Reverend Hugh Fourneau was born on April 9, 1849 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. He was educated at Presbyterian Pine Hill Theological Seminary in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
In 1887, Fourneau, his wife Catherine, and their young son immigrated to the United States and attended Princeton Theological Seminary before embarking on a career as a Presbyterian missionary.
The first areas Hugh Fourneau served were in southern New Mexico and Arizona. Many of the towns he served were mining towns and were known to be “wild”.
In 1890, there was a meeting between the New York Presbyterian Missionary Society and local missionaries to see if there were as many preachers there as they were gathering rations and supplies.
When the secretary was on her turn, I was startled by the words “I’m here” and looked up to see who was in the way. Walking down the aisle was a tall, stocky man with a beard, long hair, a flannel shirt, corduroy trousers and thick boots, jingling. I had spurs. Around his waist was a belt full of cartridges, flanked by his ivory-handled six-shooter, and his entire outfit covered by a huge wide-brimmed hat.
Hugh Furneaux traveled 65 miles (65 miles) across Apache country to attend the conference. With the exception of his ivory-hilt six-shot, this was the “outfit” he continued to use for most of his ministry.
He continued his ministry in the Southwest. By 1906, he was working in a mining camp in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. At this time he was known as the Church’s Sky Pilot.
In July 1913, the pastor arrived in Sonora and began missionary work in the Tuolumne logging camp, commissioned by the New York Presbyterian Home Mission Committee. In October 1917, he was released from Sonora Church and Station by the Presbyterians, and grabbed him confined to what was called a stake parish.
The Grub Stake parish also includes eight San Francisco Hetch Hetchy camps, one North Lake Eleanor camp, four West Side Lumber Co. camps, four Standard Lumber Co. camps, and Muddy Saw Mill Camp in Merrill Springs. It was Or near these areas.
Hugh Furneaux also received $600 a year from the Board of Pensions and a $600 lifetime honoraria from the San Joaquin Presbyterian Society to support his work.
By May 1918, he was based at Big Oak Flat and received the title “Shepherd of the Hills”. His two his burros, his pipes his organ and bagpipes were now part of his visits. The pipe organ carried frying pans, coffee pots and supplies. Bagpipes carried blankets, newspapers, magazines, and other supplies distributed at the camp.
By 1923, Hugh Furneau was pastor of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church (49ers Church) in Columbia. In 1924, he traveled across California to raise money for a church in need of repair.
At Glendale, he appeared in a flannel shirt and work trousers, accompanied by a pipe organ and bagpipes.
Hugh Fourneau died at his home in Columbia on February 8, 1926 and is buried in Columbia Public Cemetery.
Pat Perry is a historian for the City of Sonora.
