St. Paul’s United Methodist Church’s roots predate Manteca.

They were planted in Atlanta in 1858.

No, not Atlanta as in Georgia.

Atlanta, as in eastern San Joaquin County, less than four miles slightly to the northeast of Manteca where Jack Tone, French Camp, and Line Tree roads intersect to create what is today know as Five Corners.

The actual settlement of Atlanta — complete with the South County’s first post office — was a mile to the east on Lone Tree at Murphy Road.

Five Corners is where the Atlanta cemetery is located and — across the street — a congregation built a church in 1878 that over the years transformed into the building that eventually housed the Atlanta Women’s Club before it disbanded late last century.

Before that, the church met in the Turner School House started in 1858.

It was the first meeting place on an eventually circuit involving five other school houses — Oak Grove, French Camp, East Union, Webber, and Rustic. By 1876 Burneyville, now known as Riverbank, was added to the circuit.

By September 1915 when the First Methodist Church of Manteca was formed, the seeds planted in 1858 in Atlanta led to eight small churches being established at various crossroads in South San Joaquin County.

The first church services were in the Board of Trade Hall above the C.D. Snow Meat Market at 241 West Yosemite Ave.

In 1912, the Brethren, Congregational, Christian, and Methodist congregations built and shared a Union Chapel on the southeast corner of North Street and Sycamore Avenue.

The first building the church per se controlled was a former paint store on the southeast corner of Main and Center streets that was leased and remodeled in 1916.

Two years later on April 14, 1918, a new church was dedicated at Yosemite and Sequoia avenues where the Manteca Historical Society is housed today.

That was the home to the United Methodist Church until May 27, 1956 when St. Paul’s was dedicated at the corner of Powers Avenue and North Street.