Sonoma County CA Archives History - Books .....Smaller Valleys 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 24, 2006, 4:51 am Book Title: Historical And Descriptive Sketch Of Sonoma County, California SMALLER VALLEYS. In addition to the principal valleys we have described, there are others equally beautiful and fertile, and, though smaller, are well worthy of a description more in detail than the space at our command will permit. Alexander valley, east of Healdsburg, is one of the most fertile and beautiful of the valleys of Sonoma county. It borders on the great bend made by Russian river before turning toward the sea. The land on the river, like all its bottom-land, is of unsurpassed fertility. The valley is settled by an intelligent and cultivated class of farmers, and takes its name from the first settler, Cyrus Alexander, who, in 1845, was superintendent of the Sotoyomi grant, and acquired title to the valley which now bears his name—once a portion of the grant. This valley is a part of the great Russian River valley, an arm of it extending to the eastward. Knight's valley lies on the extreme eastern boundary of Sonoma county, at the foot of St. Helena mountain, one of the tallest and most beautiful peaks of the Mayacmas range. The valley includes about thirteen thousand acres, and was covered by a Spanish grant. It is now partly owned by a company, who keep a place of summer resort, and partly by Calvin Holmes, one of our oldest and most respected citizens. The scenery in Knight's valley embraces all the features characteristic of the county—groves of oaks in picturesque irregularity on the plain and in the foot-hills, walks and drives of natural beauty, far excelling anything that could be achieved by artificial means, no matter how lavishly money might be expended. One of the main roads leading to the Geyser springs passes through this valley. It was built by the celebrated Clark Foss, and his stages still run on the road. He has made his home in the valley, in which every comfort has been provided for himself and guests, that good taste and a liberal expenditure of money can command. No one should leave this coast without making a trip to the Geysers with Foss, which includes a stop at his elegant caravansary. Dry Creek valley lies west of Russian River and north of Healdsburg. Its location may be seen on the map. The valley is about sixteen miles long, with an average width of two miles. The soil is all alluvial bottom, and is of matchless fertility—for wheat, corn, and staple products it is not equaled on the coast: and the hill-land on the border of the valley produces all kinds of fruit, being especially adapted to grape culture. The fine fruit farm of D. D. Phillips is situated in the centre of the valley. Bennett valley, another of the smaller valleys of Sonoma, worthy of mention, lies south of the town of Santa Rosa, and east of the Santa Rosa valley. It has a length of. eight miles, and an average width of four miles. It possesses all the features peculiar to the other parts of the county we have described. If it has any specialty it is for fruit and grape culture. The fine farm of James Adams, in Santa Rosa township, lies just in the mouth of Bennett valley, and also the beautiful home of Nelson Carr, who lives at the head of the valley. Near the centre is the celebrated vineyard of Isaac DeTurk, where he has lived for many years, and been extensively engaged in the manufacture of wine. The Guillicos valley is in fact the upper part of Sonoma valley proper. It is one of the most beautiful places in California. It was originally granted to the wife of Don Juan Wilson, a famous sea-captain on this coast under the Mexican regime. He married into one of the native California families, and though an Englishman by birth, he became a Mexican citizen, and was granted the Guillicos valley. In 1850 it was purchased by William Hood, who subdivided and sold the greater part about ten years ago. He, however, retains his beautiful homestead at the foot of the Guillicos mountain, one of the most picturesque as well as one of the most valuable farms in California. Green valley lies west of the Santa Rosa plains, on Green Valley creek, which flows north and empties into Russian river. The valley is twelve miles long, with an average width of three miles. The specialty of this valley is fruit culture—apples, pears, plums, prunes, peaches, cherries, table and raisin grapes. The very finest orchards of this county are in Green valley. The soil is adapted to the growth of all the staple crops, as well as fruit. The valley of the Estero Americano, or Big valley, lies along a small stream falling into an estuary leading inland from the sea about seven miles, known as the Estero Americano. The towns of Bloomfield and Valley Ford are in this valley, and the narrow-gauge railroad crosses it. One hundred thousand sacks of potatoes are raised annually in the valley, and in the country north and south of it there are at least eight thousand milch-cows, producing during the season, per day, an average of a pound of butter each. The chief products are potatoes, butter, and cheese; but oats, wheat, and barley are also grown. There are a number of smaller valleys, which space permits no more than mention: the Rincon valley, near Santa Rosa; Rural and Alpine valleys, on Mark West creek, and Blucher valley, west of the Santa Rosa plain. To recapitulate: From the summit of Geyser peak we obtain a bird's-eye view of the whole country. At a glance we take in the great Central valley, through which the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad runs, from the bay shore to its terminus at Cloverdale. We can see the towns along the line of the road: Cloverdale, Geyserville, Healdsburg, Windsor, Fulton, Santa Rosa and Petaluma. The groves of oaks give to the landscape that park-like appearance peculiar to California scenery. It is a view upon which one might love to linger. A little east of south, Sonoma valley may be seen—and at the foot of St. Helena, a towering feature in this grand landscape, lies Knight's valley. The windings of Russian river, in its tortuous course through Alexander valley and across the plain, may be traced until it disappears in the timber region, over which the gilded waters of the Pacific may be seen, until sea and sky blend in the distance. 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/smallerv307nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 7.0 Kb