Knights of Phythias
Eureka’s Pythian Castle on 4th Street, currently known as the Lost Coast Brewery. Photo taken by Lloyd Stine in 1938, before it lost its turret.
Traditionally, Humboldters were joiners. For our first 60+ years as a community we were fairly isolated. The roads into Humboldt were poor and sea travel could be dangerous. So, we were largely self-dependent for social contact and entertainment. As a result, we joined and created many organizations.
At the Humboldt County Historical Society, there are files on several dozen organizations. Some are fraternal orders with secret rituals and regalia, some are shared interest groups, some are business promotion clubs, some are service groups, and some are ethnic or nationality based. Even many of the men’s-only groups have offshoots for women and youth.
As trains, automobiles, airplanes, television and now the internet expanded options for entertainment and belonging, many of these groups have disappeared or subsided in personal or community importance. But most have left their marks.
Several Humboldt communities still boast turret-topped Pythian Castles. These were the temples of local lodges of the Knights of Pythias.
The fraternal order of the Knights of Pythias was founded in America in 1864, in hopes that the principles of friendship, charity and community service would help heal the wounds of the Civil War. President Lincoln was one of the initial members. The formation was inspired by the ancient Greek tale of Damian and Pythias whose story of friendship and self-sacrifice led to popular poems and plays millennia later.
Pythian orders rapidly spread through the United States, and in 1876 the Lincoln Lodge was chartered in Eureka. Arcata’s North Star Lodge followed later that year, and soon this region boasted lodges in Garberville, Fortuna, Ferndale, Weaverville and Crescent City. Temples of the Pythian Sisters soon organized as well, focusing on community work and socializing.
Meeting first in churches, homes and office spaces, the members soon set about building their Temples. The Arcata Pythian Castle on 11th Street opened with much pomp and ceremony in 1885. Eureka’s 4th Street castle opened in 1894.
Like other fraternal groups, Humboldt’s Pythians, resplendent in their uniforms, graced many parades and community celebrations. They held grand balls, teas and other social and fund-raising events. They offered their members insurance, health care, funeral services and support for widows and families. The Pythians’ charity focus was providing services for needy children.
Today, the order has largely receded into the past. Its temples have received historic designation and have been put to new largely commercial uses. In Eureka’s Lost Coast Brewery, some of the Order’s regalia is now on display above patron’s heads. This might not have pleased all past Pythians.
In Grand Chancellor Fred Bell’s lengthy and flowery address at the dedication of Arcata’s temple, he said “there are mysteries within the inner veil of our altars that none except the members of our fraternity are permitted to behold. Solemn and sublime truths are here inculcated that have never reached the ear of any save those who have proved themselves worthy of the sacred trust.”
But, special or not, in that same address, this Pythian leader held that his organization held common goals with other groups flourishing in early Humboldt. “Masonry, Odd Fellowship and Knighthood are all links in one chain and powerful agencies in the refinement, culture and elevation of fallen man.”
Further “enlightenment” about the Knights of Pythias and other organizations that made and continue to make our community are available at the Humboldt County Historical Society. Though times and methods change, people joining together to socialize and achieve change will always be part of our history.