Ellen White: Woman of Vision

The Whites Discover California

James and Ellen White received a most hearty reception when they arrived in California on Wednesday evening, September 25, 1872. At the end of the rail line in Oakland they were met by brothers Conkrite and Stockton, who ushered them to the San Francisco Ferry and on to the Rowland home. Mrs. Rowland was a well-to-do Scottish woman on the verge of taking her stand for the Adventist message. It was midnight when they reached this home. Ellen White wrote, “We met and were introduced to twenty brethren and sisters who greeted us as cordially as we were ever greeted in our lives. These friends had waited at the house of Sister Rowland until twelve o'clock at night to receive us. We did not get to rest until a still later hour” (Letter 16, 1872). WV 166.3

This was the beginning of the Whites’ lifelong love affair with California. Such was their enthusiasm about the flowers, the scenery, the weather, the people, that they admitted privately: WV 166.4

James: “Nothing but stern duty will ever call us from this country.” WV 166.5

Ellen: “We shall not neglect the work of God to view the work of nature.” WV 166.6

James and Ellen White had their eyes on Santa Rosa and looked forward to meeting Elder and Mrs. J. N. Loughborough, who resided there, and to attend the camp meeting. They made the 37-mile (59-kilometer) ferry trip across the bay and up the Petaluma River to the city of Petaluma, then a 15-mile (24-kilometer) train trip to Santa Rosa. This was a route they would often travel as they moved about in northern California. They were cordially received at the Loughborough home in Santa Rosa, and attended the Sabbath morning service in the house of worship. James spoke on the reasons of Adventist faith, and Ellen followed for another 15 minutes. Then nearly all the congregation crowded onto the platform to shake hands with them (Letter 17, 1872). WV 166.7

The camp meeting was to be held in a grove at Windsor, a town 10 miles (16 kilometers) south, situated between Santa Rosa and Petaluma. James and Ellen White, together with Lucinda Hall and Willie, were on the grounds for the opening meetings, Thursday, October 3. James wrote: WV 167.1

We are now writing in a tent upon the California campground, near Windsor, Sonoma County, fifth-day, October 3, at the close of the afternoon service. The location is good and the weather is fine. It is as warm as August in Michigan, very much warmer than at any point since we crossed the plains the first of July. WV 167.2

Notwithstanding the brief notice of this meeting, there are, at the early stage of the meeting, thirty-three tents upon the ground, besides the large congregation tent and the provision stand. WV 167.3

Three tents are marked San Francisco; two, Green Valley; one, Sebastopol; four, Bloomfield; one, Mendocino County; three, Windsor; six, Healdsburg; nine, Santa Rosa; two, Petaluma; two, Woodland....We spoke in the morning upon the subject of the waiting, watching time, in answer to the question, Where are we? ... Mrs. White spoke in the afternoon, and Elder Cornell spoke in the evening (The Review and Herald, October 15, 1872). WV 167.4

After the camp meeting James and Ellen were eager to spend some time in San Francisco, having merely passed through the city. So, with Loughborough and Cornell, they went to San Francisco by train and by ferry on Thursday morning, October 10. On Friday Loughborough and Cornell took the tent by train to Woodland. WV 167.5