First Presbyterian Church
of Santa Barbara, CA 21 E. Constance Avenue † Santa Barbara, CA 93105Voice: (805)687-0754 † Fax: (805) 687-5421
Old Presby Days For June 22, 2008 to June 21, 2009 Old Presby Days For January 4, 2009 Celebrating 140th Anniversary of First Presbyterian Church, Santa Barbara Featuring: V. World War II Era, 1941 to 1949 This fifth era began with the shocking attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and we even had a Japanese submarine bombard the oil field west of Elwood. On the home front during World War II, most of our members contributed in some way to the war effort, some worked in war production plants, others prepared overseas packets, others volunteered at the Army Hospital at Hoff Heights (now the Santa Barbara Golf Course) or at the Marine Air Station at Goleta. The records show that 21 young men from our church served in the military. As Dr. Robert McLean prepared to retire, Rev. Dean Babbitt was hired as Assistant Pastor. In September of 1943, Rev. Joseph Ewing, DD, was called. A surge in membership occurred after hostilities ended, and plans were again begun to build a new Christian Education facility. In 1944 the Anapamu Street church’s mortgage was burned, and Joe Watson, a long-time church member, wrote and directed a historical pageant to celebrate the event. This was only the first of many wonderful pageants presented by Joe Watson. In addition to the very active Mariners Clubs, Dr. Ewing began the Koko Club (Keep On Keeping On) for young unmarried singles. Among the memorials that were donated to honor those that had died in the war, a unique one is the Lawrence Fowler Family commemorating their son who was killed. Starting after the end of the war and continuing to the present, they bring truck loads of flowers from their ranches to decorate the sanctuary each Easter Sunday; this tradition continues and is carried on by the third generation of the family – the Hugh Ralstons. |