Centennial call

JERRY PERSON

This year is going to be a very special one for the people of

Huntington Beach, as several of our venerable institutions reach the

ripe old age of 100.

It’s not so easy to reach such an ancient age, especially in

today’s fast-paced society. This was brought into sharp focus for me

a few days ago when Lionel Grove from the Community United Methodist

Church stopped in to see me with information on his beloved church’s

100th birthday.

This week, we’ll look at a part of its rich history and one of its

early members.

In 1900, Orange County was a vastly different place in which to

live and work than it is today.

There was land to be farmed for a low price, and there were very

few homes.

In the small farming community of Wintersburg on Dec. 12, 1904, a

small band of pioneers gathered together at the old Armory Hall with

the express purpose of establishing a Christian Sunday School. One

week later, a young high school student, Ed Moore, would join that

little band and would remain active in the church as a faithful

member for the next 49 years.

This old Armory building had been located on Warner Avenue, just

east of the railroad tracks near Gothard Street.

At this first meeting, a group of 15 people of different religious

denominations (Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist) wanted to

establish a community Sunday School. Since there were more Methodists

in the group, it was decided to petition the Southern California

Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church for a full-time

minister.

The little congregation of 15 grew to over 60 members in 1905.

This congregation would continue to meet at the Armory. During

services, they would have to sit on wooden planks placed upon celery

crates. These hearty pioneers used newspapers covered with clean

packing paper for seat padding.

In the fall of 1905, a Wintersburg resident named James Cain was

going to build a new house and he gave his old home to the church for

a parsonage. This home was moved to the north side of Wintersburg

Avenue (Warner Avenue), across the street from the Armory building.

In December 1905, the Methodist Conference sent the Rev. Floyd J.

Seamon of Kansas to take charge. Seamon saw a need for larger

quarters, and so a few church members approached Henry Winters and

convinced him to donate a parcel of land at the corner of Warner and

Gothard, but he made the stipulation that no alcoholic beverages were

ever to be given or sold.

The church building was begun in earnest, and before the end of

1906, a new church structure was completed.

The architect for the new church building was Marsh and Russell of

Los Angeles; Logie, Sipple & Co. was the contractor and local

resident George W. Wardwell put the first coat of paint on its walls.

The church’s steeple would remain empty of a bell until 1913, when

one became available from the town of Talbert’s school or fire

station.

On March 17, 1907, with horse and buggies tied to the hitching

posts around the church, the membership gathered to dedicate their

new building. The Wintersburg Methodist Church was now on its way of

becoming a beacon to the community.

And so was one of its longtime members -- Edward Ray Moore.

Moore was born in Lincoln, Neb., in 1886. He arrived here in 1903,

and on Dec. 19, 1904, he joined the church.

Moore, his wife Dora May and their seven children -- Muriel,

Doris, Florence, Kenneth, Dwayne, Harlan and George -- would grow

lima beans on their ranch.

In the fall of 1927, a small auto insurance company was founded as

Farmers Insurance and when the Farmers Underwriters Assn. began

selling stock in the company, Moore became the company’s first

official stockholder. He also signed on with the company as an agent

and district manager.

He even offered to mortgage his ranch to help raise the $50,000

that Farmers’ founders Thomas Leavey and John Tyler needed to

guarantee receipt of the company’s insurance license by the bonding

company. Luckily for Moore, the company was able to raise the money,

so he didn’t have to mortgage his homestead.

On March 15, 1928, Moore opened the Chaney and Moore Insurance

office. Besides being a church member, Moore was a member of the

Huntington Beach Rotary Club and a director of the Federal Land Bank

before his passing in April 1953.

The church can be very proud of this great church member.

Next week, we’ll learn more of the church’s 100-year history, and

also look at the life of another of its early members.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.