Sonoma County CA Archives History - Books .....Healdsburg 1877 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 25, 2006, 3:37 am Book Title: Historical And Descriptive Sketch Of Sonoma County, California HEALDSBURG. Healdsburg is beautifully located on Russian river, near the confluence of Dry creek with that river. The town is built upon a gravelly plateau, lying between rich valleys; Russian River valley on the east, and Dry Creek valley on the west. The most striking feature of the landscape near Healdsburg is Sotoyome, sometimes less appropriately called Fitch mountain. It is a shapely, isolated hill, around the base of which Russian river winds a tortuous course, as if reluctant to leave the flowery and beautiful valley to mingle its waters with the sea. On an air line, Healdsburg is about sixty-five miles north of San Francisco; it lies a little west of north of that city, and is by railroad about thirty-five miles north of Petaluma, and is fifteen miles northerly from Santa Rosa. It is near the centre of the widely famed Russian River valley, upon land formerly included within the bounds of the Sotoyome grant, owned by Henry D. Fitch. There were a few settlers in the valley in 1847, among them were the Fitchs', the Pinas', Cyrus Alexander, Frank Bed well, the Gordons', Mose Carson and W. J. March. Among the earliest settlers, after the discovery of gold, was Lindsay Carson, T. W. Hudson and family, H. M. Willson and family, the Healds,—the first to come was Harmon G. Heald—J. G. McManus, E. H. Barnes, William Walters, Valentine Miller, A. B. Aull, H. P. Matheson, Aaron Hassett, John Hasselt, Isaac Staly, J. C. Laymance, A. Ruaak, and others whose names we cannot at this moment recall. There was an Englishman of some notoriety who settled above March's mill, in 1851, named Frank Maryatt. He afterward published in book-form some very interesting reminiscences of his life on Russian river, under the the [sic] title of " Mountain and Mole-hill, or Recollections of a Burnt Journal." FOUNDERS OF THE TOWN. The people in that section did not crystalize around a centre until 1856, when the town of Healdsburg was laid off by Harmon G. Heald, who purchased the tract from the estate of H. D. Fitch. Among the first to give it a start, were Heald, Mitchell and Hooper. In 1857 the first post-office, which had been called Russian River, was changed to Healdsburg. H. G. Heald and H. M. Will8on started a store, a man by the name of Moore a blacksmith shop, and Heald and Harris a hotel. Thus Healdsburg had its start, and grew rapidly. On the 20th day of November, 1857, the population was reported at five hundred. There were two brick stores erected by Mr. Rathburn, an academy building for one hundred and twenty-five, students, a fire company, with engines and ladders, a Masonic hall, Sons of Temperance and concert hall, three livery stables, a paint shop, a billiard saloon, and twenty business houses,—in all about one hundred and twenty houses. Healdsburg, from its location and surrounding salubrious climate and many material advantages, would have soon grown to be a town of the first importance, but for the unsettled condition of land titles, which retarded its progress. The land was owned by absentees who had bought up the original Spanish titles on speculation. A large number of persons came into the valley and settled upon these lands just as they would have done, on public land. The efforts made to dispossess them led to the so-called squatter war, of which Healdsburg was the seat. It lasted for about seven years, and at one time more than a thousand men were arrayed upon either side. Captain L. A. Norton was agent for most of the land owners, and by a wise and liberal policy sold the squatters at reasonable rates and on a long time, the land which they had improved, and thus gradually put an end to this great obstacle in the road of progress. We have here space only for a glance at the past history of Healdsburg. In 1867 the town was incorporated under the law of the State, as it then existed. A board of trustees was elected, and L. A. Norton was the first president of the board. A full list of trustees and other town officers, from the first board down the present, will elsewhere be found in this book. In 1874 a special law was passed, incorporating under a charter the present city of Healdsburg. The population of Healdsburg is about two thousand five hundred. The people are enterprising and public-spirited, always ready when called upon to promote the interests of the city or the surrounding country. Great interest has always been taken in education by the people of Healdsburg. There are two excellent private academies; the Alexander Institute and the Butler Academy. Both are conducted with marked ability, and give great satisfaction to those who patronize them. There is a very commodious public school building, with an efficient corps of teachers, at which there is a daily attendance of more than three hundred and twenty-five students. The principal of the public school is O. S. Ingram, A. M., and his assistants are Miss Petewon, Miss Beck, Miss Gales, Miss Givens and Miss Allen. There are also several excellent private schools in the town. There is one bank and five hotels, all well patronized, some of which make a specialty of receiving guests for the summer, who come up from the cold and dust-laden atmosphere of the metropolis, to spend the summer months in the delightful climate of Healdsburg. There are fifteen dry-goods and grocery stores; three drug stores; six blacksmith and wagon shops; one paint manufactory; one flour mill; one planing-mill, sash and door factory; two lumber yards; one glove factory; two tanneries; one patent knitting establishment, and one soap factory. The history of newspapers in Healdsburg has been varied and interesting. In January, 1860, the pioneer publisher, A J. Cox, issued the Review, and continued the publication somewhat irregularly until 1863, when it suspended entirely. In May, 1864, Fenno & Warren commenced the Advertiser, with Mr. Cox as editor. It suspended; was revived in 1865 with J. E. Fenno as publisher, and Mr. Cox as editor. Its revival was but the flickering of the light in the socket, which preceded the total extinction of the Advertiser. On the 7th day of October, 1865, the first number of the Democratic Standard was issued in Healdsburg. It was published by W. R. Morris and W. A. C. Smith, under the firm name of W. R. Morris & Co. On the 3d of October, 1866, Mr. Morris became sole proprietor, and a few weeks after transferred a half interest to J. B. Fitch. In January, 1867, Mr. Fitch became sole proprietor, and a month later sold out to Boggs & Menefee. A few weeks later Mr. Boggs retired, W. A. C. Smith taking his place, and the firm became Menefee & Co. In the winter of 1867-8 the office was again transferred to Fitch & Davis. In the fall of 1868 the material and good-will of the paper were sold to John G. Howell, and it was suspended. Mr. Howell immediately commenced the publication of the Russian River Flag, which still survives, a credit to the city of Healdsburg and its publisher, L. A. Jordon. The Flag has always been Republican in politics, and its first editor, J. G. Howell, gave it high rank as a local paper, and impressed his individuality on its editorial columns. In 1876 Mr. Howell sold the paper to Jordon Bros., Mr. L. A. Jordon succeeding as sole proprietor. The paper is under the editorial control of S. P. Mead and L. A. Jordon, and is an able, well conducted and influential journal. The Flag has been an important factor in the growth of Healdsburg, and we hope the proprietor will reap the rich reward for his labor which is so justly his due. The Healdsburg Enterprise was started in the spring of 1876 by Mulgrew Bros. & Wood. It has achieved a remarkable and well-deserved success. It is Democratic in politics. The Enterprise seemed, from its inception, to make a specialty of promoting the local interests of Healdsburg, and it has ever since labored efficiently and effectively in this field. It is well and carefully edited—typographically it shows the supervision of an experienced printer. Unlike the early journalistic ventures in Healdsburg, the Enterprise was a success from its first issue. It was bravely launched, and may prosperous breezes continue to swell its sails. There are seven churches in Healdsburg: one Methodist; one Methodist South; one Presbyterian; one Baptist; one Christian; one Catholic; one Adventist. There is one Masonic lodge; one Lodge of Odd Fellows; one Lodge of Good Templars, and one Grange. The Odd Fellows and the Masons have each a hall that would do credit to a city of greater population than Healdsburg. The Grange is by far the most prosperous in the county. They have a large hall, beneath which is a co-operative store, patronized not only by Grangers, but by many people of Healdsburg who do not belong to the Grange. The Grange numbers among its members many of the most enterprising and intelligent citizens of Russian River valley. Healdsburg has for its source of wealth, first, the rich agricultural lands which surround it Nothing can surpass the fertility of the soil of Russian River and Dry Creek Valleys. In the virgin state, under favorable circumstances, they would produce one hundred bushels of wheat or corn to the acre. The fertility has been maintained nearly at its maximum by the annual overflow of the streams, which brings down a rich alluvial mold, fertilizing the land as the delta of the Nile is fertilized. Fortunately this rich land is cut up into small farms from twenty to one hundred acres each, which fact adds greatly to the prosperity of the town of Healdsburg. There is neither extreme cold in winter nor heat in summer in the town, which is protected from the harshness of the summer winds by the hills upon the west, and the winter climate is moderated by that great equalizer of temperature—the sea—with its warm current sweeping from Asia to the northwest coast of America, whence it turns southward, and materially affects the climate on the coast of California. The town is well supplied with water of the finest quality. It can be obtained in wells, pure and soft as rain water, at no great depth below the surface. Besides this, water is brought to the town from Sotoyome mountain, which we have before mentioned. A bold, limpid and sparkling spring flows from the bosom of that shapely hill as if Nature designed it for the special use of the fortunate people who were in the future to found a city at its base. The water from this spring supplies the town for domestic purposes, and has a sufficient fall to be used effectively in case of fire. Healdsburg is built on gravely soil, and to this fact the town is indebted for its excellent streets and drives, which do not get dusty in summer or muddy in winter. There are a number of places of interest near the town. The noted Geyser springs are but sixteen miles away. Litton Springs, a-popular and fashionable summer resort, is not more than four miles distant. At the head of Dry creek are* the widely-celebrated Skaggs' springs, which are crowded every summer with visitors. The quicksilver mines of Sonoma are in easy reach of Healdsburg; the Sousal mines are but seven miles; the Oakland is sixteen miles northeast, and the Great Eastern and Mount Jackson mines, whose business place is Healdsburg, are sixteen miles southwest. Want of space prevents us from writing more of this beautiful city. The subject grows on us, and we leave it with regret. HEALDSBURG EXPORT FOR 1876. Grapes, boxes 6,700 Dried fruit, pounds 138,600 Green " " 84,150 Miscellaneous mdse, pounds 171,765 Vegetables, " 138,980 Wool, " 148,867 Tan bark, " 80,000 Hops, " 36,250 Hides and tallow, " 69,700 Wine, gallons 10,732 Grain, tons 1,245 Lumber, feet 187,500 Leather, sides 5,880 Flour, barrels 646 Live stock, cars 252 Poultry, coops 131 Wood, cords 92 Eggs, boxes 44 Quicksilver, flasks 322 Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH OF SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, BY ROBERT A. THOMPSON, EDITOR OF "THE SONOMA DEMOCRAT." PHILADELPHIA: L. H. EVERTS & CO. 1877. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sonoma/history/1877/historic/healdsbu373nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 13.0 Kb