On August 5, 1888, a milestone in local religious history occurred when the Southern California Bible Society donated Bibles to the Sunday school held at Acton’s first schoolhouse. 

This small, white wooden structure, later known as the “Little White School,” was built in 1881 and served as both a school and a place of worship for the growing community.

The Bible donation marked a key moment in the formation of organized religious life in Acton. The Sunday school and worship services were organized by the Union Moral and Religious Association of Acton, an unaffiliated church group that eventually evolved into the Acton Community Presbyterian Church. 

The group held its first meeting on April 28, 1888, under the guidance of retired minister Rev. John Robbins. Regular services began in June of that year, with Rev. F.W. Pattee and Rev. D.A. Wagner alternating as preachers and James Robertson serving as superintendent.

Just ten days after the Bibles arrived, on August 15, 1888, the Sunday school received a new organ—purchased through weekly collections. It was first played by Mrs. Pattee (the minister’s wife) and Miss Mattie Adams, who would later teach at the newly constructed brick Soledad School in 1890.

This early period laid the foundation for decades of religious and community life in Acton. The congregation continued to grow, eventually constructing the Soledad School in 1890, a dual-purpose building for school and church use. Rev. Robbins, who began preaching full-time in September 1888, would serve the community for nearly 30 years.

The simple act of donating Bibles in 1888 helped spark a legacy of faith, education, and community service that continues in Acton to this day.

To view yesterday’s Today in History, click here.

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