Al Malaikah Shrine Temple, Los Angeles, California

The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine dips into antiquity a modest one hundred sixteen years.

For only 16 of these years-from 1872 to 1888-was the Order without the active presence of Al Malaikah Temple; yet this jewel of the West-the “Temple of the Angels”-was chartered just 39 years after the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill.

By 1850, San Francisco was the focal point of Pacific Coast life. The population of Los Angeles was a mere 2,000; of the state, 93,000 and of the country a shade over 23 million. “Anti-Masonry” that plagued lodges in the 1830’s was dead; Freemasonry was again on the rise, and the star of California’s Grand Lodge was added to the galaxy. Shrinedom was yet to come.

Freemasonry continued to thrive, as the strong ties of love of God and strength of character drew men together in serious association. The trauma of civil warfare ended in 1865, and in 1869 General Grant became President Grant.

California’s population had zoomed past the half-million mark, and in New York City a 34year old medical doctor Walter M. Fleming, rallied the handful of fellow Masons with whom he shared Knickerbocker Cottage luncheons to the need for an organized fun adjunct to Masonry.

Possibly the most enduring “mystery” of the Mystic Shrine concerns the origin of the Order. The most reliable story seems the be that recounted by Fleming’s son, who in later years said that the “Shrine” concept was Fleming’s alone, with considerable follow-on help form Charles T. McClenachan, a lawyer and renowned Masonic ritualist.

The name of actor William J. Florence has been associated with the Fleming’s as “co-founder” of the Shrine, and he was thus described by Fleming. (Florence, whose original name was William Jermyn Colin, had assumed his mother’s maiden name, Florence, for stage purposes. He was made a Mason under that name.)

The actor enjoyed theatrical renown in the United States and in Europe, especially in England, where his performances drew Royal favor. However, his cordial linkage with the budding Shrine was primarily for the purpose of promoting the new organization, and is reported that he seldom attended Shrine meetings.

The other Mason in key association with founder Fleming was Benjamin F. Brady. The Shrine’s original Charter, which presumably had come from Mecca in Saudi Arabia, was actually conceived by Fleming and drawn by Brady.

The original 13 Shriners decided that all who would be Nobles must be Knights Templar or 32o Scottish Rite Masons. Dr. Fleming became “Grand Potentate” of the first Shrine Temple, Mecca, in New York City. Demascus Temple, in Dr. Fleming’s Masonic hometown of Rochester, New York, was chartered in 1875 and the “Imperial Grand Council” was formed in 1876 as the umbrella organization for the now multi-Temple Shrine. Twenty Nobles attended and elected Fleming “Imperial Grand Potentate” (In both Temple and Imperial levels, the title “Grand” was later dropped.)

Fleming remained head of the Order until 1886, by which time America had 38 States and around 55 million souls. The Shrine’s 27 Temples, with 3,039 Nobles, embraced 18 States and the District of Columbia in the eastern half of the Country and one in the western half; the later, Islam Temple in san Francisco, held jurisdiction over California, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.

Quest for Al Malaikah recognition began on June 6, 1883, the date Islam was chartered, but the petition signed by 19 Nobles was misplaced or lost and no action resulted.

In 1886 Founder Fleming was succeeded as Imperial Potentate by Sam Briggs of Al Koran Temple, Cleveland, though he continued as Mecca Temple’s Potentate for two more years. He was 48 when he left Imperial office, and did not attend another Imperial Council Session until 1893, when he made his farewell appearance. He died in 1913.

It was during the first of Sam Briggs’ two successive three-year terms as Imperial Potentate that Al Malaikah was born. The Imperial Sir informed Henry Z. Osborne, acting chairman of the Los Angeles group, that if those Nobles would submit a new petition he would give the matter his immediate attention.

In 1888 as the real estate boom that spawned such new communities as Azusa, Pomona, Whittier, Glendale, Burbank, and “prohibitionist, no pool halls, no nonsense Hollywood” was winding down, the second petition was submitted. Dispensation was granted on February 20, and on June 25, just four months later and five years after the original filing, 31-member Al Malikah Temple was chartered. For the Imperial Council it was an historic day, with 12 new Temples-still the largest number ever chartered in a single session-added to the rolls.

Starting afresh on January 26,1883, 13 members of San Francisco’s Islam Temple met in a Masonic Temple, Los Angeles, determined to bring Shrinedom to the pueblo of the Angels.

They started by electing Henry Zenas Osborne their chairman and George Gillson their secretary. Then, in rapid order, they resolved to petition the Imperial Grand Potentate for a charter, agreed without debate that the Temple would be called “Al Malaikah”—the Arabic translation of the city’s Spanish derived name—and elected a politically prominent citizen, Freeman Golding Teed, their “Grand Potentate.”

Osborne had integrated into the Los Angeles and Masonic communities soon after his arrival. He had joined the Union Army at the age of 16, and at the end of the Civil War became a journalist. In the California mining town Bodie, he became publisher of its newspaper, and when he moved to Los Angeles in 1884, became editor and publisher of a paper called The Express. In due course he became U.S. Collector of Customs, the U.S. Marshal, and in 1916 he was elected to Congress where he served until his death in 1923 at the age of 75.

Teed was born in Pennsylvania in 1851, was graduated from Bucknell University and was admitted to the Bar in 1875. He served in the Texas Rangers for four years and arrived in Los Angeles in 1883. Engaging in the practice of law, he became successively a Deputy District Attorney, United States Commissioner, City Auditor, City Clerk, President of the City Council (and sometime Acting Mayor) and Collector of Internal Revenue. How did it happen that Al Malaikah’s first Potentate was Freeman Teed, rather than Henry Osborne, the chairman of the group that formed the Temple?

The answer appears to lie in the history of Southern California Lodge. Teed was Worshipful Master of that growing and active Masonic Lodge, and Osborne was Senior Warden. The organizers met in the lodge hall (as did the Temple, at first). The Master’s prime concern was the lodge so it fell to Osborne the chair the small nucleus Shrine group, but when the group became a Temple under dispensation in February 1888, Osborne had become Master of the Lodge. The Lodge was a substantial organization, whereas the Temple was just in the “project” stage. Teed, a man of importance and now Junior Past Master, was available and the logical choice to get the Temple off to a good start.

Continue to the next page