observed as a holiday,
and in the evening Polynesian Encamp-
ment and Excelsior Lodge gave a ball
at the Bungalow. This hall was con-
sfdered fine building for those times
and an ornament to the city. The three
links of the /. o. o. F. on the front of
the building have caught the eye of
many a person during the forty-four
years they were in place. These stones
ane now in the mauka wall of our social
hall, and are all that remain OF the old
hall. From the completion and dedica-
tion of this hail. the lodge occupied it
continuously until 1908 during which
time over generation of Odd Fellows
have come and gone and others have
come in 10 take their places.
During the COS the Order grew slow
ly, the times being Influenced some
what by the Civil War in the United
States, likewise during the early 1G's
from the loss of the whaling fleet. the
city being largely dependent on il for
its business. In 1876 number of the |
members of Excelsior withdrew and !
formed Harmony Lodge No. 3. Pacific |
Lodge No. 2 had been formed in 1856 |