| The Palo Alto History Project |
| Wesley United Methodist Church 470 Cambridge Avenue |
| Wesley United Methodist Church and Mayfield's Liquor Problem Annexed by Palo Alto in 1925, the town of Mayfield stood as its own city for three quarters of a century. Clustered around California Avenue, Mayfield struggled throughout its 75 years in its relationship with alcohol. In fact, had Mayfield been willing to go dry in its early days, Leland Stanford would have built his university there and Mayfield would probably still be on the map. In its rowdiest days, Mayfield had more than a dozen saloons in operation at one time, prompting inebriated Stanford students to sing the praises of the “Road to Mayfield.” But as the city’s shipping industry declined and the economy stagnated, the saloon trade was only remaining profitable business in town. Frequent bar shootings and brawls --- as well as a collection of town drunks led to Mayfield's acquisition of a rather unsavory reputation. By 1904, despite their modest earnings, many residents felt that the saloons were keeping new folks from moving into town. The citizens finally decided to oust the saloons in 1905, but when the city economy fell even further, hard times led to annexation by Palo Alto two decades later. The Wesley United Methodist Church at 470 Cambridge Avenue is in some ways an antipodean memorial to those raucous old Mayfield days. When the church was founded in 1873 (originally as Mayfield Methodist Episcopal Church), it was seen as a way to get rid of the area saloons. Mayfield decidedly does want a church," wrote the editor of the Mayfield Enterprise in 1870. "In a town without a church ... you will surely find drunken men and women, bad thieving, disobedient children ... and general dilapidation." Although it took three years, a site was finally purchased at Sherman and Second Streets (now Birch). The cost to build the church was just $2,450. On August 10th, 1873, the new church was dedicated and received its first blessing when a man rose among the attending mass and pledged $50 for a new bell. A 200 year-old Bible (perhaps the oldest in California at the time) was presented to the trustees as well, although its whereabouts have somehow been lost to history. Still, times were tough at first for the Mayfield M.E., as it was called in local papers. One visitor to this town of abundant alcohol wrote, "Every other place seemed to be a saloon. Their wooden steps were the local club houses. Darkness on a Saturday night brought people by wagon, horseback, bicycle and on foot for a night of carousing and drinking." While much of the anti-saloon population became worshippers at the church, dozens of other members fled Mayfield for the greener pastures of Palo Alto. Still, the little church hung on. Parishioners of the church helped bring about improvements to the city, including its incorporation as well as a water and sewer system. Later they would help establish the First Methodist Church of Palo Alto and its $1,350,000 place of worship. By 1904, the Mayfielders had moved into their own new church at 457 College Avenue. In time the little church that began as an antidote to the rowdy early days of Mayfield would steady itself and become an integral part of the community. In 1959, the current church building was constructed at 470 Cambridge Street and its name was changed to the Wesley United Methodist Church of Palo Alto in honor of John Wesley, founder of the methodists. Today Wesley Church has celebrated more than 130 years since its founding, a historical reminder of the early days of Mayfield and a church that cared. -Matt Bowling |
| Wesley United |
| A California Avenue mural of Mayfield |
| The map below shows religious institutions around Palo Alto |
| Inside a Mayfield bar. (PAHA) |
| Sources: Palo Alto Times, Palo Alto Weekly |
| Links The Wesley Church Homepage |
| Palo Alto: Then & Now |
| 1973 |
| 2007 |
| At left, Wesley United in the mid '70s in a photo from the Palo Alto Times. This shot was taken from the upper deck of the parking garage across Cambridge Street. Today the church looks the same, save some landscaping changes out front. Fashions in cars have changed more than fashions in churches. |