Ferndale has long been the setting for the annual Holy Ghost Festival. The procession always ends at the Church of the Assumption, where Mass is celebrated and the Queen is crowned; then, the gathering moves back to the Portuguese Hall — formerly Roberts Hall — for dinner. The day is spent in celebrating. Photo courtesy Mary Avila, via the Humboldt Historian.

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[NOTE FROM 2024: The 100th Annual Ferndale Holy Ghost Celebration is underway this weekend. Details here.]

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The Portuguese, in comparison with some other ethnic groups, were latecomers to the Eel River Valley. They came mainly between 1900 and 1915, except for three brothers — Frank, John and Bill Peters — who arrived in the 1870s.

The Portuguese came to make a living. They came with only their bare hands, but with a way and knowledge of hard work and thrift, they made their way.

When the Portuguese first came they usually hired on ranches in the valley. When they had earned enough money they would rent a ranch, averaging about 35 acres and 20 cows. Soon, families from the “Old Country” would join the new settler here.

Most of the Portuguese in the valley came from the Azores Islands, though a few families came from mainland Portugal.

Although the Portuguese came to a new land for a new life, they brought with them many old country traditions which they practiced, and still practice. One of the main traditions is the Festival of the Holy Ghost.

This celebration began centuries ago in Portugal during the reign of Queen Isabel. There was terrible drought and famine in the land. The Queen prayed to the Holy Spirit and promised that, if the drought ended, she would sell her crown and jewels to provide for the poor children. Her prayers were answered, and the Portuguese now celebrate by selecting a queen, crowning her, and having the traditional meal of sopa (soup) which is a hearty broth, containing meat and bread.

There is a scepter that goes with the ceremonial crown. It has a small dove on one end which represents the Holy Spirit. There are photographs showing observance of the religious event in Arcata, dating back to the mid 1900s, and the event was held prior to that. Ferndale Portuguese have held their own celebration of this festival since 1924.

For the last quarter century, since 1947, the Portuguese have celebrated the observance of Our Lady of Fatima. The story goes: “Long ago in Fatima, Portugal, three small children, while tending their sheep, saw a vision of a lady in a cave. This beautiful lady asked that they come there on the thirteenth of each month until the next October. On October 13, 1917, she told them she was the Lady of the Rosary, and asked them to recite the rosary daily ‘for the peace in the world.’”

In 1913 the Roman Catholic Church authorized devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, and observance began in Ferndale fifteen years later. In the days when more of the older generation were alive, a religious procession would begin from the Portuguese Hall (formally Robert’s Hall), proceed to the Church of the Assumption, where a Mass was celebrated.

After the religious services, there would be a procession back to the hall, accompanied by two hands, for recitation of the Rosary. Young men carried a statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the procession. In late years, the procession has been discontinued, but the Mass and dinner are still held in early autumn.

Frank Peters.

The Peters brothers were the first Portuguese to come to this valley. They arrived in 1874, Frank Peters’ first employment in this area was at Peter Nissen’s “Whatcheer Ranch” on Bear River Ridge, which he reached by a long journey afoot over the Wildcat trail, carrying his valise with him. After working for Nissen one season, he was employed by D.A. Spear, another dairyman, for eighteen months, after which he came to Ferndale with his two brothers, who had also been working on Bear River Ridge, They engaged in digging potatoes at ten cents a sack, and, in the same fall, purchased 40 acres of wild land on Coffee Creek, east of Ferndale and near today’s Waddington, They paid $600 for their property and built thereon a cabin and barn.

Leaving John in charge, Frank and William worked out for several years on neighboring dairies and in the woods. In 1888 Frank leased, and later bought, the O’Dell Ranch at Capetown, consisting of 415 acres. In 1911 after several years as a successful dairyman, he leased his ranch and retired from active business.

Some other early Portuguese settlers in this valley include (date of arrival in parentheses):

Antone Enos (1897); Joseph and Frank Nunes (1907); Frank Leonardo (1909); Joseph Silva(1900); Frank Cotta(1910); John Lourenzo (1912); Antonio Rocha (1920); Joseph Mendes, Jr. (1918); Jack Moranda (1918); Frank and Manuel Miranda (1910-1917); Matthew Gomes (1919); Joseph Mendes (1900); John Brazil (1907).

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The story above was originally printed in the September-October 1983 issue of the Humboldt Historian, a journal of the Humboldt County Historical Society. It is reprinted here with permission. The Humboldt County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to archiving, preserving and sharing Humboldt County’s rich history. You can become a member and receive a year’s worth of new issues of The Humboldt Historian at this link.