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Our Masonic body gathered together in 2003 at the Union Cemetery to honor brother George Washington Tallman, a Master Mason, who died on February 21, 1888 as a result of serious injuries suffered during a jail break from the San Mateo County jail in Redwood City. He was a Deputy Sheriff at the time and the 1st police officer killed in the line of duty in San Mateo County. He had lived a very active and exciting life.
Brother Tallman was a native of New York where, he no doubt read in the local newspapers of "gold in California, where it was possible to carry a bucket and fill it with gold nuggets laying on the ground".
Like many, he became affected with "Gold fever" and at about 30 years of age left New York City by ship to arrive at the mouth of the Chagres River on the Caribbean side of the Isthmus of Panama, where he, like others, viewed the ruined fortress of San Lorenzo, where 300 men had died in an attack by the pirate, Henry Morgan in 1670. He traveled up the Chagres river by native canoe to Gargona. The last
25 miles of the trip, was on a mule back or by foot. From that point, passage was obtained on a ship bound for San Francisco, where he, like thousands of others, made his way to Nevada County, Ca. While mining, he became aware of Masonry due to its' principle, camaraderie, and giving aid to a distressed or injured brother as well as discussing the latest gold strikes.
During this time, he was initiated an Entered Apprentice Mason, passed the degree of Fellow Craft and raised to the degree of Master Mason in Nevada Lodge 13. Brother Tallman later moved to Virginia City Nevada where he invested in gold mining. While in Virginia City, he became a member of the Knight's Templar of Virginia City.
After becoming fairly wealthy, he returned to Nevada County and became active in his Masonic Lodge, Civic activities and served as Justice of the Peace. Then, due to a decline in gold mining, poor investments and a high standard of living, he lost most of his wealth.
Brother Tallman sojourned to the San Francisco Bay area where he had relatives and settled in Redwood city where he became a Deputy Sheriff for San Mateo County. Records show he attended meetings and degrees regularly at San Mateo Lodge 168, later Redwood City Lodge 168 and now Peninsula Lodge 168. Masonry was always an important part of his life. At the time of his death, the Worshipful Master called a "special meeting'" to attend the Masonic funeral in the Lodge room. After the service, his brethren, Police Officers, Public Officials and the public accompanied the body by horse back and carriage to the union Cemetery where he was laid to rest with final Masonic honor in an
area set aside for Masons.
In 2003, to show our respect, the Worshipful John Follett, Inspector of the 165 Masonic District had given special permission to the four Lodges in his district to wear the aprons of their station and the jewels of their office. A memorial headstone has been placed in the Masonic plot in the cemetery.
This article is condensed from a paper read in 2003 by Worshipful Ray Fronberg at the dedication of the memorial for Brother Tallman.
Jim Dillaman, P.M. (1920 - 2010)
Librarian and Historian
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