Petrolia a little town in the Mattole Valley was first known as New Jerusalem. When oil was discovered by the Union Mattole Oil Company of San Francisco in 1865 the name was changed to Petrolia.
The Methodist church came to Petrolia in 1860. It was probably sometime later (mid 1860's) that the Methodist church was built by Jack Wright, Jim Lawson, and others. There are some unconfirmed reports that the church building was built by the United Brethren Church and acquired by the Methodist Congregation in the late 1890's. In 1924 Martha Hunter, Addie Clark, and Minnie Racklift bought it for $1000 and donated it to the Seventh-Day-Adventist Church and it is the building where Adventists meet today. The original pump organ and pulpit from the Methodist church are still in the church.
The lumber mill in Honeydew was owned by Harris Pine Corporation,who employed many SDA members. When the mill closed most of the SDA's moved away to find employment.
About 1882 an evangelistic campaign was started by the Seventh-day Adventists in Petrolia. We know that Elder N. C. McClure held meetings and started a church here in the early years, and he was probably the one who held the evangelistic campaign in 1882. Converts were made and the church grew until the members of the Adventist church outnumbered any of the other churches. It remained the single most active church through the years.
The first mention of the Petrolia church in the Pacific Union Recorder was in December, 1909. The paper simply mentions that for the September 30, 1909, Sabbath School report, Petrolia had failed to report.
The August 29, 1912 issue of the Pacific Union Recorder reported on a letter received from Elder J. A. Stevens about the situation at Petrolia:
"As a result of the effort, seven people took a definite stand to obey the truth. One of these was baptized, three others will be baptized in Eureka in the near future, and I hope to baptize others at Petrolia the next time I am there."
Three months later, December, 1912, Elder J. Adams Stevens (President of the Northwestern California Conference) reported of his visit to Humboldt County:
"What a change it was, -- from a great city, teeming with a multitude of unwarned souls, to a great, sparsely settled district; from rows of crowded flats, paved streets, and condensed wickedness, to verdant fields, forests of great trees, and hospitable people.
"We landed in Eureka, July 17, and one week later, started for Petrolia, in the southern part of the county. For fifty miles, our outfit had to be taken by team; and after three days' journey in a heavy wagon, we arrived at our destination, just in time to pitch a tent before the Sabbath began. We began meetings August 1, in a 20 x 30 tent, and the attendance was good from the start. The message had been preached in the valley twice before, once by Elder McClure, and again about five years ago, by Elders Wheeler and Lake. However, a good interest was manifest, and people received us gladly, with few exceptions. Literature was placed in most of the homes, and the offerings were generous. An unruly element gave us trouble from the beginning; but no serious disturbance occurred, until the night the tent was saturated with kerosene and burned. The meetings were continued in the Methodist church for two weeks, without any further disturbance, and six persons took a definite stand for the truth. Others who are deeply interested have not made a decision, but we hope for more fruit. A good live Sabbath-school was organized, and a missionary spirit is manifest."
L. L. Hutchinson and his wife were working in Humboldt County in 1913 and visited Petrolia, Capetown, and Punta Gorda Light Station, where they held meetings and encouraged believers. Elder Stevens visited Petrolia again in 1915 and reported that "Several faithful sisters are holding up the light in Petrolia. A good meeting was held there, and we were glad to find a spirit of earnestness to finish the work."
Between 1910 and 1915 Sabbath School membership varied between six and nine with attendance reports showing that all members were in attendance regularly. Adventists were meeting in the home of one of the members. Elder J. D. Alder organized the first church in Petrolia on July 14, 1917. The July 26, 1917, issue of the Pacific Union Recorder reports:
"Elder J. D. Adler (sic) sends an interesting report of the organization of our first church in southern Humboldt County. This new member of our conference family is in the Mattole Valley, about 42 miles south of Eureka. Petrolia is the address of this community. Some five years ago the writer conducted a series of meetings during which time the tent was mysteriously burned about one o'clock in the morning. A good interest has continued, owing to the faithful missionary work of those who had accepted the truth there in previous efforts. The call was so imperative that the brethren felt compelled to hold a few meetings there before going into Trinity County, and as a result five believers were added to the company by baptism. Some of the most representative people of the valley are members of this church, and there is widespread interest. The workers feel that this church will soon include many more who are now investigating the message. The church was organized July 14 with a full set of officers. In reporting the new church Elder Alder sends a tithe remittance saying it was paid by members, and more would be sent soon. Offerings to missions have always been good and there is a live interest in home missionary work."
With this official organizing of the Petrolia church hopes were made for starting a church school in the valley and Elder Alder, the Conference President, optimistically stated that prospects were good for the establishment of a church school in the near future. It appears that this never happened since there is not another mention of it after 1917.
In late 1921 Mary V. Walter, Sabbath School secretary of the conference wrote in the Pacific Union Recorder:
". . . it has been my privilege to visit in the northern part of the state among our Sabbath schools. Sabbath, August 13 was spent with our faithful little company at Petrolia. Here, the Sabbath school is held in the afternoon in the home of one of our sisters. They are hoping to have a little house of worship in this valley in the near future."
In 1923, C. Lester Bond visited the church at Petrolia and wrote:
"While at Petrolia the ordinances of the Lord's house were celebrated with the church, and on Sunday two meetings were held for the public in the community church. These meetings were well attended, and those present expressed their desire to have a series of meetings held there. Elder Dillon and Brother Edwards are planning to take advantage of this opening and will no doubt begin meetings there in the near future."
Later that year, 1923, Elders Dillon and Edwards held a series of meetings in Petrolia and reported a good attendance all through the meetings. As a result, five people made their commitment to keep the Sabbath.
It was about this time, 1924, that Jan Doward said that "three Adventist sisters, Martha Hunter, Addie Clark and Minnie Rackliff, purchased the Methodist church in Petrolia for $1000." (Addie Clark is the grandmother of Dorothy Price, a current member of the Eureka church. Minnie Rackliff is the grandmother of Jeannie Buchanan who now lives in Washington State.)
It was a custom for many years for Adventist Sabbath School members to receive a special bookmark for perfect attendance at Sabbath school. In 1924 mention is made in the Pacific Union Recorder that Frankie Rackliff of Petrolia received bookmarks for a perfect record for four quarters in succession. Frankie was a daughter of Minnie, one of the three who purchased the church. A later issue, April 15, 1926, of the same paper mentioned that Maloha Hunter, a student at Humboldt Academy (a boarding academy in Eureka) spent the weekend at her home in Petrolia. This was no doubt a relative of Martha Hunter.
In the spring of 1932 Elder A. M. Dart conducted meetings in Petrolia. Nothing is known of the results of these meetings.
Eric B. Hare (M. V. Secretary of the Conference) was visiting churches in Humboldt County in 1937 and wrote the following:
"On my way to Petrolia, the first visit I had ever made to this little company, a storm broke and for about an hour while I was stuck and couldn't get up a slippery hill, I actually wished that I was driving a bullock wagon instead of a car. But in spite of the deluging storm nineteen friends and members gathered in the little community church and bravely declared they were glad they came."
Routine membership, tithe, and offering reports for Petrolia were regularly published in the Pacific Union paper. It was in 1947 that the Humboldt District was split and divided between two pastors. Petrolia was placed under the care of Elder C. N. Kohler who also was responsible for Eureka, Eel Rock and Fortuna. Elder Claude Hall was in charge of Arcata, McKinleyville and Redwood Creek.
There was an Adventist run sawmill in the Mattole Valley in the 1940's & early 1950's. Several Adventist families lived there, including Orville and Cara Sholes and the Charles Haney family.
The Petrolia group held a Vacation Bible School in 1959 at their church. About 1962 maintenance and upkeep work was done on the church. Included was rewiring, new pier blocks, repair of the stairs, etc.
In the mid 1970's the church was inactive for a time. George Miller was working in the woods in the Petrolia area and the Charlton's recall being invited there for a weekend. Since the church was not being used these two families began meeting in the church and for about a year invited others to join them. The Miller's and Charlton's took charge of services on alternate weekends, ringing the bell in the belfry every Sabbath morning. In addition to these two families the Sholes, Dick & Winnie Freeman and a few visitors came.
The Orville and Cara Sholes family had been the faithful ones who kept the church going for 24 or 25 years previous to 1988. After Orville suffered a stroke and the church was in danger of being closed, Jan & Loneva (Lonnie) Doward volunteered to take the responsibility of keeping the church open and an Adventist presence in Petrolia, driving from Ferndale every Sabbath.
In the early 1990's the sanctuary was remodeled, kitchen facilities were added to the fellowship room, and a restroom facility building was constructed.
As of Oct. 2013 Jan Doward has stepped down from leadership at Petrolia and Terry Gustin, a Rio Dell resident, has taken over leadership of the church. Mr. Gustin held a "Share Him" series of meetings in February and March of 2014. Another Share Him Meeting was Held in September 2015. Between the two series there were 6 new members added to the church.
A recent correspondence with Jeannie Buchanan, a former Petrolia member, gives some interesting personal glimpses of the Petrolia church of years ago. She writes:
"I have the best childhood memories of going to church at Petrolia where I was raised. Now dates I am not sure of. I was born in 1946 and remember attending when my legs stuck straight out from the fold up seats. So I was quite a young girl maybe 4 years old. It was that little church, my Mom sending us, and my grandmothers prayers that is the reason I am a member today. God is good.
The story I know is that SDA Evangelists came to Petrolia and sometime later the church was purchased from the Lutherans. (Note by Merlin Anderson - I believe she meant Methodists.) My grandmother, Minnie Rackliff, her sisters, Martha Hunter and Addie Clark, were financially helpful in buying the church if I'm not mistaken. And they were faithful to keep the church program going and were part of the Fortuna Church Conference. My grandmother kept the books.
My grandfather Clark Rackliff would drive Minnie to the church each Sabbath. He would go early on cold mornings to start a fire in the wood stove. Minnie played the organ, Martha had the offering and mission part usually. Sabbath School was a big part for us children. Had the big poster pictures on a flip stand that go along with the story and memory verse cards. At Christmas we got bags with hard candy and nuts and an orange and sometimes a book. Attendance was small and sometimes children out-numbered adults.
Oh and the singing was uplifting. "Little Feet Be Careful", "Old Rugged Cross" and "In the Garden" were early favorites. I remember coming out of church on warm days in my starched dress and polished saddle shoes and feeling so happy on the short walk home. I'm thinking there was no electricity and I do remember the old out house which was not used much. The backroom was not used and was lined with shelves of old books from another building?"
by Jeannie Buchanan
There were no new members from the Mattole Valley from the 1980's until 2014, there have been 6 valley residents baptised since then.
Information for this article was acquired from Merlin Anderson, Jan Doward, Dorothy Price, Jeannie Buchanan, Sennis Edeline and Sandra Weeks - Compiled by Terry Gustin - Edited by Gina Gustin and Andrea James
Arnold Chapel Girls