Morse Lodge No. 257 was established on May 7, 1877 in San Francisco on the site of the present Odd Fellows Building, 26 Seventh Street.  Morse Lodge was named for John Frederick Morse who was born in Essex, Vermont.  Dr. Morse graduated from the University of New York in 1844 as a physician.  He set up medical practice in Sacramento during the Gold Rush.  He founded a hospital in Sacramento and initiated the first system of health insurance in California.  Dr. Morse settled in San Francisco in 1863 and joined the original staff of Toland Medical College (now the University of California, San Francisco.  He served in Odd Fellowship as the second Grand Master of California.  He died in San Francisco on December 30, 1874.  A beautiful monument stands in Mt. Olivet Memorial Park as a tribute to Dr. Morse.

Before the Great Depression of 1929, Morse Lodge had over 600 members.  Just prior to women being admitted to the Order, Morse Lodge had about 22 members and had considered consolidation with another lodge in 1989.  In 1990, several members from other San Francisco lodges affiliated with Morse Lodge as associate members and bolstered the membership.  At the end of 2001, seven female candidates joined Morse Lodge which began a resurgence of membership. For the years 2001 – 2002, 19 members joined as either full or associate members.  As of this writing, Morse Lodge has 69 members.

In May of 2002, Morse Lodge celebrated its 125th anniversary.  We paid tribute to Dr. Morse and laid a wreath at the pedestal of his monument.  We then celebrated the occasion with a banquet.  Morse lodge is known for its friendliness, dedication to the principles of Odd Fellowship and its diversity of membership.  The lodge is made up of an agreeable group of people who are conscientious about attending meetings and focusing on the business at hand, yet who also like to meet socially and enjoy each others company.  Our Good Works Committee is especially committed to helping those in need in Odd Fellowship and also the greater community.  Dr. Morse was a great humanitarian; Morse Lodge is the only Odd Fellow lodge in San Francisco named for an actual person and the members of Morse Lodge are pleased to carry out our good work in honor and memory of this great citizen and Odd Fellow.