Ellen White Describes The New School Property

In letters to Edson and her granddaughter Mabel, Ellen White described what she found at Angwin. Selections from both letters tell the story:WV 504.1

We left home early on the morning of September 10, driving in my easiest carriage. It was a five-mile [eight-kilometer] climb to the top of the hill; then when about one mile [two kilometers] from the property the country became more level.WV 504.2

Elder [C. W.] Irwin met us at the place and showed us something of the grounds and buildings. As we drove along I marked the advantages over the Buena Vista property. True, there was not here the fine costly building that we found on the Sonoma property, but there were a number of buildings in good repair, and such as could be easily adapted to the needs of the school. The largest of the dwellings was a house of thirty-two rooms [the resort hotel], and in addition to this there were four cottages. All the rooms were well planned, and substantially but not extravagantly furnished. Everything about houses and grounds looked clean and wholesome (Letter 110, 1909).WV 504.3

Many advantages came to us in the house furnishings. The beds were all supplied with two good mattresses, one hair mattress and one of cotton wool, feather pillows and woolen blankets, some of which are very good indeed. All the floors are covered, some of the rooms with carpets, but most with a straw matting. The bed linen was all in good order.WV 504.4

There are sixteen hundred acres [648 hectares] of land in the property, 105 [43 hectares] of which is good arable land. There are twenty acres [eight hectares] of orchards, bearing apples, pears, plums, prunes, peaches, figs, grapes, and English and black walnuts. There are thirty acres [12 hectares] of alfalfa. We were much pleased with the fruit that we saw. At the time of our first visit there were many workers on the ground taking care of the prunes, some gathering the fruits and others preparing it for drying. Forty-five tons [40,860 kilograms] of prunes have been gathered from the orchard this year (Letter 114, 1909).WV 504.5

The large corn barn was filled to the roof with the best of lucerne [alfalfa] hay harvested from the land. In the carriage house we saw eight buggies and wagons. There were twenty milk cows, thirteen horses, and six colts included in this trade....WV 504.6

We are thankful for the abundant supply of pure water flowing from numerous springs, and thrown into large tanks by three hydraulic rams; also for the good buildings, for the good farmland, and for the hundreds of acres of woodland, on which there are many thousands of feet of saw timber. We are thankful also for the machinery which is all in such good order, for the furniture, which though it is not fine, is good and substantial; for the fruit that is canned and dried, and which will be much appreciated by teachers and students this first year of school....WV 504.7

We need have no fear of drinking impure water, for here it is supplied freely to us from the Lord's treasure house [300,000 gallons (1,135,500 liters) a day]. I do not know how to be grateful enough for these many advantages, but feel like putting my whole trust in the Lord, and as long as my life is spared to glorify my Redeemer (Letter 110, 1909).WV 505.1

On the following Sunday, September 12, a phone call came from Oakland, where the camp meeting was being held. The discussion of the new college was slated to come up the next day. Could Ellen White come?WV 505.2

Indeed she could. She went down Monday morning and that afternoon spoke for 20 minutes on the advantages of the Angwin site. There was no legal action needed, since the purchasing committee—Elders Knox, Cottrell, and Haskell—had, at the Fresno camp meeting a year before, been given power to act. Ellen White's address went far to confirm the faith of the people in the new project and ensure that their pledges would be paid (Pacific Union Recorder, September 23, 1909; Manuscript 59, 1909).WV 505.3

The Angwin resort property was not on the market when the search for a new school site was entered upon. The repeated delays held everything in abeyance until the ideal property became available. Then, with money in hand, the fully equipped and stocked Angwin property was purchased with confidence, and within a few weeks the school was ready for opening in late September. It was capable of caring for 150 students. Everything was on hand, just ready to put into use. All considered it providential. Of the experience Mrs. White wrote, “Now this lesson given us at this time of our great necessity was one of the most remarkable adventures in our experience” (Letter 187, 1909). For nearly a year principles had been reviewed, sites inspected, and money raised. Guidance came through the Spirit of Prophecy, but responsible men were not relieved of diligent study, tireless seeking, and the making of decisions.WV 505.4