Masonic (formerly Lorena) is a
ghost town
A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...
located about northeast of
Bridgeport,
Mono County, California
Mono County ( ) is a county (United States), county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 13,195, making it the fourth-least populous county in California. T ...
, USA.
The town consists of an
upper, middle, and
lower town;
most of the few ruins remaining are in the middle town. Gold was first discovered in the 1860s, but production ceased near the start of the 20th century. The town's population peaked at about 1,000.
History
The town was founded by
Freemasons, hence its name.
Middle Town, the largest of the three towns, had a post office, boarding house, and a general store.
It also housed the offices of the town's newspaper: ''The Masonic Pioneer''.
The Lorena post office opened in 1905, changed its name to Masonic in 1906, closed in 1912, re-opened in 1913 and closed for good in 1927.
Masonic's population in 1906 was about 500.
The principal mine, called the Pittsburg-Liberty Mine, produced $700,000 in gold before closing in 1910.
By 1911, Masonic was in decline, although some mines kept in production until the 1920s.
See also
*
List of ghost towns in California
References
External links
History of the Masonic mining district (2004 Mono County Historical Society Newsletter)
Former settlements in Mono County, California
Freemasonry in California
Ghost towns in California
Mining communities in California
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