USA > California > Sacramento County > History of Sacramento County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, 1913 > Part 36
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Central Methodist Episcopal Church: This society was organized with seven members as the H Street Methodist Episcopal church, December 9, 1855, by Rev. N. R. Peck, Rev. N. P. Heath, Presiding Elder, Martin Grier; J. L. Thompson, A. Fowler, H. Kronkite, L. Pelton and B. Ward composed the first official board. A church edi- fice was erected and paid for during the first year of its existence, at a cost of $2000. It was dedicated June 29, 1856, by Bishop Kavanaugh of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Rev. N. R. Peck was the pastor until 1857, being succeeded by Rev. David Deal, who was pastor for two years, and afterwards served a second term. During his pastorate a parsonage costing $1500 was erected, and prosperity attended the church. Rev. H. Baker succeeded Mr. Deal and was in turn succeeded by Rev. W. S. Urmy. During the pastorate of the latter the great floods of 1861-62 occurred, and the water rose eighteen inches above the pews of the church, and Mr. Urmy and his family were rescued from the parsonage in boats. No service could be held for several weeks until the water subsided. The church suffered at this time from the business depression following the flood, and the exodus of many people from the city.
At the conference of 1863 the proposition was made to unite the two congregations, but it was not approved, and Rev. N. R. Peck was returned as pastor, and reported an increase of eighteen mem- bers during the following year. Rev. J. A. Bruner was appointed to the charge next, and_ served one year. During the years 1865 and 1866, both the H street and Sixth street churches were under one pastorate, Rev. J. W. Ross being the pastor. This arrangement was disastrous to the H street church, nearly destroying its identity and decimating its membership, but in 1867 the old status was restored. Rev. J. M. Hinman being appointed pastor, and the church took on renewed prosperity. May 12, 1869, some miscreant attempted to burn the church by setting a fire in the bookcase and in the pulpit.
Rev. George Newton was appointed in 1869 to this charge, and kept it for three years, during which time some radical changes took place. Early in his pastorate a success was realized that seemed to justify a change, and the old church lot on H street was sold, as well as the parsonage. The old church building was moved to a lot on the corner of Eleventh and I streets, the present church site being a part of the lot. The building was cut in two and fitted up for dwellings. An old building which stood on the lot was fitted up for a parsonage, and plans were made for the erection of a large church building, to be a "memorial church" for Bishop Kingsley, who had died during the year at Beyrout in Syria. The plans included the erection of a chapel first, and this was done and was called "Kingsley Chapel." But the church had been too ambitious. By the close of Mr. Newton's pastorate the debt had amounted to about $8500, and the property
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had become so much involved that further prosecution of the plans was impossible.
The years that followed were of various success and depression, and their record tells a tale of heroic sacrifices on the part of the members in striving to uphold the church and liquidate the indebted- ness. It was discouraging work, but they persevered in spite of the increasing indebtedness and a decreasing membership. A revival under Mrs. Van Cott encouraged them by increasing the membership during the pastorate of Rev. J. L. Trefren, but most of these after- wards went to other churches. Rev. A. J. Wells, J. E. Wickes and Deal succeeded to the pastorate in turn, and during the dark hours of the society they labored devotedly and made great sacrifices. At length, in 1882, Rev. MeKelvey was appointed pastor. By his in- domitable energy during his pastorate he succeeded in wiping out debt, by the sacrifice of all the property except the church and the lot it stands on. He also remodeled and improved the church building at a cost of $3500, most of which was raised by Mrs. McKelvey outside of the membership, and the name was changed from Kingsley Chapel to the Central Methodist church. Thus when it was reopened by Bishop Fowler the congregation had a neat church, free from debt. Rev. Mr. MeKelvey was removed by limitation before an opportunity was of- forded him of enjoying the fruits of his labor, and was succeeded by Rev. Thomas Filben. After four years' service Mr. Filben was suc- ceeded by Rev. C. H. Beechgood, who gave way in 1892 to Rev. E. E. Dodge. In 1894 Rev. J. L. Trefren was returned to his former charge for three years, and then Rev. J. B. ('hynoweth came, and remained for six years, the time limit having been removed. Rev. Richard Rodda succeeded him and is the present pastor.
A German Methodist church was organized in this city in 1856, but debts finally accumulated until in 1866-67 the burden became 80 heavy that the church was broken up.
St. Andrew's Church, African Methodist Episcopal, was organ- ized in 1850 by Rev. Isaac Owen, at the house of "Uncle Daniel Blue," on I street, between Fourth and Fifth. A church building was erected on the site on Seventh street, between G and H, where the present brick church now stands. The first pastor was James Fitzgerald, who served in 1851-52.
The Methodist Episcopal Church Sonth was organized in April, 1850, by Rev. W. D. Pollock, who was also the principal factor in the building of a frame church on the site of the brick church which suc- ceeded it, on Seventh street between J and K. The latter edifice was dedicated by Bishop Pierce July 10, 1859. The first building was burned in the fire of November 2, 1852, and the second cost $4000. Mr. Pollock was forced by ill health in the fall of 1850 to return to Alabama, where he died the following year. He was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Penman, who shortly afterwards abandoned the ministry and
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engaged in other pursuits. Since that time the pastors have been as follows: W. R. Gober, 1851-52; John Matthews, from August, 1852, to April, 1853; B. F. Crouch, appointed by Bishop Soule, 1853, to April, 1855; A. Graham. 1855-56; W. R. Gober, 1856-58; Morris Evans, 1858- 60; J. C. Simmons, 1861-62; S. Brown, 1862-63; George Sim, 1863-65; E. K. Miller, 1865-66; T. II. B. Anderson, 1866-68; George Sim, 1868- 69; W. R. Gober, 1869-72; T. L. Moody, 1872-73; C. Chamberlain, 1873- 75; B. F. Page, 1875, to fill out Mr. Chamberlain's time; R. Pratt, 1875-76; M. C. Fields, 1876-78; C. Y. Rankin, 1878-79; T. H. B. And- son, 1879-82; F. Walter Featherstone, 1882-83; H. C. Christian, 1883- 87; George B. Winton, 1887-88; A. (. Bane, 1888-90; H. Singleton, 1891-93; T. A. Atkinson, 1893-97; W. E. Vaughn, 1897-1901; P. T. Ramsey, 1901-04; C. C. Thompson, 1904-05; W. A. Ott, 1905-06; C. T. Clark, 1906-10; L. S. Jones, 1910-14. Mr. Jones, the present pastor, is bringing the church to a prosperous period.
German Evangelical Lutheran Church: In 1865-67, Rev. Mr. Buchler, of San Francisco, and Rev. Mr. Elbert preached in this city a few times and endeavored to organize a church, but without success. Rev. Matthias Goethe, formerly of Australia, later began work in Sacramento, organized the church December 1, 1867, with twenty- three charter members, and purchased the old German Methodist church on the corner of Ninth and K street (now Hale's) for $2400. F. Klotz, H. Winters, H. W. Schacht, F. Hopie and A. Grafmiller were elected trustees. The building was afterwards sold and the later church on the corner of Twelfth and K streets was erected in 1872 at a cost, including the three bells, of about $15,000. This property was sold in 1911 and another church edifice is being constructed at Seven- teenth and L streets.
Mr. Goethe was succeeded in 1875 by Rev. T. Langebecker; Dr. C. Taubner. 1877-1888, and Adolf Jatho, 1887-1890. In 1890 Rev. Charles F. Oehler succeeded to the pastorate, and has continued in it with splendid success, building up the church to a large and prosperous membership. Soon after his arrival the debts were paid off and a parsonage erected. A new pipe organ was installed and many mem- bers added to the church and Sunday school. Services were held in German and English. About six years and a half ago Mr. Oehler con- ceived the idea of establishing a building fund, to be used when the time arrived for the erection of a larger and more beautiful edifice. The fund was started by an Easter offering in 1905, Mr. Oehler hav- ing sent out a letter asking for an offering of $1000 and receiving $600. Since then the pastor, trustees, and women and other members of the church have labored faithfully and increased it to $16,000, and in 1911 a fine lot, 120x160, was purchased on the corner of Seven- teenth and L streets, the sale of the old church property at Twelfth and K streets netting a large sum, and the new edifice is in course of construction. The style of the church is German Gothic and the material a fine white artificial stone. Four of the large windows will
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be memorial windows, and the church will seat more than five hundred people, and will have galleries in the rear and the transept. The cornerstone was laid December 10, 1911, Mayor Beard, the local Luth- eran clergy and several visiting ministers participating. The German Evangelical Lutheran church is the second oldest Lutheran church in the state of California, Rev. J. M. Buchler having begun as early as 1864 to make preparations for establishing it, but it was not organ- ized until 1867 by Rev. Matthias Goethe.
First Church of Christ, Scientist: The first public Christian Science services held in Sacramento were in Granger's building, Tenth and K streets, in 1890. The First Church of Christ, Scientist, here was organized in 1899, and granted a state charter in 1901. The his- toric church building on Fourteenth and K, known as the United Brethren church, was purchased in 1904. Later this property was sold and a lot purchased on Twenty-third street, between K and L.
The beautiful structure erected there was finished in 1910, at a cost, including the site, of about $35,000. The exterior is of Medusa cement, with mahogany interior finish. The four-square domed andi- torium is seated with opera chairs on a sloping floor. Three large art windows and a fine crystal electrolier make it one of the best lighted auditoriums in the United States. This was the tenth church of the denomination in California.
Christian Church, or Disciples of Christ: October 13, 1855, Elders J. N. Pendegast and Thomas Thompson conducted the first services held by this denomination in Sacramento. They met in the Methodist brick church which until a few years ago stood on Seventh street, between J and K. John O. Garrett and R. B. Ellis were appointed elders, and Rufus Rigdon and A. M. C. Depne, deacons. A nice chapel was erected on Eighth street, between N and O, in 1877, the cost, in- cluding the lot, being $4500, and the church was very largely indebted to the enterprise of Elder J. N. Pendegast for the building. In 1896 a new church was erected on the corner of Sixteenth and L streets, which was destroyed by fire on the night of July 4, 1910.
The pastors have been Revs. John G. Parrish; Stev- enson, who published a paper in this city; J. N. Pendegast, who pub- lished the same paper; Peter Burnett ; MeKorkle; Alexander Johnson ; E. B. Ware; R. L. MeHatton; L. N. Early; A. M. Growden ; A. M. Elston; Hand; B. B. Burton ; J. E. Denton; Henry Shadle; W. F. Reagor, and J. J. Evans, the latter succeeding Mr. Reagor in 1909, and being the present pastor.
In 1896, during the pastorate of Rev. J. E. Denton, the old church became too small, and was removed to the corner of Sixteenth and L streets, and made the basis for the erection of a new edifice, the enlargement and finishing costing about $6000, a debt being incurred that has since been wiped out. On the evening of July 4, 1910, the church took fire, supposedly from a rocket which fell on the roof
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during the celebration, and the building was burned and almost the entire contents were destroyed. A new site at Twenty-seventh and N streets was selected, and a new edifice was erected, containing two auditoriums with a combined seating capacity of nearly nine hundred. Rev. H. O. Breedon conducted the dedication services December 17, 1911. The structure also contains eighteen rooms for classes and departments.
Calvary Baptist church was first organized October 17, 1869, by Rev. Frederick Charlton, pastor of the First Church. The organiza- tion took the form of a mission Sunday-school superintended by R. H. Withington and held in a schoolhouse situated on Thirteenth and G streets. When it became necessary to have more suitable accommoda- tions a building, 40x160 feet, costing $1,000, was erected on I street between Twelfth and Thirteenth. Another building, 38x65 feet, was erected in 1870 at a cost of $2,000. In 1871 a new church was organ- ized to accommodate members of the parent church living in that part of the city. The first deacons of this church were W. R. Strong, A. J. Barnes and R. H. Withington. The clerk was A. A. Bynon. The pastors have been as follows: J. P. Ludlow, R. F. Parshall, William Hildreth, C. F. Forbes, H. W. Read, George L. Lewis, S. B. Gregory, J. Q. A. Henry, 1881-84; S. A. McKay, 1884; A. C. Herrick, December, 1884, to 1891; J. H. Reider, 1892 to 1896; F. M. Mitchell, 1896-99; S. G. Adams, 1899-1904; D. M. McPhail. During the latter's pastorate the edifice was destroyed by fire. A new lot was then pur- chased at the northwest corner of Sixteenth and I streets, where the present building was erected, at a cost of about $13,000. Soon after the retirement of Mr. McPhail, who was with the congregation about six years, the proposition of consolidating with Emanuel Baptist Church was taken up, with Rev. A. J. Sturtevant to act as pastor of both churches. The proposed union did not materialize and in 1911 Rev. C. H. Hobart, the present pastor, took charge of the work, which has prospered under his leadership.
. The First Baptist Church was the pioneer Baptist organization in Sacramento. As early as 1849 Rev. J. Cook, who kept a boarding house on I street, preached a number of times in the grove. Rev. O. C. Wheeler came up from San Francisco September 9, 1850, and while the state was being admitted to the Union he was busy organizing the First Baptist Church at the residence of Judge E. J. Willis on H street between Sixth and Seventh. He was probably assisted in the work by Mr. Cook. Judge Willis and John A. Wadsworth were elected deacons; Madison Walthall, treasurer; Leonard Loomis, clerk; and Rev. J. W. Capen, pastor. The first public services were held the following day in the courthouse on I street. A church costing $4,000 was built in the spring of 1851 on the corner of Seventh and L streets and was consumed in the fire of November 2, 1852. What was claimed to be the finest church building in the state was erected
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in 1854 on the west side of Fourth street between K and L. While costing only $8,000, it was a very fine edifice for the price and had a main auditorium 35x85 feet, with a vestry 15x32 in the rear. In the great fire of July 12, 1854, it was only saved from destruction by the most strenuous exertions of the citizens. During 1877 it was sold for $3,000 and was afterwards removed to the corner of Fourteenth and K streets, where it was used for a number of years by the United Brethren in Christ. The present building on Ninth street between L and M was erected in 1877-78 at a cost, including the lot, of $18,- 230.48. The corner stone of the edifice was laid with Masonic cere- monies Angust 20, 1877, and opening services were held March 10, 1878. Ah Mooey, a Chinaman, was admitted into the church Septem- ber 2, 1855, and subsequently was licensed to preach, his baptism being supposed to have been the first of one of that nationality in California. His conversion occurred during the pastorate of Rev. J. L. Shek, who was then an accredited missionary to the Chinese of Sacramento and later went to South Carolina, where he died in 1863.
The Siloam Baptist Church (colored) was organized in 1856 and existed until late in the '80s.
The Seventh Day Adventist Church of Sacramento was organized February 6, 1885, with ten members, by Elder E. A. Briggs, then a resident of Oakland. The congregation had been first established at Pleasant Grove, Sutter County, and had horne the name of that town, but in October of 1887 the name was changed to Sacramento. The members of this denomination observe Saturday as the Sabbath.
In March of 1872 an Advent Church was organized in Sacramento by Elder Miles Grant with about thirty members, but the organiza- tion existed only about four years. That congregation observed Satur- day as the Sabbath.
The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was established in Sacramento in 1865 and met at first in the Chinese chapel on Sixth street between H and I, next in Graham's hall, later in the lower hall of the Masonic building and finally in 1884 erected a frame building, 34x44, on the corner of Twenty-fourth and K streets, costing $2100. This society has worked faithfully for the wiping ont of polygamy. Among the elders who have served in the church are E. H. Webb, G. W. Harlow and J. H. Parr.
A small society of Brighamite (polygamous) Mormons were in existence in Sacramento in 1872, and a few years afterwards.
The first Unitarian sermon preached in Sacramento was by Rev. Mr. Brown December 29, 1867, in the Metropolitan theatre. During the spring of the following year the First Unitarian Church of Sacra- mento was organized and the congregation increased rapidly for a time, but went down in 1873, was revived in 1887 and worshiped in Pioneer hall. A lot on Sixteenth street between K and L was pur-
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chased, on which to erect an edifice. For some years Rev. C. P. Massey (now deceased) preached occasionally. For nearly seven- teen years, with the exception of the occasional sermons of Mr. Massey, the church was without a pastor and then in 1911 Rev. Frank- lin Baker assumed the pastorate.
Congregation B'nai Israel was formed in 1852. Previous to that there had been another organization, which met at the residence of M. Hyman, a jeweler on Front street. Rev. Mr. Wolf officiated. The first synagogue owned by the society in this city was a small frame building on Fifth street between N and O. This was sold afterward to the colored Baptists, who worshiped there until the building was destroyed by fire in 1861. The frame house on Seventh street near L was purchased from the Methodist Episcopal Church for $3,500 and was converted into a synagogue. This building also was destroyed by fire in October, 1861, and in the early part of 1864 the congregation purchased the building on Sixth street between J and K, previously used by the First Presbyterian Church. The building was remodeled and then used for some time, but eventually sold. The congregation now worships in a fine synagogue which they erected on Fifteenth street between N and O. The rabbis have been as follows: Rev. Mr. Wolf; Z. Neustadter, 1857-59; R. Rosenthal, 1859-60; S. Peck, 1860-61; R. M. Cohen, 1861-62; M. Silverstein, 1862-65; -- Stamfer, 1865-68; H. P. Lowenthal, 1868-79; S. Gerst- man (who led in changing the society from orthodox to reformed), 1879-81; J. Bloch, 1882-83; G. Taubenhaus, 1884-88.
Ebenezer Church, Evangelical Association, (German) was organ- ized in 1881 and the following year the present edifice was erected. It stands on Tenth street between O and P. The old building, which was owned by Trinity Church, Evangelical Association, was sold in 1887 and that society disbanded many years ago.
United Brethren in Christ have been represented in Sacramento for many years. During 1875-76 Rev. Alexander Musselman took the first steps toward organizing a church of this denomination here. A series of meetings were held in the Calvary Baptist Church in 1876 by Rev. J. H. Becker and Rev. J. L. Field. In the fall of that year the present organization was formed. The old building known as the Fourth Street Baptist Church was purchased for $3,000. The closing of the sale was delayed for some reason and the society did not obtain possession of the building until November, 1877. In September, 1878, they removed it to the corner of Fourteenth and K streets, raised the building six feet, and repaired, repainted and refurnished it, the total cost of the work being $2,800. In 1884 a parsonage was erected on the lot adjoining on the west. The pastors have been as follows: J. H. Becker, 1877-78; D. D. Hart, who became pastor in 1878 and died in the pulpit in 1881; J. H. Becker, for various periods; Revs. Field and Demondrum to 1883; Francis Fisher, two.
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years; T. J. Bander, to September, 1888; J. W. Baumgardner, 1888- 90; M. S. Bovez, 1890-92; Harvey Bell, 1892-94; Olin Lowe, 1894-95; Daniel Shuck, 1895-99; T. J. Bander, 1899-1900; William Thompson, 1900-03; Homer Gallaher, 1903-06; T. J. Bauder, 1906-07; L. Harter, 1907-12; and H. G. Smith, who in 1912 assumed the pastorage that he now fills.
Almost every denomination is represented in Sacramento.
CHAPTER XXXII
REMINISCENCES
Some interesting reminiscences in relation to the early railroads were related to the writer by James G. Patterson, a pioneer of 1852 and the son of A. D. Patterson, a pioneer of 1849. Mr. Patterson had a great fund of recollections to draw on, concerning both him- self and others, and gives one many an insight into the methods and incidents of the early days. Speaking of the Freeport road, he said : "It was projected by stockholders and bondholders of the Sacra- mento Valley railroad, John H. Carroll and George Mowe, who bought land and incorporated in 1863-'64. I was ordered down from the Auburn railroad in March to commence grading. I graded the track into Freeport and went back to work on the Auburn road. I came back in July and laid the rails, and finished in October, about the 10th, I think, and as soon as I got the side track in, they built a wharf for steamboats and leased it to the Sacramento Valley rail- road for two years. They sounded the river at midnight and found thirty-five feet of water, and no one knew of the survey. Carroll was a stockholder in the Valley road, but they bought the ranch in their own names so that no one would know it was for the Valley road. There was a bar up the river near the Edwards place, where the steamboats often got aground at low water, and frequently they would not reach Sacramento until noon or later the next day. The steamboat from San Francisco used to arrive at Freeport at 11 P. M. and the train would start as soon as the passengers got aboard with their baggage. The stages connected with the trains at Latrobe, and passengers ate breakfast at Placerville and went on over the moun- tains by daylight and landed in Virginia City at 3 P. M., twenty- three hours from San Francisco. The road was built to sell to the Central Pacific, which was done. The Central Pacific bought the Sacramento Valley road October 13, 1865-the last day I worked for them.
"All the ties and rails for the Freeport road came up on vessels, and when I began to lay the road old Captain Kidder brought me up one and a quarter miles of rails and only one car of ties, and only four ties to a pair of rails. I told him that I couldn't lay them that way, as I had only five men and they could not handle the iron and carry it so far.
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The engine was a light one, but it was a greyhound to run, and I asked the engineer if four ties at the ends and middle of the rails would carry the engine. He said it would, so I put down a tie every six feet. The next day he gave us plenty of ties, and two of my men on the car un- loaded them. I walked along ahead and held up my hand as a signal to throw them down. They unloaded a whole train and then pulled the train out of the way. Then we shoved the ties in under the rails.
"When the Central Pacific was laying its track near Gold Run, Strowbridge was superintendent of construction, and Maker was fore- man of the track-layers. They were experiencing the same trouble in regard to rails and ties that I had, and the work was proceeding slowly. There was an Irishman, Ned Hussey, working for Maker, and he became impatient at the way the work was going on. 'Av ye had Jin Patterson here, he'd show yez how to get this thrack down,' said he to Maker. ' What do you know of Jim Patterson and what he wonid do?' asked Maker. 'H- to your sowl, didn't I work undher him in laying the thrack an the Freeport road and the Valley road?' was the retort. ' Well, what did he do?' asked Maker. Hussey explained to him, and he asked the engineer if the track would hold up the engine in case he laid fewer ties and had them put under the rails afterwards. The engineer said it would, and Maker hustled down to Strowbridge and told him about it; Strowbridge told him to go ahead. Maker had a big gang of Chinamen and he put them at work. The consequence was that he laid six miles of track the next day, and when additional ties came, the Chinamen slid them under the rails and spiked them down. They hus- tled the track laying from that time on, till the road got to Promontory and met the Union Pacific gang.
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