History of Sonoma County : including its geology, topography, mountains, valleys, and streams, Part 24

Author: Alley, Bowen & Co. 4n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: San Francisco : Alley, Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1008

USA > California > Sonoma County > History of Sonoma County : including its geology, topography, mountains, valleys, and streams > Part 24

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PACIFIC PRESSUPOSTO

UNDRY

" Pacific Press " Publishing House, Oakland, Cal.

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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

CLOVERDALE.

This township is situated in the extreme north of Sonoma, borders on Lake county, and is famous for its picturesque scenery. Through it the Russian river flows, leaving a tract of rare fertility on either bank, while it is backed by a range of hills which, though they produce no trees, grows an abundance of grass. Upon these, thousands of sheep are pastured, the raising of this stock being its principal industry.

CLOVERDALE .- This is the only town in the township, and had its com- mencement in this wise: In the year 1856, R. B. Markle and W. J. Miller purchased eight hundred and fifty acres, which included the present site of Cloverdale, from Johnson Horrell, who claimed a portion of the Rancho de Musalacon. In 1859, J. A. Kleiser bought the property of the above named parties and, in October of that year, had the site surveyed and the town laid out by J. B. Wood, County Surveyor. It was named Cloverdale-a happy departure from the pecular mining names or Indian appellations then in vogue-but by whom, it has never been fully established; the evidence, however, is in favor that Mrs. R. B. Markle was the fair sponsor.

A man named Levi Rosenburg opened the first store in this part of the country, on the east side of Russian river, near its confluence with Sulphur creek, some time early in 1856. In October of that year, J. H. Hartman and F. G. Hahman of Santa Rosa conceived the idea of establishing a trading post at Markle's place-by which name Cloverdale was then known-it being on the route taken by travellers to Mendocino and Humboldt. The first hotel was opened by R. B. Markle about this time in the house now occupied by John Fields on East street, and was called the Cloverdale Hotel. On Kleiser becoming possessed of the property he succeeded Markle in the hotel business as well, and kept it for one year from September, 1859. The first house within the town of Cloverdale was an adobe, owned by a Span- iard, and situated on the eminence south of Mr. Kleiser's house, on land now owned by William Colwell. In 1859, Hartman & Hahman disposed of their business to Levi & Co .; others came in, but the growth of the town was next to nil. It was not until the arrival of the railroad that matters mended, then a reaction set in.

On February 28, 1872, an act incorporating the town of Cloverdale was approved and the limits described to be as under, to wit :-

Commencing at the mouth of a certain creek where it empties into Russian river, on the west side of said river, at or near where the road leading from

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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

Cloverdale to Clear Lake crosses said Russian river, and continuing up the center of said creek until it strikes the north-west corner of the lands of John Otis; thence in a southerly direction along the Wamboldt and Kleiser line fence, and still continuing in said direction until it strikes the south-west corner of Dr. J. Ramey's lot of land, and then in an easterly direction to the south-west corner of Blakeley's land; thence northerly to Kleiser's picket fence, being the line fence between Caldwell's and Kleiser's land; thence following said fence to Russian river; thence up said river to place of be- ginning.

Under this Act the following were appointed Trustees in May, 1872: Harry Kier, Amasa Morse, John Field, W. E. Crigler and Theodore Harper.

The town is cozily nestled among the hills and possesses a number of neat residences, more in proportion than in most places of no greater population There are a Congregational, a Methodist Church South, and a Catholic church. The public school is a well constructed building, presenting with its shade of native oaks, a very attractive appearance, besides which the Masonic, Odd- Fellows and United Workmen orders are represented. The Cloverdale Water Works, under the management of J. A. Carrie, supply the town with water sufficient for all demands, while it boasts of one newspaper, an excellent journal.

In the Spring of 1872, W. J. Bowman started the Cloverdale Review. Soon after S. B. Baccus commenced the publication of the Cloverdale Bee. In November, 1876, the Cloverdale News was given to the public by W. S. Walker, who now owns and conducts the Cloverdale Reveille.

First Congregational Church .- The outgrowth of this church was from the labors of Rev. James S. Burger, a missionary of the American Home Mission Society, who commenced his labors in that district on November 1, 1868. A congregation was organized by Rev. James H. Warren, D. D., then agent in California for that society, on January 17, 1869, consisting of the following members: Rev. James S. Burger and Mrs. Burger, Mrs. Charles Cooley, Mrs. J. A. Carrie, Mrs. H. F. Gerkhart, Mrs. Sarah Hall, and Mrs. John Edwards. It was then resolved to erect a place of worship, and a building committee appointed, consisting of David C.Brush, Charles H. Cooley, James A. ,Kleiser, Thomas S. Calvin, and Harry Kier. This edifice was commenced in 1870 and completed during the following year, being situated in Block L., West street, and cost about two thousand five hundred dollars. It is thirty by fifty feet, and has a belfry, in which hangs a well- toned bell, presented by J. B. Ford, of Mendocino City, but now a resident of Brooklyn, Alameda county, which cost three hundred dollars.

In July, 1870, Rev. James S. Burger resigned the pastorate, when a call was accepted by Rev. E. Jones, who preached his first sermon in September of that year. March 27, 1871, Mr. Jones resigned, and was succeeded by Rev.

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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

D. I. Williams. of Shillsbury, Wis., who took charge of the church as acting pastor ; he left in May, and on July 14, 1871, Rev. William J. Clark entered upon the duties of acting pastor. In the month of March, 1872, Doctor Warren, of San Francisco, presented a beautiful silver communion set, as a gift from the Congregational Church of Oakland; August 18th, of this year, Mr. Clark sent in his resignation, and on the 3d of October, G. F. G. Morgan was elected pastor for one year; he, however, preached but a short time, when an invitation was extended to the Rev. A. F. Hitchcock, dated October 13, 1872. Mr. Hitchcock not accepting the call, it was sent to J. J. Powell, of Rio Vista, on December 1st; he commenced his duties on December 4, 1872. On May 8, 1875, Mr. Powell resigned. On June 6th Isaac W. Atherton was called to the pastorate; on July 4th, he accepted it and forthwith commenced his labors. He resigned September 30, 1877. Decem- ber 30th of that year, Rev. S. P. Whiting, the present pastor, was called to undertake the duties.

At a meeting held in January, 1879, Miss Sarah Miner was elected Clerk, and is the present holder of that office. The membership is thirty-six, while the attendance at the Sabbath-school, of which Henry Hoskins is the Super- intendent, is about fifty.

Catholic Church .- This church commenced holding services about the year 1870, in the Cloverdale Hotel and other places till 1878, when the present beautiful little church on block A, corner of Main and Broad streets, was erected. It was dedicated, May 7, 1870, by Archbishop Alemany of San Francisco. Services are held once a month by Father J. M. Conway of Santa Rosa.

SOCIETIES .- Curtis Lodge, No. 160, F. and A. M .- This Lodge com- menced work under dispensation, August 8, 1859, with William H. Hollis, W. M .; Eli Lester, S. W .; T, J. GouldJ. W .; J. B. Estess, Treasurer; Thomas Johnson, Secretary; James Ramey, S. D .; N. L. Morrey, J. D .; Samuel Larson, Tyler, who with J. W. Belden, were the charter members. The first meetings were held in a building now occupied by Charles Cook as a saloon in block J. On May 10, 1860, the charter was granted. In the Summer of 1870, the lodge moved into a building, the first one north from their former room, where they are now located. The officers for the present term are: H. Kier, W. M .; Charles H. Cooley, S. W .; Charles Bean, J. W .; J. A. Carrie, Treasurer ; D. N. Wambold, Secretary ; Lars H. Woolford, S. D .; C. A. Williams, J. D .; Thomas Johnson, Tyler.

Cloverdale Lodge, No. 193, I. O. O. F .- This Lodge was organized Decem- ber 2, 1871, with R. A. Zimmerman, N. G .; J. L. Dougherty, V. G .; Jasper A. Linville, Recording Secretary ; F. D. Mize, Treasurer; who were with Philip How, the charter members. This meeting was held in the Masonic Hall, opposite the United States Hotel, continuing there to convene until

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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

February 1, 1875, when they leased the brick building adjoining the above hotel, belonging to D. Chamberlain, situated on Lot No. 40, block C, and fitted the upper story as a lodge-room, where they are now located. Their day of meeting had from its organization up to the month of September, 1876, been every Monday; since that time it has been changed to Saturday even- ing of each week. The lodge is in a flourishing condition, and has for its present officers: Frank Spencer, N. G .; L. R. Standley, V. G .; P. Ludwig, Secre- tary; Neil Anker, Treasurer. The average membership is thirty five.

Cloverdale Lodge, No. 32, A. O. U. W .- The Lodge of Ancient Order of United Workmen at Cloverdale was granted its charter May 3, 1878, the following being the officers at the time: Isaac E. Shaw, P. M. W .; C. A. Williams, M. W .; W. D. Sink, G. F .; W. F. Brush, O .; C. H. Bean, Recorder; J. A. Carrie, Financier; J. F. Hoadley, Receiver; John B. Cooley, Guide; W. N. Waite, I. W .; Frank Spencer, O. W. The lodge meets every Mon- day evening in the hall of I. O. O. F., and is in a prosperous condition. The officers elected for the term ending December 31, 1879, are: W. D. Sink, P. M. W .; Neil Anker, M. W .; C. H. Bean, Recorder; E. A. Hoadley, Financier; J. F. Hoadley, Receiver; C. F. French, G. F .; W. N. Waite, O .; Charles Phillips, G .; C. A. Williams, I. W .; John B. Cooley, O. W.

Schools .- The first school was opened in the year 1861, on the site of the present house, and was built by J. A. Kleiser. The building wherein instruc- tion is now carried on is twenty-four by sixty feet, constructed of wood, and is two stories high. It is a graded school, the teachers being: W. H. Has- kins, principal; Mary J. Field, first assistant; Mary E. Minor, second assis- tant; and Eva J. Emory, third assistant.

Cloverdale Water Works .- This company was established in the Summer of 1872, the books being opened in September of that year. The water is brought from Carrie's ranch, a distance of two-and-a-half miles, and has a fall of three hundred feet, with one break in the entire length. The com- pany supplies, besides the dwelling houses, the sprinkling cart and fire department, there being sufficient force to make it thoroughly effective in such an emergency. The enterprise was started by F. W. Lougee, Josiah Moulton, and J. A. Carrie, who is the manager of the works, and from whose property the supply is obtained.

HOTELS .- Cloverdale Hotel .- Was erected in the year 1858, by R. W. Dodge, and managed by him and others until October 5, 1872, when M. Menihan leased the building, having made considerable additions thereto since that time. The building is situated on West street, and is the starting place of stages for all parts of the country, the proprietor being agent for the Geyser Springs and Mendocino stage line.

United States Hotel .- In the year 1859 thirty-six by twenty-four feet of this building was constructed, comprised in two stories of brick, with kitchen

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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

addition; to this was added in 1865 two stories adjoining, thirty-three by forty, of the same material, and as necessity demanded the following additions have been since made. In 1873 a barber-shop and saloon, two stories of thirty by sixty feet, and in 1875 a kitchen thirty-three by sixty-four feet. The building is located on Block C, Lots thirty-eight and thirty-nine, cor- ner of West and Second streets, and has a frontage on the former of one hun- dred, and on the latter one hundred and eight feet. A spacious verandah occupies its entire length on both thoroughfares. while the dining-room, which is on Second street, is a square room capable of accommodating a hun- dred guests. The United States Hotel was built by H. F. Gerkhart, who is still its proprietor, at a cost, as it now stands, of forty thousand dollars, and is replete with every comfort for the permanent as well as the transient guest.

The Cloverdale Reveille .- This newspaper made its appearance in the first week of October, 1879, W. S. Walker being the publisher and proprietor. The Cloverdale News was started in November, 1876, by the same gentleman, but in the following April he disposed of his interest to J. F. Hoadly, who con- tinued its publication until the Spring of the present year, when he removed the office to Santa Rosa, running it in the interest of the New Constitution party, at which place he suspended its publication in September, 1879. Mr. Walker then purchased the material, removed it to Cloverdale and the Reveille. made its appearance as above stated. It is a well printed and readable sheet, with every promise of a bright future before it.

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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

KNIGHT'S VALLEY.

This township is situated on the north-east boundary of Sonoma, with Napa county at the foot of Mount St. Helena, one of the loftiest and most beautiful peaks of the Mayaemas range. It includes about thirteen thousand acres of valley land, covered by a Spanish grant, and is now partly owned by a company who maintain a Summer resort at Kellogg, and partly by Calvin H. Holmes, an old and most respected pioneer.

The scenery in Knight's Valley embraces the characteristic groves of oaks and other woods on the hills and in the hollows, which are to be found all over the county; walks and drives of rare beauty, excelling those which might be devised by man's handiwork, intersect the low-lying grounds and mountain slopes, while through its length passes one of the roads-that from Calistoga-leading to the far-famed Geysers, the most marvelous of Sonoma's romantie pictures. This thoroughfare was built by Sam. Brannan, W. Pat- terson, Calvin Holmes and others, in 1869-70, and though by no means so famous as the Hog's Back road, on account of its many hair-breadth escapes, still it combines all the beauties of scenery, and grandeur of hill and dale which the other made attractive.

The earliest settler in Knight's Valley was William McDonald, who came there from Napa county in the year 1850, and was the first to act as .guide to the Geysers, visitors to the Springs being provided with saddle horses by him. Thomas Knight, from whom the valley takes its name, arrived in 1853, and purchased the property for the small sum of ten thousand dol- lars from Berryesa, a Spaniard, who had been located there for many years previous. A school was taught in the valley, on the land now owned by Calvin Holmes, by Charles Rushmore, in 1857, and is still used for that pur- pose, while service is occasionally held in it by a clergyman from Calistoga.

The principal industry of this township is wheat-growing and sheep-rais- ing; there are, however, two mines located on Holmes' land, which are not now worked. The Great Western Quicksilver mine is also partly situated in Knight's Valley township, the workings running under the dividing line between Sonoma and Lake counties. Besides these industries, there are two saw-mills situated at the upper end of the valley, one now in disuse; that in operation is the property of Annesley and Davis, of Lake county. The one now working was built by Thomas Knight in 1856, and is the property of Steele Brothers.

The outlet for the productions of the township is the town of Calistoga,.

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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

in Napa county, to which there is an excellent road, and from whence there is communication with San Francisco by railroad.

Any account, however meagre, of Knight's Valley would be imcomplete" without mention being made of the fine estate of Calvin Holmes, a portion of the original Rancho de Malacomes. Here Mr. Holmes has erected a superb mansion, and magnificent farm houses, arranged with every design to insure the care and confort of his stock. Adjoining this farm is the elegant resi- dence and fine ranch of George Hood, of Santa Rosa.

KELLOGG .- This Summer resort is situated in Knight's Valley, at the foot St. Helena mountain, about seven miles from Calistoga, nineteen from the Geysers, and seventeen from Healdsburg. The original building (now re- modeled as a hotel) was built by Berryesa and was constructed of adobe clay, to which he made additions of frame and stone; it next passed into the hands of Knight and Rockwell, who disposed of it to a man named Has- brook, who in turn sold it with the Knight's Valley Ranch to one Stewart. He incorporated it into the Knight's Valley Land and Contract Company, from whom it passed into the hands of Steele Brothers, the present pro- prietors. It was first opened as a place of Summer resort by the afore- said Stewart. The buildings consist of ten cottages besides the main hotel, while there is capacity for one hundred and twenty-five visitors.

FOSSVILLE .- This is a station between Kellogg and Calistoga named after and owned by Clark Foss, the porprietor of the stage-route to the Geysers, who came here in 1871 and opened a hotel. This hostelry is furnished with every convenience throughout, has twenty-five rooms and accommodation for a large number of guests. Mr. Foss has here several stables and coach-houses, and in the summer months the scene presented in front of these buildings is animated in the extreme.

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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

MENDOCINO.

This township is the largest in the county and is situated in the north- east of Sonoma, rounding off to the north-west. It is diversified with every imaginable phase of scenery from the park-like plains of the valleys, dotted with groves and sprinkled with beautiful homes, to the bold mountain-land pine covered to their summits, thickly clothed with almost impenetrable brush-wood, until culminating in high, rocky peaks. From the summit of Geyser Peak, a high mountain, situated on the border of the adjoining township of Washington, a prospect of the most ravishing order is mapped out at our feet. At a glance the large main valley through which the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad runs, is taken in, from the shore of the San Pablo bay, to its terminus at Cloverdale. The prosperous towns of Cloverdale, Geyserville, Healdsburg, Windsor, Fuł- ton, Santa Rosa, and Petaluma are easily distinguished, while a little to the east of south we look upon the world-renowned Sonoma valley. At the foot of Mount St. Helena, we have the fertile Knight's valley, while to add com- pleteness to the scene, the Russian river may be followed, flowing through the district in many a beautiful meander, appearing like a silver thread, as the sun glances upon its bosom, until lost in the arms of the Great Pacific.

The earliest permanent white settler in Mendocino township was Cyrus Alexander. As has been shown in our history of Russian River township, his agreement with Captain Fitch had lapsed from time, and he took up his residence on that part of the Sotoyome grant lying on the east side of Russian river, including the land from the river's channel to the boundary line of the said grant, comprising the fertile valley which has since borne his name, situated along the foot-hills, north and east, far enough to include two Spanish leagues. This was in 1845, but the title to the property he did not receive until September, 1847. On taking possession he commenced to erect himself a permanent residence, but waiting for the hardening of sun- dried bricks was too slow a process; he therefore began the erection of a red- wood building similar to that described, in another place, in a situation of much natural beauty and advantage, the structure being placed on an eminence near to which flowed a stream of crystal water, which found its source in a large hill behind, while to the east of the location were numbers of living springs, all offering magnificent advantages for a permanent settlement. Here he commenced the labors of reclaiming ground which he tilled with a primitive plow, already noted elsewhere. At his new home he planted, in 1846,

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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

a few grapevines, as well as some apple and peach seeds, which, as soon as they showed above ground, he irrigated with water procured from the stream close by, while the construction of the adobe house was proceeded with in the dry season, covering it with a roof of shingles which he procured from the adjacent forests. As the cultivation of wheat increased, Alexander bethought him of the necessity of erecting a flour or grist-mill, and at once set to work to consider the ways and means. Some suitable rock was found east of the position now occupied by the town of Healdsburg, but difficult to obtain on account of being situated high up on a mountain side. A Spaniard was therefore hired, who from these cut mill-stones, making them about two feet in diameter, and afterwards dragged them down to level ground by means of a horse and lariat, whence they were conveyed on the primitive wagon, already mentioned; the site for the mill being chosen on the stream by which stood his dwelling. Let us describe this, the earliest flour-mill in the district: The frame-work on which the machinery should rest was made of timber procured from the redwoods; the water-wheel was about the size of an ordi- nary washing tub, provided with arms for the water flowing out of a large discharge sluice, conveyed from a dam above, to strike against. Set in the the wheel and perpendicular with the arms was the main shaft, and on the upper end of it the spindle-probably the one mentioned as having been forwarded by Captain Fitch *- the spindle being connected by a trundle to the stone. The stream furnished water sufficient to work the mill only in the rainy season; but it proved a success, and a source of comfort as well, for the neighboring rancheros were wont to make use of it as well as the pro- prietor. The mill was not large enough to admit of a bolting cloth, had such a thing been procurable then; a substitute was, however, found in a piece of canvas, about five feet long and one wide, stretched on a frame, with a slide made of slats for the bolting frame to move backwards and forwards upon. In this simple manner was the first mill completed, and good flour turned out, in the township now under consideration. This, however, was not the only improvement made at this early period by our ingenious pioneer. He made a mould in which he manufactured bricks from adobe clay; he procured shells from the sea-beach that he burned in a kiln, also made out of the ever useful adobe, which he turned into lime, these he employed in the con- struction of that house, wherein now resides his widow, the partner of these early times; when finished, at the epoch of which we write, it was eighty feet long, twenty feet wide, and twelve feet high, the walls being two feet thick, all of solid adobe.

The year 1846 was a noted one in the annals of California, for it was then that immigration to the Pacific coast took any shape among the people of the Atlantic, and more western States. Among those who started for this then little known country were the Gordons, Morrow, Storey, and

* Vide History of Russian River Township.

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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

W. J. March, who all found their way to the Russian river valley and in 1848 settled on land now comprised in this township. As month followed month, and year succeeded year, so did the population increase. In 1849 arrived Win. T. Allen and others; in 1851, Richard E. Lewis and many more. In these years the gold fever had stocked California with denizens from every known part of the globe; every tongue spoken on the face of the globe was to be heard in the gold mines, while all were bent on acquiring a large and rapid fortune. Failure or success caused many to leave the pursuit of treasure and look for somewhere to settle and thus in the next five years every portion of the State received a marvelous increase to the number of its residents. In Mendocino township the few residents that were not taken with the gold disorder, watched carefully passing events and tilled their ground, and planted their produce, waiting for a certain harvest of dust. Our old pioneer Cyrus Alexander knew that wealth was now within his grasp; he sent his cattle to the mines and there received fabulous prices for them. In the Summer of 1850 he succeeded in raising a good crop of large sized onions-about two tons in all; these he dispatched to the mines by an ox-team and cleared about twelve hundred dollars on the venture by retailing them at from forty to seventy-five cents per pound. Hogs flesh had been up to that time a scarce commodity; they had been, however, introduced by Alexander in 1850 or before then. At any rate, in that year a drover named Olmstead came from the mines and wanted to strike a bargain with Alexander for certain pigs, the price wanted being fifty dollars each. This was too great a sum, thought the drover, he therefore asked the weight of the porker, but there were no weights or scales to be had; he, however, hit upon an ingenious and certainly novel plan to ascertain his wish. He inquired if there was any wheat on the ranch, and after being informed that there was, he remarked: "Put a rail through the fence and fasten a hog on one end with a sack of wheat on the other and see if it will balance." Alexander interrogated him as to how he would know the weight of the sack of wheat. "Oh," said Olmstead, " I can guess at that," on which he received the reply: "Then why not guess the weight of the hog in the first place." This was not so certain a matter for the drover, how- ever; he had been a wheat grower in Illinois and was posted in the weight of sacks of that staple, but the ponderosity of live pork was beyond his ken. The chances were entirely in favor of the vendor in this instance for it would have taken more than one sack of wheat to poise the hog, while it is an ascertained fact that wheat to the sack in California weighs heavier than it does in Illinois. For these animals Alexander received one thousand dollars for twenty, being at the rate of fifty dollars a piece.

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History of Sonoma County : including its geology, topography, mountains, valleys, and streams, Part 24

Author: Alley, Bowen & Co. 4n Publication date: 1880 Publisher: San Francisco : Alley, Bowen & Co. Number of Pages: 1008

Author: Alley, Bowen & Co. 4n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: San Francisco : Alley, Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1008