A Touch of History

This is taken from the dedication pamphlet of the HB Stake Center in 1980. Thanks to Bro. Paul Fely for archiving this historical document.

The church in Southern California dates back to the early 1870s. However, it was in the early 1930s that noticeable growth started to develop in Orange County.

The Huntington Beach Stake came into existence on June 5, 1966, when Elder Ezra Taft Benson presided over the division of the Garden Grove Stake.

Conway W. Nielsen was called as the first stake president with Noble J. Waite as first counselor and Lyle Hanna as second counselor. The new Huntington Beach Stake had approximately 3,200 member and consisted of five wards as follows:

• HB 1 Bishop Max Nelson
• HB 2 Bishop Justin Eccles
• HB 3 Bishop Kaye Nelson
• WM 1 Bishop James Denos
• WM 3 Bishop Karl Allred

The stake grew over the next ten plus years to twelve wards with approximately 7,000 members. On January 13, 1977, Elder Bruce R. McConkie presided over the division of the Huntington Beach Stake formulating the new Huntington Beach North Stake, with Wesley C. Woodhouse called as the new stake president and William D. Bawden and Norman E. Rich as first and second counselors respectively. This new stake was comprised of approximately 3,600 members with six wards as follows:

• HB 2 Bishop Linden Orgill
• HB 5 Bishop Maurice Baysa
• HB 6 Bishop LeGrand Fletcher
• WM 1 Bishop Gerald Anderson
• WM 2 Bishop Wendell Wells
• WM 3 Bishop Dale Tanner

Val W. Palmer was called as the new stake president of the Huntington Beach California Stake, with Vernon L. Lockhart as first counselor and D. Thomas Borgquist as second counselor. Carlos Beckstead was called as stake patriarch.

At the time of division, the stake consisted of approximately 3,400 members with six wards as follows:

• HB 1 Bishop Gary Nelson
• HB 3 Bishop Paul Johansson
• HB 4 Bishop Spencer F. Hatch
• HB 7 Bishop Bruce Miller
• FV 1 Bishop Byron Campbell
• FV 2 Bishop Edward McLaughlin

Prior to the division of the stake, a vigorous building program was already under way. At the time of the division, the six wards of the Huntington Beach California Stake unanimously agreed to fulfill their prior commitment to sustain the Huntington Beach North Stake building program. The balance of the $100,000 was raised in approximately six months, and a check for the total amount was presented to President Wesley C. Woodhouse, thus releasing the stake from any further obligations.

With our two existing chapels housing eight wards (including two ward from the H.B. North Stake) we immediately embarked on an aggressive building program of our own. With the total support of the bishops, we chose to simultaneously raise fund to build a new stake center, refurbish our two existing chapels, and purchase the future building site on Bushard Street. The stake members responded to the challenge with great faith and determination to accomplish the "impossible."

Numerous faith-promoting stories of great sacrifice have been shared with stake leaders. One such story was told of a single mother with three small children who, at the insistence of her young children, give to her bishop their entire Christmas savings. Their great faith was not unrewarded, however. Santa Claus visited their home on Christmas day with presents overflowing.

These types of spiritual experienced brought about by great sacrifice have been repeated over and over again. Almost without exception, the entire funds for the new stake center were received by personal individual donations and sacrifice.

One exception to individual contribution was the Census Project carried our by the bishopric of the Huntington Beach 4th Ward and participated in by the five other wards in our stake. This inspired project alone raised a total of $100,000.