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CALIFORNIA PIONEER DECADE OF 1849 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WITH SOME MENTION OF OTHER CHURCHES, AND INCIDENTAL REFERENCE TO CURRENT EVENTS AND CIVIL AFFAIRS OF EARLY AND LATER DATE AN HISTORICAL CONTRIBUTION SUPPLEMENTAL TO THE SYNOD'S OFFICIAL HISTORY By REV. JAMES S. McDONALD, D. D. Including RECOLLECTIONS OF PIONEER WORK IN CALIFORNIA By JAMES WOODS, A PIONEER MINISTER Formerly of Stockton. Los Angeles and Santa Rosa Combined with ANNALS AND MEMORIES OF PIONEER TIMES By JAMES L. WOODS, His SON Formerly Minister at Lakeport and Mendocino By JAMES L. WOODS, Retired OF THE SYNOD OF CALIFORNIA COPYRIGHT 1922 Press of The Hansen Co., San Francisco, Cal. KJN 01 Vf DEDICATION To the memory of my mother, Eliza Ann; my wife, Susan Taylor; the pioneer "Three W's," Sylvester Woodbridge, Albert Williams and James Woods (my father), "who have rested from their labor and their -works do follow them," I affectionately dedicate this book. JAMES L. WOODS. FOREWORD During a period of years, and when in failing health, the following pages were carefully and laboriously compiled by the Rev. James L. Woods. Though they cover an epoch in the church annals of California now past and gone, the events are matters of history and, it is hoped, will be of interest to Christian people, particularly to those of the Presbyterian church. It was Mr. Woods' earnest desire to give exact data which would correct mistakes and errors that had unintentionally crept into state ments heretofore made by persons uninformed, and also to leave a memo rial to his revered father, Rev. James Woods, and to the latter's early associates and co-laborers in religious work in California. In Mr. Woods' own words, "the work was begun in 1898, but the task was joyfully surrendered when the Synod of California formed the Historical Society and appointed the Rev. James S. McDonald, D. D., historian." The writing of this book was a work of love to honor the men who gave the best that was in them to establish the religion of Christ in the new western country. Unfortunately the writer passed to his eternal reward after completing the manuscript, and before it was published. That his labor of love may not be lost, his family has put the manu script into print, that it may serve the purpose for which it was intended. It was Mr. Woods' idea to have in his book enough history to be intro ductory, sufficient local and personal circumstance and incident to be readable, and enough of Divine truth to be a religious force in proclaim ing the gospel of Christ our Divine Lord and Saviour, "The same yester day and today and forever." His introduction, as found with the manuscript, will be used. H. E. J. IN MEMORIAM Rev. James L. Woods, son of Rev. James Woods and Eliza Ann Woods, was born in Madison, Florida, on the 19th day of October, 1846, and came to California an infant pioneer in 1849. The stirring events of the times which followed were indelibly impressed upon his boyish mind and owing to a retentive memory much of the detail remained with him throughout his entire life. Mr. Woods was successively a teacher, lawyer and preacher. While still in his teens he taught school with dignity and efficiency in several parts of California, later going to Little Rock, Ark., to study law in the office of his uncle, Hon. S. W. Williams. He was admitted to the bar, but upon his conversion soon after, he decided that his mission in life was to preach the gospel, though his friends had acclaimed his marked ability as a lawyer. He returned to California to pursue his studies in the San Francisco Theological Seminary, thus becoming one of its first students. The study room of the seminary was the dreary organ loft of St. John's church, then on Post street. The place was cold and cheerless and it took conse crated young men to study in the uninviting quarters. He was ordained in 1872 and entered into the work of the ministry almost immediately, from which time he held a number of pastorates in California and Nevada, laboring faithfully to bring souls into the kingdom. During Mr. Woods' years of service he was moderator of several Presbyteries and commissioner to General Assembly. He was, for sev eral years, a member of the executive committee of the International Sun day School Association; by gubernatorial appointment he was made a delegate to the National Societies of Charities and Corrections. Other appointments were declined owing to failing health. Mr. Woods' legal training eminently fitted him for judiciary work in the church though his retiring nature naturally caused him to shrink from service of this kind. Duty, however, at times called him into it, when moderator. Following a long and trying occasion of this nature, a break in his health occurred from which he never entirely recovered. In appreciation of this service a committee appointed by his Pres bytery drafted resolutions to this effect. "We can find no language to express our admiration for the wisdom and skill of our Moderator during the progress of this case from its inception to its issue; that it is equalled only by the gentle, patient and Christ spirit in which he has guarded the participants. We record our grateful acknowledgement to the kind Providence that guided this Presbytery to the selection of a man whose every qualification is so far above any knowledge we had in his selection that we are constrained to say, 'Thou hast come to the king dom for such a time as this'." As noted in the local press: "Rev. J. L. Woods was well chosen, being a clear and rapid thinker, a nice judge of law and evidence, and thoroughly impartial and sternly firm." But the outstanding feature of Mr. Woods' character was his loy alty to the church and to the principles of Christianity from which he never departed. With so many open and secret defections from the faith it was his earnest desire, in the latter days of his life, to have his attitude known. This is his statement: "I am a Presbyterian and Calvanist, sin cerely accepting and adopting the Westminster Confession of Faith, as revised in 1903. "I believe in God as Spirit, -Light and Love; in His infinite and eternal being, power, glory and majesty; a great God and an eternal King, Creator, Lawgiver and Judge, whose name is Father, Redeemer. I believe in the unity of the Bible as the authentic and inspired word of God; a divine revelation and the only infallible rule of faith and practice, and in the incarnation of the well-beloved and only begotten Son of God in the person of Jesus Christ as God manifest in the flesh and born of a woman, yet thinking it not rapine to be equal with God. My faith is not disturbed by the agnosticism of hostile natural science that declares He could not be born of a woman not knowing a man. From out the cold and cruel abyss and the cloud and darkness of agnosticism I set my feet upon the Rock of Ages to rise unto heavenly places in Christ Jesus. "I believe in the divinity and atonement of Christ, and that His blood cleanses from all sin; and in the Holy Spirit and its work, both of inspiration and regeneration of human souls. I am profoundly convinced of sin and retribution and a future state of rewards and punishments. I am assured of life everlasting of which the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the promise and pledge. I believe the church with its ordinances and its ministry is a divine institution and that Jesus Christ in His glorified humanity is its exalted Head. The mission of the church and the supreme duty of its ministry is to preach Christ as revealed in the Word." This unwavering faith and trust remained unchanged during the seventy-one years of Mr. Woods' life. His love for the church was a strong motive for preparing a history of its beginnings in California. He possessed the method and the patience, when his health permitted, to perform the task. For some years previous to his death he was generally acknowledged to be the best authority on the subject. Mr. Woods loved God and all things that He made — the trees, the flowers and the grandeur of the mountains. To him they spoke a "vari ous language" as he held "communion with her visible forms." It was his custom to take long walks among the mountains, sometimes spending days among their fastnesses. It was when returning to his home in Lakeport from one of these rambles that he succumbed.on the 13th of June, 1918, at the close of a beautiful day. A friend wrote: How fitting that he should fall asleep in the arms of nature. Affectionately inscribed by his sister, HARRIET E. JONES. INTRODUCTION It is my purpose, if God will, to publish a history of the Presbyte rian church in the pioneer days of California. The plan of the book embraces the following methods: First, a comprehensive and accurate account of the pioneer decade,. 1849-59, as far as it is now practicable. Second, a general and brief survey of the next decade, 1860-69. Reference will be made to the earliest work of other churches, as well as to current events and civil affairs. There will also be some per sonal memories and reminiscences, both of early and later date. Disclaiming originality and literary merit, I accept responsibility for care and fidelity in research, and for prudence in selection and arrangement.