1892 – Plans for the Union Church begin

May 30, Woodland Daily Democrat “All Around the County. Dunnigan:” “At a meeting of the W.C.T.U. held here last week, the ladies decided to circulate subscription lists to build a Union Church in this town. Another meeting will be held next Thursday afternoon, when further action will be taken in regard to the matter. It is the intention to erect a building containing several large rooms, including an audience room, which will be used for church services, lectures and public
meetings. Another room will be used as a free library.”

W.C.T.U is the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union formed in 1874. “Woman’s” in the organization name means each individual
woman makes a commitment to total abstinence.

August 25, Woodland Daily Democrat “All Around the County. Dunnigan:” “The basket social given last night was a great success, socially and financially. It was given by the ladies of this vicinity, and the proceeds will be devoted to the fund being raised for the construction of a union church. Miss Retta Huston was awarded a handsome set of dishes as a premium for the best basket. All the young ladies in the community contributed baskets filled with lunch, and these were sold at public auction. The purchaser was entitled to lunch with the young lady who contributed the basket. Some of them brought as high as $10. H. W. Laugenour made an admirable auctioneer. The social netted $98.”

October 19, Woodland Daily Democrat “Fifty-Cent Column:” “Subscribers take notice – A meeting of the subscribers toward a Union Church in Dunnigan, will take place in Emmert’s Hall, Dunnigan, on October 19, 1892, for the purpose of electing a building committee. By order of committee.”

1893 – Union Church was completed and dedicated

July 27, Woodland Daily Democrat “All Around the County. Dunnigan:” “Carpenters commenced work on our new calaboose [jail] this morning. It is a curious fact that a lock-up was not thought
of until after the Union church was well under way. Can there be any connection between the two?” “Speaking of the new church reminds me that it is nearing completion and will soon be dedicated. Professor Barton, our local knight of the brush is doing himself proud on this job. When, completed, Dunnigan can boast of having as neat and comfortable a church edifice as any place in California.”

September 16, Woodland Daily Democrat “Church Dedication at Dunnigan:” The new church at Dunnigan is to be dedicated tomorrow. The dedicatory services, which will begin at 11 A.M., will be conducted by Rev. David Wentzel, Dr. Joseph Emery and Dr. DeLew. There will be an afternoon service at 3 o’clock, at which Dr. DeLew will preach. In the evening, at 7:30, Dr. Emery will preach. Lunch will be spread in I.O.G.T. hall, to which all are invited.”

History of the church from Betty McGrew, “Given in the Dunnigan Church, Sunday, June 13, 1971:

The structure was completed [1893]. Gruing Brothers of Knights Landing were the contractors. The late Marsh Peart [College City] handled the carpenter work. The late Sam Parker (father of
Helen Barker Stetson) furnished and hauled gravel for the church.

Subscriptions and donations by the residents of Dunnigan in the early days paid for the construction of the building. The windows are beautifully stained in bright contrasting colors. The oak [sic] pews were made by the Mahogany Pew Company and are Neo-Gothic architecture, semi-circled designed. Older residents of the community recall that all denominations were represented at the dedicated service. Mrs. Kate Laugenour donated the site. The first Board
of Directors for the church consisted of D.H. Mason, Mrs. Kate Laugenour and Thomas Arens, all of Dunnigan.

In an Article of Incorporation for the church was a clause – “It was never to be denominational, that it should serve as a Union or Community church.”

Preachers of the early years came to Dunnigan from Williams, College City, Yolo and Woodland – including ministers of the Methodist, Christian, Baptist and Presbyterian denominations.

Among the weddings which had taken place in the Dunnigan Church in 1903 was a ceremony which united Harriet Evans and William Stetson. A second generation ceremony many years
later was held in 1939 in which a niece of Mr. Stetson, the former Jane Stetson, was married to Kenneth Hoerlein of Arbuckle (at that time he was teaching in Gridley).

Many funerals have been conducted in the church. Among a few I have information about was the service of Van Ellen Scofield. At the time the church was called “The Union Protestant Church.” Miss Georgia Mae Goodin passed away in 1903 at the age of twenty years. Her services were held in the Dunnigan Union church. Her services were to be held at two o’clock and the body was to be taken to the Woodland Cemetery by the Oregon Express train, but the train was five hours late – so all went by freight train, arriving at Woodland at five o’clock. They then proceeded from the depot to the city cemetery where internment took place.

May 1920 – An Evangelist, Mr. Herminston, and family came to conduct services for the Historian Church. They came to Dunnigan in a beautiful train coach and made temporary home on the Southern Pacific side-tracks. The first night they held services in the train coach but so many turned out there wasn’t enough room on the train so every night thereafter they held services in the Dunnigan church. Every day after school, school children were given special lessons and church services were held at night. Many people were baptized by the evangelist and the one hundred eight seats were filled in the church.

The summer of 1921 – Albert Schaad and Oliver Nason saved the Dunnigan Church from burning down about two-o’clock in the afternoon. Dan Barton was talking to Albert Schaad on the telephone and he said, “wait a minute, Al, the barber just came in and said my store is on fire.” (the barber was Frank Weidner). So Mr. Schaad, Harry and Jack Hill came down and saw the big blaze. While it was burning, Mr. Schaad noticed the Dunnigan Church roof was afire. Mr. Schaad and Oliver Nason got a ladder and a bucket of water. Mr. Schaad got up on the roof by the belfry and Oliver Nason climbed up on the ladder with the bucks of water and handed it to Mr. Schaad and they put out the fire. There was about a three foot section of the roof on fire. Mr. Schaad said they used only two buckets of water. The post office was in the Barton store at the time but they packed all the postal equipment into the middle of the street.

The first superintendent of the church was Mrs. Kate Laugenour, then Mrs. Charles Fish, followed by Mrs. Griffith (with of a depot agent), Mrs. Edith Jameson, Bessie Jameson, Ora Mumma, Hattie Stetson, Mrs. Violet Crossley and Mrs. Pauline Emerick.

The trustees of the church now [1971] are: Mrs. Helen Stetson, Mrs. Roger Weidemirer and the late Sam Fergerson. Others who recall interesting facts in the connection with the church are: Mrs. Jack Cotter, Mrs. A. Hanks, the late Nora Stopper, Minnie Harley, Margaret Barker and Mrs. L.D. Myers of College City and Elizabeth Franke.
Mr. and Mrs. John Crossley were the first ones to get the floor furnaces (Mrs. Emerick said the Sunday School put in the gas furnaces while she was acting as superintendent) that now provide gas heat.

Several years ago the entrance door was altered but its general appearance remains unchanged.

Today the church is known as Triumph Church and has been occupied since 1968 with Pastor Reverend Mother Buggs in charge.

The members of the Dunnigan Ladies Aid now are: Mrs. Myrtis Weidemirer, Hula Fergerson, Stella Dolliver, Bertha and Audrey Hanks, Bertha Schaefer, Anna Stover, Helen Stetson, Lena Cotter, Julie Aurie, Margaret Powers, Pauline Emerick, Pearl Danley and Mary Lou Hester. The ladies so many kinds of needlework which consists of pot holders, aprons, pillow slips and dish towels. Anyone interested in buying the Ladies Aid Needlework can contact Mrs. Helen Stetson.
Dunnigan residents work to restore historic church building [c. 1993]
Originally dedicated on October 28, 1893, we want the old building to start its second 100 years with a “new lease on life.”

In August of 1974, no longer able to continue the hard work in maintaining the church, the Dunnigan Ladies Aid Society deeded the church property to Mother R. M. Buggs and her Triumph Church came to Dunniqan. For nearly the next 20 years, Mother Buggs’ dedicated work kept the church intact until November of 1993, when she no longer felt able to make the trips from her Sacramento home to Dunniqan. At the time, in keeping with her original agreement with the Ladies Aid Society, she returned the deed as she was no longer using the building for religious purposes.

Myrtis Wediemier, as the only surviving member of the old community church trustees, now has appointed five residents of Dunnigan to serve as a new Board of Trustees. The new board members, Gary Schaad, Shirley Gooch, Carolie Long, Willard Ingraham and Isaac Fairley are now preparing the papers to create public benefit corporation to manage the building and insure its continued use as a place of worship.

Presently a new congregation, The Dunnigan Apostolic Church led by Pastor Charales Claiborne, are using the church.

The new board members are also establishing a trust fund to provide money to maintain and restore the old building. Donations to the Union Church of Dunnigan Trust Fund in the form of memorials will be used for the restoration and maintenance of the building. The building will be available for wedding and other church events, just as Mary’s Chapel is in Yolo.

Money donated to the trust fund will be earmarked only for the maintenance and preservation of the building and is separate from the current congregation’s ministries.

Anyone wishing to make donations may do so by mailing in care of the Union Church of Dunnigan, Attention Shirley Gooch, Treasurer, at P. 0 . Box 203, Dunnigan, CA 95937.

Quitclaim deed

FOR A VALUABLE CONSIDERATION, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged. The Reverend R. M. Buggs, formerly Mother Buggs, the sole Trustee Manager of TRIUMPH, THE CHURCH AND KINGDOM OF GOD IN CHRIST hereby remises, releases and quitclaims
to THE TRUSTEES OF UNION CHURCH OF DUNNIGAN located in the town of Dunnigan, Yolo County, California, 95937 the following described real property in the County of Yolo , State of
California: Lot Number Sixteen (16) of Laugenour Addition to the Town of Dunnigan, County of Yolo, California, as per map filed for record on October 28, 1893 in Book 1 of Maps, at Page 33, in the County Recorder’s Office of said Yolo County. Said real property bears Yolo County, California Assessor ‘s Parcel No. 051-210- 031. Dated: November 30, 1993.

Changes in the church over the years [c. 2008]

The church has had only a couple of alterations over the years. There was no exact written documentation but the following changes were made during these time periods:

The front paneled door was replaced sometime in the early 1950s.
The bell tower went from the open trim to an enclosed louvered tower sometime in the 1960s.

The natural gas furnace was put in around the 1950s as well as electricity.

Some of the colored glass has been replaced to cover repairs. About 80% of the glass is original.

The exterior has been [maintained] over the years as needed.
2006 – New roof (Rabaino Roofing, Esparto)
2007 – Painted church (Heritage Painting, Steve Ringor, Arbuckle)
2007/2008 – Pastor Bob Langfield opens church as Dunnigan Christian Church, Cavalry Christian Outreach

Internal Revenue Service

September 24, 2004 – Application for tax exemption under 501(c)(3) approved February, 2014 – Application for tax exemption under 501(c)(3) approved

Current Board of Trustees and Woodland Parlor 30, Native Sons of the Golden West

June 7, 2017 – Woodland Parlor 30, Native Sons of the Golden West, minutes regarding Union Church of Dunnigan: “Parlor members expressed this may be a historical project we can help with and a field trip to evaluate the property will be coordinated.”

August 2, 2017 – Woodland Parlor 30, Native Sons of the Golden West, minutes regarding Union Church of Dunnigan: “Five parlor members visited the property and met with Barbara Cotter, president of The Union Church of Dunnigan Trustees. Members brainstormed possible support efforts (historic marker, freeway sign, grants, etc.).”

October 16, 2017 – Award letter from Alexander Tengolics, Legislative & Government Affairs Specialist, Yolo County: “This letter is to inform you that on September 26, 2017 the Yolo County
Board of Supervisors appropriated $50,000 in fiscal year 2017-18 to improve and remodel the Historic Dunnigan Church.” Yolo County Supervisor for District 5 is Duane Chamberlain, who advocated for the County of Yolo Rural Community Investment Program grant.

April 4, 2018 – Woodland Parlor 30, Native Sons of the Golden West, minutes regarding Union Church of Dunnigan: “New Board of Trustees for the Union Church of Dunnigan was announced. Anna Del Castillo-Vernon – President, Katie Ball- Secretary, Barbara Cotter –
Treasurer, Linda Moderow – Board Member, Ellie Dolan – Board Member.” Union Church bylaws were updated.

May 10, 2023 – Union Church of Dunnigan trustees approve fundraising/capital campaign contract with Anne Davis. Officers are Barbara Cotter and Teri Laugenour, co-presidents; Katie Ball, secretary; Paul Shaner, treasurer; and trustees Terri and Mike Keith, Ellie Dolan and Dino Gay.

June 13, 2023 – Email from Monica Rivera, Deputy to Supervisor Barajas, Yolo County Supervisor, District 5, regarding Funds for Dunnigan Union Church: “I wanted to share some exciting news with you. The Board of Supervisors approved a total of $89K for the Dunnigan Union Church today at the FY 23-24 budget hearing…” Union Church of Dunnigan grant committee members are Katie Ball, Paul Shaner, Barbara Cotter and Anne Davis.