July 6, 1849 The first Baptist Church in California was organized in San Francisco (First Baptist) by Osgood Church Wheeler. He also started churches in San Jose and Sacramento. First Baptist has had 22 pastors, and when one of its previous buildings burned down in the 1906 earthquake, the congregation moved their facilities to what has now become the heart of the City, near Market and Van Ness. ABHS has a large collection of directories, histories and articles about First Baptist, San Francisco.
