hubert howe bancroft - Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History ...

RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENTS. 727
wards there were three bishops, 93 churches, 16
chapels, 121 priests, 13 convents and academies, four
colleges, seven orphanages, five hospitals, and four
asylums, supported by 200,000 communicants.
Protestantism was introduced into California from
the methodist missions in Oregon in 1846 by William
Roberts, and was kept alive by the continued if slight
immigration from the border states, and occasional
religious services by clergymen of various denominations,
temporarily sojourning in the country, and in
their absence by the volunteer effort of serio&s-minded
laymen. 7 ' In the spring of 1849 there was amid the
sudden influx of population a fair proportion of professional
preachers, 8 * few of whom, indeed, lived by
n Elihu Anthony was announced to preach in the Public Institute (school
house) on Portsmouth square, Sept. 3, 1848. 8. F. Caltfornian, Sept. 2, 1848.
Capt. Thomas, of the Laura Ann, being solicited, 'ably officiated' at the
Institute for several Sundays in October 1848. On the 1st of Nov , T. Dwight
Hunt, of Honolulu, at a meeting presided over by E. H. Harrison, Jamei
Creighton, sec, was chosen protestant chaplain to the citizens, with an annual
salary of $2,500 to be raised by subscription. A beautiful bible wai
presented for the chaplain's use by W. F. Swasey. Id., Nov. 4, 1848: 8. /.
Friend, vi. 93; Polynesian V., iii.; 8. F. Directory, 1852-3, p. 9; Willey's Personal
Memoranda, 88. Sam Brannan sometimes preached to the Mormons.
Fin/Hays Statement, MS., 4. On the 1st of Jan., 1849, the sacrament of the
Lord's supper was administered for the first time to 12 communicants of 6 different
denominations. Overland Monthly, June 1873, p. 549. Hunt, in July
1849, organized the First Congregational church of S. F., the 3d church in
point of date in the city. Its first place of meeting was at the cor. of Jackson
and Virginia sts, but soon a church was erected on the cor. of Dupont
and California sts. Later the edifice was placed on the S. E. cor. of rost
and Mason.
84 By the steamship California, in Feb. 1849, there arrived 4 clergymen:
O. C. Wheeler, baptist; Sylvester Woodbridge, John W. Douglas and S. H.
Willey, presbytenans. Wood's Pioneer Work, 84, 89. Woodbridge and
Willey landed at Monterey where for some time the latter remained. On
the 15th of Sept.. 1850, he organized the Howard M. E. church, with4 members,
the church l>eing erected on Natoma st, upon land donated by W. D.
M. Howard. Willey remained pastor for 12 years. Woodbridge, coming to
S F., preached once in Hunt's place, and then repaired to Benicia where he
organized a presbyterian church on the 10th of April, proiwibly the first regular
church organization among the Americans, and certainly the first presbyterian
church. This church flourished for many years; but in 1861 it
dissolved on account of political dissensions. Woodbridge paid a visit to
Sacramento in April 1849, and preached there the first sermon which its
people had heard since the settlement. Douglas went to San Jose", where he
organized a church, but afterwards returned east.
In the meantime, Albert Williams, another presbyterian had arrived, and
on the 20th of May organized the First Presbyterian church of San Francisco,
holding services in a tent erected for the purpose on Dupont st. The society
afterward used a store-room in the custom house, and later, the Superior