Lodge History

In the summer of 1982, Joe Agosta, Don Cahan and Angelo Albertoni started talking about starting a Sons & Daughters of Italy in upper Solano County. All three men were members of the Virgilio Lodge in Vallejo. At the time, Don Cahan had a business by the courthouse in Fairfield and Angelo was a County Sheriff working at the courthouse. The three men, along with Josie Agosta and Susan Cahan would meet one or two times a week (sometimes more) at Don’s business.

They had to apply for a charter. Back in 1982, you needed to have 100 members before you could become a lodge. So, they began running ads in the papers of Fairfield, Vacaville, Dixon, and Rio Vista. Flyers went up in several businesses. The cable company had a channel that you could put announcements on, so they advertised on the “wheel”.

The response was overwhelming! They had to find a place to meet. They met at different locations throughout Fairfield, and eventually had enough members to apply for a charter. They voted on a name and since they wanted to include all of upper Solano County, they selected Northern Solano.

Officers had to be elected. The following were the first officers of Northern Solano Lodge: President (Venerable): Don Cahan; Vice President: Josephine Ianarelli; Past President: Joe Ragusa: Orator: Max Rossi; Financial Secretary: Susan Cahan; Recording Secretary: Gussie Kolda; Treasurer: Angelo Albertonni; Trustees: Sal Agosta Ron Cremo, Bill Camino, Giovanni Zappera, Don Muratori. Mistresses of Ceremony: Rose Simon and Stella McCauley; Historian: Nancy Assere; Guard: Betty Ferrari; Chaplain: Rita Gibson and State Deputy: Joe Agosta.
They needed a hall to do the installation. It was decided to use the hall at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Vacaville. The two Vallejo Lodges became Northern Solano’s
Comare and Compare Lodges. The Grand Lodge sent out invitations to all State Officers and all Lodges. When the Lodge installation ceremony was conducted on January 16, 1983, there were 135 members initiated.

Many State Officers and members from other lodges attended the installation. After the ceremony, a pasta and roast beef dinner was enjoyed by all. And, as is customary when a new lodge is formed, many other lodges and State Officers presented monetary gifts to the new lodge to help them get started. Northern Solano lodge continued to grow. In the earlier years, the lodge would have three or four large dinners yearly, a picnic in the summer, an adult Christmas party and a children’s Christmas party. The lodge attended all conventions and has had three Lodge Queens over the years: Lisa Cahan Cox, Jana Cahan Houston and Rose Cahan Beeler. A scholarship program was started and continues to this day through the local Assist-aGrad Program.