San Francisco County CA Archives History - Books .....Contents And Introduction 1900 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 31, 2005, 4:17 am Book Title: History Of The First Pastorate Of The Howard Presbyterian Church THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST PASTORATE OF THE HOWARD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 1850-1862 BY REV. SAMUEL H. WILLEY THE FIRST PASTOR SAN FRANCISCO: THE WHITAKER AND RAY COMPANY (INCORPORATED) 1900 COPYRIGHT, 1900 BY SAMUEL H. WILLEY TO MY WIFE LOVING AND BELOVED WHO FOR FIFTY-ONE YEARS HAS MADE MY HOME PRECIOUS, AND WHO HAS SHARED WITH ME THE BURDENS AND THE JOYS OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY THIS VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED CONTENTS A WORD IN EXPLANATION 9 CHAPTER I. Preliminary Explorations from California Street Southward to Rincon Hill — "Happy Valley" — A Village of Cottages — The Carpenter-Shop Chapel—The Organization of the Sabbath School and the Church 13 CHAPTER II. Donation of a Church Lot by W. D. M. Howard — Subscription Toward a Church Building Started — The Pastor's Long Sickness — On His Recovery, the Subscription Started Again — Wretched Condition of Civil Affairs — The Help of the Pulpit was Sought—Building of the House of Worship Commenced 29 CHAPTER III. The Work of Church-Construction Pushed— It Approached Completion in April — On May 3d the City was Laid in Ashes — Then, only by Borrow ing Money could the Building be Completed — It was Made Ready for Occupancy in June, and was Dedicated on the 15th of that Month—It was a Notable Occasion 40 CHAPTER IV. Growth of Population in that Part of the City — Increase of the Sabbath School — Growth of the Congregation—The Church Coming into Responsible Work in the City and in the State—Was Foremost in Establishing The Pacific — Took Part with the Other Churches in Philanthropic Work, in the Founding of the Protestant Orphan Asylum, the Ladies' Protection and Relief Society, and the First Chinese Mission — The First Church Organ in the City was Presented to it — Churches of Other Denominations were Organized Near It 55 CHAPTER V. Increase of Church Membership — Reorganized with New Board of Elders — Increase in Church Membership — New Board of Elders Chosen — Pleasant Relations of Pastor and Members of the Session 73 CHAPTER VI. Recollections of Captain E. Knight and Major A. B. Eaton 77 CHAPTER VII. Some Names of Other Early Members of the Church and Congregation — Some Further Names of Early Members of the Church and Congregation 85 CHAPTER VIII. Home Missionary Work 106 CHAPTER IX. The Pastor's Journey East with His Family — His Only Vacation 114 CHAPTER X. The Municipal Revolution—The Vigilance Committee— Reconstruction 124 CHAPTER XI. Growth of Christian Work — Joint Meetings of Presbyterian and Congregational Bodies 130 CHAPTER XII. Some Cases of Sickness and Death Among the Young Men 134 CHAPTER XIII. The Great Revival Year 1858, and Its Rich Fruitage Here 140 CHAPTER XIV. Reconstruction and Enlargement of the House of Worship 148 CHAPTER XV. Secession and the Civil War 159 CHAPTER XVI. The Resignation of the Pastor 165 A WORD IN EXPLANATION. IN 1848, and for many years before that, the Presbyterian Church, New School, and the Congregational churches carried on their home missionary work through the agency of the American Home Missionary Society. It was the understanding that new churches organized by home missionaries should be Presbyterian or Congregational, according to the choice of those uniting to form them. It was at the request of this society that the writer came to California, leaving New York, December 1, 1848. My church relation had been first with the Congregational church in my native New England home, and next with the Dartmouth College church, and later, while I was in Union Theological Seminary, New York, it was with the Central Presbyterian church, Rev. Dr. William Adams, pastor. Before leaving for California I was ordained by the Fourth Presbytery in New York. In Monterey, to which I first came, no church was formed. When the Howard church, in San Francisco, was organized, the greater number of individuals proposing to unite in it were Presbyterians, and all cordially agreed that the church should be Presbyterian. My connection with the Presbyterian Church continued during my eight years' service in behalf of the College of California, or a little over twenty years in all, when I accepted a call to the pastorate of the Congregational church in Santa Cruz, and that, of course, carried me into the Congregational body. The readers of this history, who were members of the church or congregation during my pastorate, will remember many more things that might have been stated, and many names that perhaps ought to have been mentioned. But I have been obliged to depend largely upon memory. Very few memoranda were kept in the early days. There was no time for it in the haste and confusion of the time. And very few, indeed, of the people of that day are now left with whom to consult in making up the record. If, therefore, it is not perfect, the reason will be obvious. Additional Comments: Extracted from: THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST PASTORATE OF THE HOWARD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 1850-1862 BY REV. SAMUEL H. WILLEY THE FIRST PASTOR SAN FRANCISCO: THE WHITAKER AND RAY COMPANY (INCORPORATED) 1900 COPYRIGHT, 1900 BY SAMUEL H. WILLEY File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ca/sanfrancisco/history/1900/historyo/contents61nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 6.5 Kb