Masonic, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Masonic
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 Masonic
Location in California
Masonic
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Mono County |
Masonic, once known as Lorena, is a ghost town in Mono County, California. It's about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bridgeport. A ghost town is a place where most people have left, and it's mostly empty now.
Masonic was split into three parts: an upper, middle, and lower town. Today, you can still see some old buildings and ruins, mostly in the middle part. People first found gold here in the 1860s. The town grew, and at its busiest, about 1,000 people lived there. But by the early 1900s, gold mining stopped, and people moved away.
History of Masonic
Masonic got its name because it was started by Freemasons. These are members of a worldwide social organization.
Life in Middle Town
Middle Town was the biggest part of Masonic. It had important places like a post office and a general store. There was also a boarding house where people could stay. The town even had its own newspaper, called The Masonic Pioneer.
Post Office Changes
The post office in Masonic opened in 1905. At first, it was called Lorena. In 1906, its name changed to Masonic. It closed in 1912 but opened again in 1913. Finally, the post office closed for good in 1927.
Gold Mining and Decline
In 1906, about 500 people lived in Masonic. The most important mine was the Pittsburg-Liberty Mine. This mine produced a lot of gold, about $700,000 worth. But it closed down in 1910. By 1911, the town of Masonic started to shrink. Some mines kept working until the 1920s, but most people had already left.
