Ferndale was originally settled by immigrants from New England, England, Canada and Ireland. Then came immigrants from Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Portugal and China.

Most of the Portuguese came from the Azores between 1900 and 1915 to work on dairy ranches and in the timber industry.

Descendants of the Portuguese who settled in Ferndale have celebrated the traditional Azores Festas do Espírito Santo (Festival of the Holy Spirit) since 1924. The festival includes a parade with participants carrying baskets of bread on their heads and a community feast.

California has many people of Azorean descent. Most of them live in Northern Califonia between the San Francisco Bay Area and the Humboldt Bay Area. Several of these communities have active Portuguese Halls. The Ferndale Portuguese Hall is similar in style to the Newcastle Portuguese Hall which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.