“For many years the state meeting was not a convention but a great revival, at which as high as one hundred and fifty have been baptized. These meetings were attended by vast crowds, something like the historic Cane Run meetings in Kentucky. Free entertainment was given to all. They were held at different places. Cattle were driven to the camp and slaughtered for food. The people dwelt in tents; the pioneers preached great sermons. These were great occasions in the early church in California^ The people did not like to give them up for a delegated convention where business talks and statistical reports take the place of the sermon. There was a delegated convention held about 1860, at which J. P. McCorkle was chosen evangelist, thirty-two voting for the organized work and thirty-one against it. The next year it was all abandoned, and return was made to the old state meeting. In 1865 Robert Graham came to the coast and spent two years. He labored hard to get the state work organized, being ably seconded by E. B. Wilkes, but to little effect. A kind of organization was effected at San Jose in 1867, but no state board was elected until the Sacramento convention in 1880, when E. B. Ware was chosen the first president, J. H. McCollough secretary, and R. L. McHatton evangelist.

In 1890 the State Convention was permanently located at Garfleld Park, Santa Cruz, and a fine tabernacle, costing $17,000, was erected on a tract of land donated to the State Board for that purpose. Those especially interested in this enterprise were: E. B. Wilkes, E. B. Ware, Col. E. G. Hall and David Walk. Lots to the amount of $10,000 were sold.

Those who have served under the State Board as evangelists are: E. B. Ware, J. A. Brown, R. L. McHatton, Henry Shadle, T. H. Lawson, B. F. Bonnell. Other strong men who have stood by the work among them are: R. N. Davis, W. H. Martin, G. W. Sweeney. J. H. Hughes, J. Durham, who deserve special mention.”

Reference Data:

Churches of Christ, by John Thomas Brown, 1904, page 208