The Grandest Affair of the Year: Knights Templar and Eastern Star Unite for New Year's Eve
Seattle’s elite gathered at Commandery No. 10 for a lavish installation ceremony, complete with Indian impersonations, sword presentations, and a feast that lasted until dawn.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A vastly extended affair was the installation in the various branches of the Knights Templar and Royal Chapter on New Year's Eve at the hall of Commandery No. 10. The Eminent Grand Commander Alfred L. Palmer installed the officers, including Sir John F. Poole as Grand Master and Sir William Butler as Recorder.
Following this was the installation of the Royal Chapter, conducted by Deputy Grand High Priest H. V. Binehart. The ceremony included the induction of Past Worthy Matron Mary L. Damon and J. T. Cochran to the East, where Major Damon gave a speech abounding in eloquence and rhetorical compliment. Each lady was presented with an elegant Past Worthy Matron's jewel—a sword with an East Star shield.
Owing to the surprise of the recipients, Rev. Mr. Damon thanked the Chapter for them. The vast company then proceeded to discuss the refreshments provided in abundance by the members of Commandery. The moments sped rapidly with music and mirth-making until the dawn of the New Year. One of the choicest and longest-remembered funs of the evening was the reproduction by Sir William Butler of the first speech of Rev. J. D. Stevens to his assembly of the Indian tribes of this country in council, which was given and translated into the Chinook jargon, sentence by sentence, followed by the quaint remarks of the aborigines.
The Commandery now numbers 50 members and is in a prosperous condition. Owing to the tearing down of the old Masonic hall to be replaced by a temple worthy of the city, it is expected that chapter meetings will, for some months at least, be held in Pythian Hall.
This account captures Seattle’s pre-1909 social hierarchy, where civic life was dominated by fraternal orders like the Masons and Knights Templar. The mention of 'tearing down the old Masonic hall' points to the city's rapid physical transformation during this era, as wooden structures were replaced by fireproof masonry buildings following the Great Fire of 1889 and subsequent growth. These societies functioned as both social clubs and powerful civic networks, a stark contrast to today's more secular and decentralized community organizing.
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