USA > California > Sonoma County > History of Sonoma County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county, who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present time > Part 30
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world the glorious advantages of Old Sonoma's soil and climate and so it proves, for like John Brown's soul, the show has gone marching on and today is in Chicago on exhibition."
SONOMA EXHIBIT SENT TO EUROPE.
John Markely at that time was a member of the State Board of Equaliza- tion and E. W. Maslin was secretary, and the late T. L. Thompson was secre- tary of state under Governor Stoneman. These three gentlemen were former residents of Sonoma county. Mr. Whitaker stopped at the same hotel with them and had a good opportunity to solieit their favor, as well as the governor's. The committee were determined that their enterprise should receive the favor from the State Agricultural Society that they thought it deserved. There was no premium for a collective exhibit from counties, hence the directors were at a loss to know what kind of a premium to award. At the close of the fair the display was given to the Central Pacific Railway, to be exhibited at the Illinois State Fair and to be placed ir. Chicago. The railway gave Mr. Whitaker a guarantee that they would exhibit it in the name of "The Resources of Sonoma County, California." and they carried out their agreement to the letter. Part of the exhibit was eventually sent to London, England, and was displayed there in the company's office. The commissioner of the Illinois State Fair in his re- port, which was published in the Chicago Inter-Ocean, October 1, 1883, said . "The Golden State exhibit at the Illinois State Fair, closing on September 29. 1883." "California with her products has almost created a stampede for the southern end of the huge building. California made an exhibition of some of her various and magnificent productions, including grapes, apples, pears, peaches, canned and preserved fruits, big squashes, potatoes and vegetables generally; of this exhibit the superintendent of fruits and general farm prod- ucts department miade a most flattering report, which was published in full in the daily. Inter-Ocean on October Ist. Among other things the committee said one of the greatest attractions of the present fair is the exhibition of California products in the fruit and vegetable hall. The tables on which this exhibition was made have been thronged early and late every day from the beginning of the fair and all who have had the good luck to see the exhibition have been struck with wonder and astonishment at the extraordinary size of the vegetables and fruits and wonderful profusion of the grains. The exhibition was removed from the State Fair to the Inter-State Exhibition in the exposition building of Chicago on the Tuesday following the closing of the fair and from that day to this has been one of the most attractive exhibitions in the building. On Satur- day afternoon a very large addition of wheat, barley and oats from Sonoma county and from Butte county, California, was made to the said exhibition. The Sonoma exhibit was contributed by Pomona Grange in Sonoma county and the exhibition from Butte county came from the magnificent farm of General John Bidwell, generally known in California as "Rancho Chico." "In the display of cereals among the curious and exceedingly attractive features of the cereal addition are noticed some very fine samples of macaroni wheat from Butte county by General Bidwell, also some beautiful specimens of native grasses. among the various kinds are some specimens of the true California wild oats that are said to grow so high in the valleys and hills of Sonoma county that a man on horseback can tie the standing grain in knots in front of his saddle."
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General Bidwell's exhibit, spoken of above, was one of the most complete displays from one ranch that was ever made in any state in the Union. It was on exhibition at the California State Fair in 1883-84. There was one sheaf of Scheivelere barley in Sonoma's display by Mr. C. S. Gibson, of Petaluma, that showed a wonderful growth of five feet, with heads of six and seven inches. It grew south of Petaluma on sediment land. This sheaf was sent to London.
From the showing that Pomona Grange, and the notice that was given of the exhibit throughout the state and in the east by the papers, the directors of the state fair became at once interested in county exhibits and offered special premiums to encourage them. The notice of this and other exhibits Pomona Grange made for five years proves the wisdom of Mr. Whitaker in securing the first two notices he solicited in the Sacramento Record Union. He was de- termined his display should not be ridiculed, as was being done the first two days of the State Fair, even if he had to pay for some write-up in the papers. He wrote the other two members of the committee how the display was being received and his determination to bring it to the front, and they heartily agreed with him and told him to go ahead, as he and the exhibit would come out ivinners.
SONOMA LEADS-AS USUAL.
At the State Fair, in 1883, but for the exhibit of General Bidwell and Pomona Grange the agricultural display of farm products would have had the smallest showing it had had for years. The committee in charge of Sonoma's exhibit declared that, leaving out his and General Bidwell's display, he could have wheeled all other grain exhibits all over his county in a wheelbarrow, but the display of Pomona Grange awakened an interest in other counties and from that time for four years, the entire north wing of the immense pavilion was filled to overflowing with agricultural and horticultural products of the state. Pomona Grange never received the credit from the directors of the State Fair that it should have been accorded, outside of the premiums they received. The only recognition was from the secretary when he forwarded the gold medal won in 1883, which was as follows :
SACRAMENTO, CAL., Nov. 7, 1883. MR. G. N. WHITAKER. Secretary Pomona Grange, of Sonoma County.
Sir: On November 2nd I had the pleasure of forwarding to your address the gold medal especially awarded your enterprising county for the unequalled display of cereals and other products of your prosperous county. The notice "Old Sonoma" received from this display in the east is worth more to Califor- nia than the labor of many able writers upon the subject of agriculture. Prac- tical exemplification is what the people want, seeing is believing, and I am pleased that Sonoma Pomona Grange was the first to recognize this long-felt want. The proper way to show your productions is to produce them for inspec- tion, people then can be their own judges. It is our desire next year to have a representation from each county. Wishing the medal comes safe to hand and hoping to see you in the lead next year, I remain Very truly.
EDWIN F. SMITH, Sec. of the State Agricultural Society. In 1884 Pomona Grange had the most complete display they ever had, and after exhibiting at Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Sacramento, where they took the first prize at each fair, as well as numerous other premiums. At the close of
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the State Fair the exhibit was given over to the Southern Pacific Railway to be displayed at the New Orleans exposition. On the second day of the fair, in 1884, the Record Union reporter stated he wanted to give the exhibit credit for all there was in it, viz .: "There is no exhibit in the pavilion at the present State Fair more striking and suggestive than made by Pomona Grange in behalf of Sonoma county. In a large space there is shown by samples all the products of that fertile and prosperous county, from corn to millet, from wool to wheat, from fruits to woods, from roots to raisins, from nuts to oranges. Each sample is labeled with the product, yield per acre, name of locality in which it is grown, name of the producer, etc. Let us suppose that the other fifty-one counties of the state had made each an exhibit by samples of their products, what a splendid exposition of the resources of California the State Fair would be. The example of Sonoma county should be followed next year by all the counties and it may be easily done. The matter is one full of suggestion and profit. Pomona Grange of Sonoma county. is one of the few live Granges in this state, we have watched its progress since its organization with a good deal of interest and it has always been practical and wide awake to the interests of the farmers and fruit growers of the county. It is well managed by level-headed farmers and, I believe, today exercises more and better influences than any other organization of the kind in the state. Its exhibition at Santa Rosa, Peta- luma and Sacramento was a credit to it, the county and the state and the mana- gers deserve the thanks of the entire county for their splendid exhibit. Every resident of "Old Sonoma" is proud of her and well they may be. In the recent exhibition of the resources of the various counties at the State Fair she brought away the palm. Notwithstanding such rich and productive counties as Ala- meda, Santa Clara, San Joaquin and Sacramento competed with her and the diversified resources of Butte representing the grain fields and orchards of Gen- eral Bidwell and the splendid semi-tropical resources of the foot hills stretch- ing away from Oroville northwest, were endeavoring to gain the prize. It is a marked and honorable acknowledginent to that glorious empire." Thousands who thronged the new exposition building saw what "Imperial Sonoma" could produce without irrigation. This exhibit was given to the Southern Pacific Railway to be taken to New Orleans with the agreement that they were to exhibit it as Sonoma county's products by Pomona Grange. The display was placed in the possession of Charles B. Terrill, the railroad's agent, who signed the agreement and Sonoma county received several premiums and diplomas. Mr. Terrill carried out the agreement in full and at the close of the New Or- leans exposition it was taken to the Louisville, Kentucky, exposition, where it was awarded a diploma, which follows:
Pomona Grange of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, California.
Gentlemen: The Southern Exposition, by resolution of its Board of Di- rectors, hereby conveys to you its thanks for your interesting exhibit made under the auspices of the Southern Pacific Company.
The exhibition was a valuable addition to the attractiveness of the exposi- tion of 1885, and the board has ordered that this testimonial be made of your display of productions of Sonoma county.
By order of the Board of Directors.
J. M. WRIGIIT, President.
M. C. TOMPKINS, Secretary.
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Mr. Whitaker was awarded a diploma for the best display of farm prod- ucts from Bennett Valley, in acknowledgment of meritorious display of produc- tions of Bennett Valley, in a collective exhibit.
Pomona's exhibit at New Orleans exposition was the center of attraction of all California's agricultural displays and the exhibit did more to advertise the resources of this county than any other method that had been used. In 1885 the Grange made an exhibit at the State Fair, also at the Mechanic's Fair in San Francisco, and at the close of those fairs the exhibits were brought to Santa Rosa and a display made in a theatre building and maintained by the Grange. In 1886 it was arranged to display at the Santa Rosa, Petaluma, State and Mechanics' Fairs. In 1887-8 it was only displayed at the Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Mechanics' Fairs. At that time the Grange offered to set the exhibit up in Santa Rosa for a permanent display and keep it renewed if the city would furnish a suitable room, but the city was indifferent and the state board of trade offered to take the exhibit and place it in San Francisco with other county exhibits. Pomona Grange kept it renewed until it was destroyed by fire when the Grange and the county lost a most valuable display, which could not be replaced for less than $2,000. The report of the committee on exhibits, of their work in 1884, follows: "To the officers and members of So- noma County Pomona Grange: Your committee appointed at the January meet- ing report that we collected the various products of the county, prepared and labeled them in as neat and attractive manner as means would permit and ex- hibited them at the various fairs, for which we received the following pre- miums : At Sonoma County Fair, first premium on best general display of farm products ; at Sonoma and Marin District Fair, the first premium on best general display of grains and farm products, first premium on best and largest variety of wine grapes (fiom Cloverdale) ; and four other premiums on minor products and at the State Fair, first premium on most varied and complete ex- hibit of farm products ; first premium on largest and best display of apples and a premium for the best and most extensive display of grapes and woods and on crochet work made by Georgia E. Darwin, a six year old girl. The committee takes this opportunity to return thanks to the members of the Grange and to fruit-growers, farmers and different wine makers and to all others who were liberal in contributing articles and products for this enterprise. We found it impossible to collect samples of the entire products of the county for lack of sufficient means and time to reach the remote sections of the county, it being impossible to get the aid of anyone by letter to take an active interest in collect- ing samples of the different products of their sections that can only be collected in their proper season."
"Respectfully submitted, "G. N. WHITAKER, "JOHN ADAMS, "E. A. ROGERS, "Committee."
In 1885 the exhibit won numerous premiums. During these years Pomona Grange was awarded three gold medals, fourteen silver medals, besides a num- ber of diplomas and certificates, five of the latter were won in 1885. What the Grange has done for the farming interests of Sonoma county cannot be com-
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puted in dollars and cents. During the five years that Pomona Grange was exhibiting at the various fairs the committee worked without pay, they man- aged to get enough out of the premiums to pay expenses. What they got from the board of supervisors, $100, and $15 from each subordinate Grange, they paid back at the close of the fair of 1884. T. L. Thompson contributed $5 for the first exhibit of 1883 and some smaller amounts came from others. Messrs. Rogers and Whitaker borrowed $100 of the Santa Rosa Savings Bank, giving their joint note, and with this amount often purchased deserving articles they could not get otherwise.
A POWER AMONG THE FARMERS.
The Grange has become an acknowledged power in the land and that it will be for good, past results are a sufficient answer. The results of exhibits along the line of co-operation ought to prove to the farmers of the county what good results can be obtained along other lines if put to a practical test. The Grange is the only secret order that gives women equal standing with the men ; they are eligible to any of the offices and it has been proven that they do more to keep up the order than any other agency, for where the women do not take an active interest you find the Grange lagging.
The women of the county owe Carrie Hall a debt of gratitude, for it was through her influence with her uncle, O. H. Kelly, one of the founders of the order, that women were allowed full membership. While he was traveling in the south in the interests of the agricultural department, he was in correspon- dence with her about his plans of the order and when he returned to Washing- ton and macie his report to the department he visited her in Boston and ex- plained his plans for the organization to her. She told him that unless he gave women full membership powers his order would never succeed and from that time there was never any other thought than to accord them equal standing with the men. In many of her letters to her uncle suggestions were made that were of value, one in particular when he wrote her about fixing the membership fee at ten dollars for men and five dollars for women. She answered him not to get the fee too high, as dollars were not over plenty among farmers and ten dollars was not found on every bush; she also said that five dollars was enough for men and half that for women, as they could get but half the wages paid men. From her suggestions the fees were placed at five dollars for men and three dollars for women. Miss Hall wrote out the degree of "Maid," sub- mitted it and it was adopted and at this time is in full force in every subor- dinate Grange in the United States and Canada. She was the first lady assistant steward elected to that office in the National Grange.
Had it not been for the subordinate granges co-operating with the Pomona Grange and its members, Pomona never could have achieved the results, and the manner of exhibiting by the county in a collective exhibit proves what can be accomplished by co-operation. Had it not been that Mr. Whitaker grouped the farm products from Bennett Valley together in a co-operative way. he could not have secured the diploma from the New Orleans Exposition in favor of Bennett Valley. There were many other worthy articles from California, but this valley's exhibit was a collective display of many exhibits grouped as one, hence it won the prize.
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In writing this brief résumé of Sonoma county I do not claim. it to be free from errors, as a record of the very early incidents in the history of the county was never kept or has been lost. The early settlers kept but few records, they little thought how they were laying the foundation of Imperial Sonoma, as it has grown to be in the past sixty-four years. They lived, surrounded by the most bountiful resources of any county on the Pacific coast, in peace and plenty.
Sonoma county once comprised all the territory west of the Sacramento river and north of San Francisco bay to the Oregon line, hence the carly name of "Northwest California" (how true it was we will not vouch for). At one time General Vallejo applied to the Mexican government for a grant covering that vast area, but he and Governor Alvarado were not on good terms or he might have been successful in having his grant allowed. There is no doubt but that Vallejo would have made a better Governor than Micheltorena or Alvarado, as he was much more liberal in his views of what was best for his country. He was progressive, quick to see danger or good, and often warned his government of the danger of losing California and the defenseless condition his settlement was in, and predicted what did happen June 14, 1846, when Sonoma town was in- vaded and no doubt if he had been in a position to have spoken his sentiments, would have welcomed the "Bear Flag Men."
Vallejo once had a meeting with several thousand of the Indians, but for what purpose that council was held has never been accounted for with the ex- ception of some remarks he himself made, at the laying of the corner stone of the Sonoma county courthouse May 7, 1884, viz: "-but this is the first county to come to this laying of corner stones in California and I am glad to hear it, because this very month, fifty years ago, in 1835, I was not on this spot but in the neighborhood here with General Figueroa, governor of the state. Then we had six hundred troops, we met here the tribes of Cainemeros, Guilicos, Sotomelos, and all the tribes were collected here to meet the great general. Very well, and what did we meet? About 20,000 people, all naked, no hats, no shirts, no pants, no anything, well dressed, but all naked." The general spoke of the Bear Flag party as his friends that came to this county and in his own Sonoma home raised the Bear Flag.
At the time of the raising of the Bear Flag those pioneers took their lives in their own hands. They were a band of Americans that knew no fear, but this the Mexican governor did not know when he ordered them out of the coun- try after having promised them homes and titles to land. They had been a peaceable people, had recognized the government, what little there was of it, but when ordered out of California without cause was not the way that a pioneer went. "Father" James Gregson was once asked if they did not feel a little shakey when this order was made; "No," he said, "but we looked well to our guns and ammunition." Such expressions tell more of the character of those Bear Flag men than can be written in many pages of history.
ALWAYS WITHOUT IRRIGATION.
The land produced heavy crops of any product planted: potato raising, which was confined mostly to the coast range valleys and hills became profitable, and there was always a ready market in supplying the mines. Grain was in de- mand and as soon as there was an opportunity to export, then it became an in- dustry followed extensively throughout the county and wheat, oats and barley
,
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were the staple exports. Vegetables of all kinds brought top-notch prices; beef steers sold at from $80 to $100 a head, cows $75 for dairy purposes ; hens, when sold at all, brought from $15 to $25 per dozen, and eggs from $1 to $1.50 per dozen. The soil produced wonderful crops, wheat often running as high as fifty to seventy-five bushels to the acre, barley and oats from fifty to eighty bushels. We knew of one eighty-acre field of oats that yielded 121 bushels to the . acre and we could have picked out several acres of that same field that would have threshed 150 bushels. Grain farming was followed extensively until 1885, since then fruit raising, dairying and poultry-raising have been the leading industries.
From 1865 to 1885 Sonoma county produced-wheat, 33,746,850 bushels ; oats, 27,217,125 bushels; barley, 37,650,017 bushels; corn, 1,985,350 bushels; rye, 138,225 bushels; buckwheat, 4,800 bushels. The latter is not grown as a commercial crop. Corn is grown principally on Russian river, Dry creek and Mark West creek. In an early day there was not much market for his crop and the Russian river farmers fed it to their hogs, then they had a hard time to create a market for their bacon, on account of there being so much eastern bacon shipped from the east to the mines, but by the time it arrived in the mining camps it was almost unfit for use and large quantities of California bacon was sold as the eastern product and was delivered fresh and sweet. The ranchers then devised a plan to dispose of their stock on hand, several were selected to visit the different markets and call for Russian river bacon. Santa Rosa, Petaluma and San Francisco were visited in turn and a call at all the stores was made for the article, but none could be found and they would say they "wanted that or none." They finally found one market in San Francisco where their query was met with a demand to know "where that bacon could be secured, if there was much of it, and where it was made;" the merchant was given the names of the very men who were his visitors but was not told that they were some of those that had the bacon for sale. It was not long after that until the product of the enterprising Russian river farmers could be purchased at almost every store in these cities. The wine makers of the county found much the same trouble in establishing a market as had the Russian river farmers with their bacon. After they had visited the various cities with the demand for Sonoma county wine, that or none, it was not long until the product of the Sonoma county vineyards could be found in nearly every wholesale and retail liquor establishment in all the cities visited.
Dairying and stock raising has been carried on at a profit. The methods of the dairymen are much different now than they were in the early days. Then each dairyman made his own butter, but now they have their dairy equipped with a separator, the cream being extracted and taken to a creamery and the milk retained and fed to hogs. The results are much more profitable. Dairying, fruit raising and the poultry business are followed so extensively that the county does not produce its own food supply except hay. Instead of being an exporter of grain it imports large quantities of cereals and ground feed.
While fruits are grown all over the county, likewise every other product, even to semi-tropical fruits, yet there are some sections where they will grow to perfection. The time will come when each section of the county will be devoted to growing the fruits best adapted to the local conditions as has been shown by the oranges about Cloverdale and the Gravenstein apple of the Analy
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district. Apple growing has been followed for many years, for home use and market. The Russians planted on orchard at Ft. Ross in 1811, and apples were planted by General Vallejo very early at Old Sonoma. In the '6os one good apple tree was worth more than any acre of good grain land. Olives are grown but not to any commercial extent ; peaches, prunes and apples are now becoming some of the staple products of the county and the prune, like the apple, will thrive over a wider range than most fruits.
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