Oil was located on the "West Side" in 1910, by the blowout of Lakeview 1 Well. "Siding two" and its cluster of tents and false-front saloons was incorporated with a population of 750 and named Taft for the incumbent President. It was a rough, shanty town for many years, although the wealth meant fine schools could be erected at once. Wild car races, "Oildorado" celebrations recalling the significant population of prostitutes, well blowouts and burning gushers characterized the town for years. Drinking water had to be brought in by railroad. The stories and legends are related in William Rintoul's book, GILDORADO.

     It was not until the Fall of 1922, that Episcopalians in Taft were able to arrange for services to be conducted by the Rector of Bakersfield, W. A. Cash. In the following Spring, Archdeacon Hawken visited from Fresno. He visited around for two days, but received a negative response to his suggestion of forming a mission. The following year, the Archdeacon visited once again. Newly arrived Episcopalians encouraged him to establish frequent ministrations, "not every Sunday, but as often as possible." By then, Taft's 3,000 people called the place "The World's Biggest Little City", a title also claimed by Reno, Nevada, at the same time. A Church School party went to a hilltop overlooking Taft and counted over 1100 oil derricks in sight. The city itself was still shacks; windows were of canvas over screen; glass was a rarity.

     On September 14, 1925, Judge Cassius G. Noble was elected the first Warden, a Committee and Church School were also formed. St. Andrew's Mission was formally admitted to the District Convocation on January 27. 1926. For several years the Archdeacon and Canon Frederick Graves came from Fresno to hold services. These were located in the Odd Fellows, Masonic, Knights of Pythias, Boy Scouts, Music Hall, and sundry other places too numerous to list. "Some of the old timers say that the only way they could find the services was to get up early and stand around Fourth and Center Streets until they saw Judge Noble going by with the Altar on a truck, and follow him." In 1926, a lot was purchased from Standard Oil Company. An old oil field cookhouse was moved onto it. This seated about 40 people. Buying and moving took all the available funds; renovation of the building was put on hold. But the Archdeacon was a carpenter and rallied the men to achieve the necessary remodeling.

     On Wednesday night, November 24, 1926, heavy rains turned the bed of Buena Vista into a muddy lake, seven miles from Taft. The barley and maize fields began to disgorge thousands upon thousands of mice, which made their way to higher ground: Taft. The harvester reported that when he set the blades low. they became so "choked with fur, flesh and blood" they resembled "a sausage mill." Men were taken off the derrick and pressed into digging ditches around all installations, filling them with poisoned grain. As many as 50,000 mice a day were killed this way. Cats were sent in fiom around the country, but were soon gorged; two cats were even reported as found sleeping with sixteen mice under them. The invasion let up for Christmas services, but resumed in greater numbers in January. They even killed penned sheep, feasting on their meat. Mice outnumbered the people of Taft by many thousands to one. On January 22, 1927, a federal prisoner from Colorado arrived, one Stanley E. Piper, a serious man, offended by references to Hamelin. He and his crew estimated as many as 44 million mice still on the floor of the lake, in several species. Suddenly, over 1,000 Mono Lake gulls appeared, followed by owls, ravens, hawks, turkey vultures, falcons, herons, roadrunners, shrikes, and at least two golden eagles were reported, joining in the counter-attack on the mice. The mice began cannibalizing each other. and an epidemic mouse disease suddenly spread through their ranks. By mid-February the "Great Mouse War" in Taft was over, with over 30,000,000 mice dead.

     Alfred Denman, disabled in a mustard gas attack during World War I, served very briefly in Taft4 and for eleven months, Michael Louis Daly was the first official Vicar, from November 29, 1925 to October 31, 1926. In 1930, Bishop Sanford appointed the Rev. J. Elmer Darling as the first resident Vicar of Taft, with care of Coalinga. He worked with such intensity that he died after a year and half. The Bishop appointed his son, Cordon Darling, as Lay Reader and Minister-in-charge of the two missions; he successfully carried on the work for more than a year. In September, 1933, the Rev. Mr. Aubrey Bray, just out of seminary, was appointed to Taft as Deacon, and Mr. Darling was left at Coalinga. Bray took up residence in the Savoy Hotel.

     By Spring of 1934, Sunday School enrollment was up to sixty, many of whom were from homes of no religious connection, Average Sunday attendance was fifty; the cookhouse had to be replaced. In the Fall, a meeting took responsibility for building a larger facility, facing realistically their limited resources and money.

     Mr. Clarence Cullimore of Bakersfield was engaged as architect, and adobe was decided upon, since soil on the lot was ideal. The American Church Building Fund came up with $800 to be used as a last payment. Initial work was done as a "class project" by students and instructors from Taft Union High School and the Junior College. R. Rose, Instructor in Surveying, had his class lay out the ground plan. Mr. Ceoffrey B. Noakes, an Englishman and Instructor in Carpentry, superintended the actual building. Adobe bricks were made and dried on the site. The cornerstone was set on St. Andrew's Day, 1934. Children of the church made drawings and watercolor paintings to sell to finance the work, but most labor was volunteered. "Hardly any businessman in Taft did not make a contribution. Some of the oil companies were also liberal in the donation of money and materials," Friends of the Noakes in England also gave generously. Trinity Sunday was celebrated in the building on June 16, 1935; the coolness inside was much appreciated during the summer.

     Canon Craves, a woodcarver noted Throughout the Valley, designed an Altar for the new building, which Church Service League (precursor of the Episcopal Church Women) paid for: the work was done by Cathedral communicants, Mr. and Mrs. Homer Hoyt. The original work incorporated symbols of St. Andrew and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Later, one Vicar had the symbol of Mary effaced. Consecration of the Church and Altar was done by Bishop Sanford on Sunday, May 3, 1936. In one, five months, and three days, the church was built and paid for this at the depths of the Great Depression! Fr. Bray remained in Taft until the end of January. 1943. It was not until August that Leo M. Brown came as the first Rector. He stayed about two years, leaving just after V-A Day in September, 1945. Cyril H. Boddington was Rector of Taft from November 1, 1945, until his death on June 18, 1950. Another lengthy period followed before John Atkinson, from St. Andrew's, Nogales, Arizona, became Rector in mid-January. 1952. During his tenure numerous memorials were given the church. Mrs. Boddingron gave a silver baptismal shell in memory of her husband. In 1955, a rectory was build adjacent to the church, replacing the adobe "Annex", which now became the office. Much work was again done by parishioners, holding the cost to $8,800. Widowed, Fr. Atkinson left Taft in November. 1958, to become Assistant at St. Paul's, Bakersfield.

     Charles A. Sunderland became Rector on January 15,1959. In February, moves were made to replace the old cookhouse that had served as church. then parish hall. Based on some earlier sketches and plans, bids were opened in October, 1960. The building was finished and ready for occupancy on September 1, 1961. The debt on it was retired and the building dedicated by Bishop Walters on March 17, 1968, as the Aubrey 0. Bray Memorial Hall.

     In the meantime, Fr. Sunderland left on June 15, 1961, and the Rev. Lester Mather came as Rector on August 1 of that year. Taft's economy collapsed on September 30. 1971, when Standard Oil of California closed most of its operations. Many families moved away. St. Andrew's was forced to become an aided parish on July 1, 1972, and then had to revert to Mission status. Parishioners continued to do as much for themselves as possible, with a sense of humor. "The Painting and Sanding Society of Upper Woodrow Street" took care of needed building mainten-ance, calculating what they had saved as "'donated labor" at a wage of $0.1815 per hour, "just slightly less than the pay of Ham the Astronautical Chimpanzee." A history booklet was put together by St. Andrew's for its 50th Anniversary, edited by Fr. Mather.

     Fr. Mather retired from Taft at the end of June, 1977, and was followed at once by Fr. Paul Lambert. Fr. William Wight served as Vicar from early 1979 to 1981 His deep interest in the Orthodox Fast, and connections with a gifted ikon-painting monk in Oklahoma, procured for St. Andrew's a fine ikon of the patron Apostle. Coming in great personal pain, the good people of St. Andrew's were able to give Fr. Wight support and time for some healing. He resigned from Taft to become a military chaplain. Fr. Wight was succeeded in July, 1982, by Fr. Thomas C. Barnett, formerly assistant at St. Paul's, Bakersfield. During Fr. Barnett's time, St. Andrew's once again became self-supporting, and much needed repair work was done. The Bishop's Committee adopted the title "Vestry". Endowment funds were surrendered to the diocese for safe-keeping. Plans to acquire land for a future parking lot were not approved by Diocesan Council because of the precarious state of Taft's economy and the uncertainty of their being able to meet the commitment. Fr. Barnett taught classes for the Junior College in philosophy and religious subjects. He remained until the end of August, 1986, when he became Rector of a parish in St. Louis, Missouri, closer to Sewanee where he was working on a doctorate. Since his departure St. Andrew's has been without a resident priest. The oil industry took another down-turn in 1986 due to the OPEC Oil Cartel; as a result over 1,000 people left Taft to seek work elsewhere. At the time of this writing the Economic future of Taft is uncertain.