USA > California > Sonoma County > History of Sonoma County : including its geology, topography, mountains, valleys, and streams > Part 54
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" We also believe that the prospects are now favorable to receive the required patent of the Pueblo in a reasonable time, unless other objections are made by outside parties."
Since the removal of the county seat from Sonoma until lately, the town has been, as it were, out of the world. In November, 1873, we learn that an agreement was entered into between General Vallejo and William Carlisle, wherein the latter undertook to bring water from the General's homestead, where it is confined in a reservoir, into the town, through redwood pipes with three-inch bore, the mains to be laid along the avenue leading from the General's house to the main road, thence down United States street, running east and west in the town of Sonoma, thence easterly along said street to a street running north and south on the east side of the plaza, thence along each street encircling the plaza, and also along the streets bordering the plaza, thence down Broad street; the total length of mains being eight thousand feet. The terms of the agreement were: All profits to be divided equally between General Vallejo and Mr. Carlisle for five years, at the end of which time the General had the right to pay Carlisle the original cost of the works, when the whole interest would revert to General Vallejo. The cost of the pipes laid down was not to exceed twenty-eight cents per foot. This water is now rented by about thirty families at one dollar and fifty cents a month each. It is used by a much larger number, and not only for domestic pur- poses, but also for irrigation, much to the displeasure of General Vallejo, to whom the enterprise now belongs.
The town of Sonoma would appear to have been visited by several confla- grations, one of the largest being that which occurred on Saturday night, November 11, 1866. The conflagration commenced in Linihan's livery stable, destroying that building and contents, as well as nine head of horses, forty tons of hay, three tons of barley, two buggies, two wagons, nine plows, and several other articles. The Union Hotel, adjoining on the north, and Martin & McDonald's blacksmith shop were also destroyed, with all their furniture and fixtures. The Southern Methodist church, some distance from the other buildings destroyed, was also burned. The loss sustained was as follows : Jerry Linihan, five thousand dollars, a policy of insurance having expired but a few days before the catastrophe ; Uhrig & Co., proprietors of the Union Hotel, ten thousand dollars, covered by five thousand dollars insurance; Martin & McDonald, blacksmiths, fifteen hundred dollars ;
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Methodist church, two thousand dollars; Dr. Vaslit's horses burnt in stable, two hundred and fifty dollars. On the day following a man was arrested upon complaint of Mr. Linihan, in whose employ he had formerly been, and with whom he had recently quarreled, charging him with arson. The indi- vidual had given several contradictory accounts of himself and his where- abouts on the night of the fire. While the fire was raging, the store of T. Duhring & Co., in another part of the town, was robbed of a considerable sum of money, which was taken from an iron safe which had been opened with a false key.
The village of Sonoma at the present writing is a quiet place, and possesses little more than a history. It boasts of three churches, a Catholic, Methodist and Congregational. The plaza, with even a little attention, might be made a beautiful spot; as it is, it wears a dilapidated look, the fence is broken, the grass is rank, and is now intersected with pathways made by the citizens as short-cuts to their various haunts. There are four hotels and several stores, a postoffice, which was established November 8, 1849, with Lilburn W. Boggs as Postmaster, and a telgraph agency. The Masons and Odd Fellows have each a lodge, while the Sonoma Valley Bank occupies a prominent position on the plaza.
Temple Lodge, No. 14, F. & A. M .- This lodge was organized on April 9, 1851, with the following charter members: J. Hendley, George H. Derby, James R. Long, M. Pelty, Jesse Davidson, William Burris, P. Hicklin, Stephen Acres, Jason Smith, E. Peabody and George Stevenson. The pres- ent membership is thirty-five, while the officers are: J. J. Stofen, W. M .; P. L. McGill, S. W .; D. MeKillop, J. W .; M. P. Ackers, Treasurer; G. W. Sparks, Secretary; W. C. Goodman, S. D .; S. B. Box, J. D .; A. F. Hara- szthy, Marshal; Charles McHarvey and Richard Liver, Stewards; W. F. Searcy, Tyler.
The fraternity occupies the floor above the Sonoma Valley Bank; the hall is forty by twenty feet, while, the ante and preparation rooms are respect- ively ten by eight and eight by eight feet. The lodge is in good circum- stances, both fraternally and financially.
Sonoma Lodge, No. 28. I. O. O. F .- This lodge was instituted July 1, 1854, with J. A. Brewster, P. G .; F. Rohrer, P. G .; W. Ayers, S. C. Hayden and Calvin Rohrer as charter members. The inaugural ceremonies were presided over by Edward B. Eaton, D. D. G. M. of Napa district, and the following officers elected: J. A. Brewster, N. G .; Fred. Rohrer, V. G .; H. B. Martin, Secretary; G. W. Miller, Treasurer. Since the lodge was organized there have been one hundred and fifty-five members admitted. Theirs has not been a life of unremitting prosperity, the hall having been twice destroyed by fire in 1859, and seven years later, in 1867. Notwith- standing these reverses the institution is now in a prosperous condition
John Me Minn
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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
with a membership of twenty-nine and a building and other property worth five thousand dollars. The present building wherein the lodge meets was erected in 1877 of concrete, forty-three by sixty feet, and contains two store rooms on first floor, and a lodge room and three offices on the second. The present elective officers are: C. L. Ennis, N. G .; M. Muldry, V. G .: M. Levy, R. S .; P. Monahan, Treasurer; J. Douglas, P. S.
Locust Grove School .- This admirably conducted school was established by Mrs. Lubeck, in the month of January, 1875, and is situated about two and a half miles from the town of Sonoma, nearly midway on the direct road to St. Louis, the small village at the Embarcadero, at the head of navi- gation, the stage therefrom passing the gates twice a day. This academy was started with this principal object, the preparation of boys under twelve years of age for the Episcopal colleges of St. Augustine, at Benicia, Solano, and St. Mathew's Hall, at San Mateo, in the county of that name. The Locust Grove school is beautifully situated in the midst of umbrageons trees, through the branches of which the sun's rays are rarely felt; here the young enjoy all the advantages of a home, combined with the greatest care and attention. Well grounding in the classes modern languages and music, as well as the rudiments of a good education in other branches, are the chief aim of the teachers, yet play is not overlooked, there being every opportunity to roam in the large and well-stocked orchard which surrounds the house, while conveniently near is a stream where the art of swimming is inculcated; indeed, all healthful exercises tending to give vigor to the youthful mind and body are not forgotten by the accomplished matron and her assistants. The average attendance since the opening of the establish- ment has been twenty-five, but the prospect of an increase is beyond a doubt, so soon as the advantages of care and locality are generally known.
Sonoma Valley Bank .- This institution was incorporated in June, 1875, with a paid up capital of fifty-three thousand one hundred dollars, and com- menced business on July 12, 1875. The bank is situated on the plaza in the town of Sonoma, and its officers are: President, David Burris; Cashier, Jesse Burris; Directors, David Burris, A. E. Haraszthy, F. Duhring, P. Mona- han, and W. H. Switzer.
NEWSPAPERS .- The first printing done in Sonoma county were two small pamphlets in the Spanish language, published in 1838 by the Government press in Sonoma. One of them contained a list of remedies for the common complaints which all flesh is heir to, even in this favored clime; the other is a series of reports made by General Vallejo to the Governor of Alta Cal- ifornia.
The Sonoma Bulletin .- This was the first periodical published in Sonoma county, its initial number being issued June 12, 1852, by A. J. Cox, who had been a resident of the town of Sonoma since 1847, having been a member
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of a company of Stevenson's regiment, which was stationed there. Mr. Thompson says: It was a very lively sheet for several years, and would have done credit to a much later period in the history of the State. Contributions from the inimitable Derby, and other army officers stationed at Sonoma, were not infrequent in its columns.
The paper was continued at intervals up to 1855, when the editor, in a characteristic notice in the Petaluma Journal of September 15, 1855, announces its final demise as follows: "Hon. Q. Smikes wishes to return his thanks to the editorial fraternity for the kind notices of his debut, and to the public generally (the rest of mankind included) for their liberal patronage, and to announce that the Blunderbuss has dried up."
The Sonoma Index .- This is the name of a very readable and intelligently conducted newspaper now published in Sonoma. It had been but recently started when we visited the ancient city, but under the able leadership of Ben. Frank it was making famous headway and worthily filling a prominent place in the world of letters in Sonoma county.
VINEYARDS OF SONOMA .- Sonoma valley has the largest share of the wine- producing industry of the county. In it, and on the surrounding hills, there are no less than three thousand acres planted with vines, all of them productive.
The most extensive vineyard in the township, indeed, in the county-per- haps in the world-is that of the Buena Vista Vinicultural Society, which covers an area of about five hundred acres, and has planted some four hun- dred thousand vines. What a marvel of a place is this vineyard as one drives through it, extending, as it does, for several miles along the base of the hills bounding the eastern border of the valley; naught on either hand but the brilliant green of the grape, laid out in lines, with not a perceptible curve; looked at from whatsoever point, still the same mathematical pre- cision is maintained ; arranged in tracts of such size that two lines converge in the far-off perspective, while from the refreshing color of the prospect the eye never tires, but finds relief from the glare of bright sunshine.
The Buena Vista Vinicultural Society was organized in the year 1863 by Colonel Agoston Haraszthy, a Hungarian noble, of whom mention has been made in another place. To this gentleman of indefatigable perseverance and indomitable strength of purpose is due the hold which grape culture has taken upon the settlers of Sonoma valley; he it was who undertook the cultivation of the vine without the time-honored custom of irrigation inau- gurated by the fathers of the missions.
The first vines on the track of land now under attention were planted by Salvador Vallejo, he having chosen the site on account of the proximity of a mountain stream which could be brought into operation in irrigating the fields. In 1849 he sold it to Benjamin Kelsey and his brother, who had
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come from the then recently discovered mines with a large fortune in gold dust; the name henceforward became Kelsey's vineyard; they next disposed of it to a San Francisco lawyer named Rose, at one time a resident of Marys- ville, Yuba county, who gave it his name; and in 1856 it became the prop- erty of Colonel Haraszthy, who greatly increased its size by the pur- chase of adjoining land, and as stated above, finally started the Vinicultural Society.
In 1849, there were some two or three acres of vines under cultivation at Lachryma Montis, the residence of General Vallejo, out of which, in 1850, he netted six thousand dollars in the San Francisco market. In the previous year a small vineyard and orchard had been commenced by Albert Lyon in the town; his lead was followed by a man named Griffith, who had brought his young fruit plants from Oregon. Those of the General and Salvador Vallejo had been planted for years prior to this epoch, but the culture of the grape was not at first taken hold of with any enthusiasm, for this simple reason, it was thought that for any kind of cultivation irrigation was imperatively necessary; they had seen that the vines of the two Vallejos, men of the longest experience in the country, were in this wise treated, hence they followed, and it was not until the experience of Colonel Harasz- thy, who had been raised in the vine-growing countries of Hungary, was brought to bear that this special industry commenced to assume the vast proportions that it has now attained.
Let us now enter into a description of some of the principal grape- growing establishments in Sonoma valley.
The Buena Vista .- As we have remarked, the largest vineyard in Cali- fornia is the Buena Vista, where there are five hundred acres of vines. The whole tract belonging to the Buena Vista Vinicultural Society covers some six thousand acres, on which there are several creeks and sulphur, iron and soda springs. An avenue a mile long leads to the houses, and on both sides are planted three rows of locust and mulberry trees. Of the latter there are some three thousand, exclusive of cuttings. The dwellings, men's quarters, carpenter's shop, stable, etc., are all separated, so as to prevent the possibility of a heavy loss by fire. The company make different classes of red and white wine, while they manufacture sparkling wines with the foreign varieties of grapes. The press-house, near a hill, is three stories high and one hundred feet square. The grapes are brought around on the side of the hill and crushed in the upper story, while the juice is carried by pipes to the vats below. From this house three tunnels or cellars, one hundred feet long each, are run into the hill for the purpose of storing the wine. The champagne house is also three stories high, and from it are two long tunnels running into the hill, containing in 1879 about thirty thousand bottles of sparkling wine.
On one side of the creek, near the press-house, is the cooper shop, where
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all the casks are put together, and on the other side is the distillery, where the brandy is made. In the press-house cellars are large tanks, holding from one to two thousand gallons each, where they have wine of the older vintages up to date. Tunnel No. three is what is facetiously termed the "library," where are ranged different kinds of wine ready to be sampled. On the main creek is the willow house, where all the champagne baskets are made from willows grown on the ranch. They employ from forty to one hundred men, according to the season. Every department has its own overseer, who brings his reports nightly to the superintendent, E. P. Cutter. The agents in San Francisco are B. E. Auger & Company, 409 Battery street.
Vineyard of Col. George F. Hooper .- Never was the word model more pertinently applied to any manorial estate in this republic than the vineyard, orchard, groves and grounds of Col. G. F. Hooper. Talent, industry, judg- ment, perseverance and money have aided nature in making this a very Eden. Here he has ninety acres under cultivation, forty-five being orchard, twenty of which are almonds, of the Languedoc and Prince of Spain species budded from imported trees on plum and peach stems. There are also fifteen acres of oranges, lemons, limes, etc. Besides which he has groves of pecan nuts, chestnuts, olives, Japanese persimmons, English walnuts, or Madeira nuts, the Mandarin orange of China, as well as the citron. Col. Hooper acquired this property in 1872, and in the following year set out cuttings of vines, the principal kinds which he cultivates being the Zinfindel, Black Malvoisie, Flame Tokay, and several others. The last mentioned is said to be a hybrid variety, closely resembling the English hot-house grape. It is ordinarily a splendid table grape. In its first year of pressing, or on being turned into wine, it is not considered of any great class, but on keep- ing for two years it begins to develop and show its quality. The cellars on the premises are fifty-four by seventy feet, of two and a half stories high, with the ground floor dug out, and having a capacity of one hundred thou- sand gallons. In connection with the cellar there is a distillery, the still of which is entirely driven by heat, no steam being required. About twenty thousand gallons of wine are manufactured a year. On his estate Colonel Hooper has erected a magnificent mansion, the grounds around which he has laid out with particular care. The building nestles cosily under the wooded mountains of the Sonoma range, protected from rude blast or grimy dust, it commands an unrivaled view of water, hill and dale, while it is furnished with that elegance which shows a mind at once refined and cultivated.
The Vineyard of Nicholas Carriger .- The vineyard of this genial and hospitable pioncer is situated at the base of the Sonoma range, on the west side of the creek, about three miles from the town. His property consists of one hundred and fifty acres, one hundred and forty-five of which he has in vines, an l the balance in fruit trees. Mr. Carriger came to the Sonoma
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HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
valley in 1846, and in that year purchased grapes from Jacob P. Leese, who had then a portion of the Buena Vista vineyard, and here he saw wine being made by putting the grapes into a hide, the juice being tramped out by Indians. In the Spring of 1847, Leese gave Carriger some vines, which he planted in the town of Sonoma; they were afterwards destroyed by cattle, during his absence at the mines. In 1848 he commenced by planting a few vines on his present property, and in 1849 commenced grape growing in earnest. His cellar is a magnificent building of three stories in height, the lower one being built of stone, and the two upper ones of wood. The dimensions of the building are seventy-four by forty-eight feet. The upper stories are supported by upright beams measuring twelve by twelve inches, while those which lie lengthwise traverse the whole length of the building without a break. The ground floor is of stone, dug out and leveled from out of the hill, and has a capacity of one hundred and eighty thousand gallons.
The Vineyard. of Kohler & Frohling .- This vineyard is situated about eight miles west of Sonoma, and occupies one hundred and fifty acres, com- prising the following varieties of grapes: Mission, Zenfindel, Muscat, Rose of Peru, Chassler, Reisling, etc. The cellars are two stories high, the lower being of stone, the dimensions are fifty-six by ninety-six feet, with a capacity of two hundred thousand gallons.
The Vineyard of W. McPherson Hill .- Mr. Hill owns an extensive tract of hill and valley, embracing and running from the very summit of the southern ridge of mountains to the banks of the creek. As early as 1852 he bought two hundred peach trees, one year old from the bud, and was the first grower to offer the fruit in the California markets. The prices obtained were fabulous. In 1852, Mr. Hill paid as high as three dollars and seventy- five cents- each for grape roots. He commenced planting in 1855, and has ever since devoted most of his time to the culture of wine. He has also paid great attention to the raising of choice fruit trees, and as one enters the spacious grounds, the long rows of vigorous and thrifty trees, laden down with luscious fruit of every kind, attest his success.
Our space will not permit of our entering more into detail in regard to the culture of the grape and the making of wine in this place, a considerable portion of our work being already devoted to these industries. We will, in concluding our remarks on Sonoma township, draw attention to another industry which is on the fair road to make this wonderful valley still more famous.
PISCICULTURE .- The culture of fish has been for some years occupying the attention of the prominent residents in certain portions of this county. The carp and the brook trout have been those which have found the most favor in the eyes of the pisciculturists. The carp does not resemble any fish found
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in California waters, though in the East the buffalo fish is said to bear some resemblance to it.
The tench, likewise an Eastern fish, is also said to be similar to it in many respects. Doubtless our readers have had an opportunity of examin- ing the carp, and are acquainted with its general appearance. For the benefit of those who have not seen it, we give a description, taken from a paper lately written by Mr. Rudolph Hessel, which may be found in the Commissioners' Report to the U. S. Fish Commission, 1878 :-
" The carp," says Mr. Hessel, "has a toothless mouth, thick lips, and four barbels on the upper jaw. In place of the usual teeth of the mouth, there are a number of stout teeth on the pharyngeal bones, which are arranged in three rows. It has one singular dorsal, which is larger than the anal. Both these fins have their origin on the anterior edge, a strong ray, which is ser- rated in a downward direction. The caudal is of semi-circular shape, and the natatory bladder is divided into two sections, with connecting air passage. The scales have an entire edge, and the body is compressed on the the sides. The general color of the sides and back is a dark olive-brown, the abdomen of a whitish yellow or orange tint. The coloring depends, as with all fish, partly upon the age and season, partly upon the water, the soil, and also upon the food of the fish."
The food of the carp consists principally of the fungus and other vegeta- ble matter usually found at the bottom of ponds. When the fish are to be fed (which is necessary in order to insure great size, etc.) there is no particu- lar diet provided, for the carp is proverbial for being the most easily satisfied fish with respect to diet that can be found. It eats greedily beans, peas, blood, curd, grain, and in fact almost anything else. It thrives most rapidly in ponds which have still water and muddy bottoms. Many things could be said about their habits and characteristics, the methods used in bringing them to market in Europe, and finally in the preparation and construction of artificial ponds for their proper accomodation, but our space will prevent us from entering upon these subjects.
Carp Ponds of J. A. Poppe .- Mr. Poppe's ranch is favorably located near the foot of a mountain, and is supplied with several never failing springs of pure water. He has constructed, at great expense, six large ponds, with a fall of several feet between each one, so that the water passes through the first, goes to the next, and so on down, until it finally passes down the small rivulet necessary to carry the water to Sonoma creek. Weeds, grass and willows grow abundantly around these ponds, which afford sufficient shade from the sun, and shelter from the winds. Consequently the carp thrive and grow very large, and are apparently as much at home as in their own native waters in Europe.
Mr. Poppe brought the carp from Rhinefelt, Germany, in August, 1871. Of the eighty-three started with, only five, puny, sickly fish, were brought
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safely to Sonoma. The hot weather in New York harbor, and the want of · ice on the ocean steamer, being the cause of the great mortality. The five brought to Sonoma increased in size, in the following May, from five inches to sixteen inches, and the number increased to three thousand. Since that time many have been sold, and the number in the ponds is still very large. Sonoma county is well stocked with this European stranger. Among others who are now successfully engaged in the propagation of this fish in the county, may be mentioned A. V. LaMotte, Sonoma; J. A. Kleiser, Clover- dale; Wm. Stephens, Sebastopol; H. P. Holmes, Santa Rosa; Levi Davis, Forrestville; Sylvester Scott, Cloverdale; and Mr. Field, Petaluma. Outside of Sonoma county the culture of carp is also carried on successfully. Quite recently shipments have been made to the Sandwich Islands, Nevada, and Central America.
Lenni Fish Propagating Company .- The vineyard of Alfred V. La Motte lies seven and a half miles north-west of the town of Sonoma, at the junction of the Graham cañon and Sonoma creek, both of these creeks run for several miles through cañons and timbered land before entering the valley proper, thus keeping the water cool and engendering an abundant growth of mosses and water plants which propagate great quantities of insect life upon which the finny denizens of the streams sub- sist. These conditions have made them famous trout streams, and they have long been known as such to the lovers of the sport. Some years back great numbers of the spotted beauties could be taken, but as time advanced fishermen increased, and, as a natural consequence, the fish commenced rapidly decreasing in number. Mr. La Motte being a lover of the sport saw with regret the rapid and sure destruction of his favorite amusement, and commenced investigations tending to a remedy. After several years study on the subject of artificial propagation he became convinced it could be made, with due care, a profitable industry. Joined by a few personal friends they formed a company, styled the "Lenni Fish Propagating Company," incorporated May 15, 1878 : Henry L. Davis, President; George Leviston, Secretary; Henry C. Campbell, Treasurer ; Alfred V. La Motte, Superintend- ent, who, together with S. S. Murfey, constitute the Board of Directors, with a capital stock of thirty thousand dollars, in one hundred shares. Mr. La Motte commenced work at once; constructed a dam on the Graham cañon, twenty-six feet by eight feet high, of heavy squared timbers, and from thence conducted the water to the reservoir in a flume, sixteen inches square, of one and one-half inch lumber, each section being set together with a band of heavy galvanized sheet-iron, driven into the ends with a sledge, and then battened with a frame of three by four scantling, making a most substantial job. The flume is eighteen hundred feet long. The build- ings of the company consist of a hatching house, twenty-five by fifty; a filter house, carpenter shop, butcher shop, workmen's house, and office. The
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