Sonoma County CA Archives History - Books .....Valley Ford 1877
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 25, 2006, 4:20 am

Book Title: Historical And Descriptive Sketch Of Sonoma County, California

VALLEY FORD.

   The town of Valley Ford is situated on the Estero Americano, four miles from
its mouth.

   Here the old Spanish and Indian trail leading from the interior ranchos to
Tomales bay and the coast, crossed the Estero, hence the name which was given to
the farm adjoining, and subsequently to the town. At this point the trail
forked, and the one which led up the valley was the route traveled from Bodega
rancho to Saucelito.

   It was the custom among the Indians in the back country to take two or three
journeys each year to the coast for the purpose of feasting on shell-fish, and
gathering shells for the manufacture of Indian money. Tomales bay and the coast
to the east of the Estero, was the most frequented sea-side resort of the
Indians. The trail which crossed the Estero where Valley Ford stands, was on the
main route. After 1857 they ceased their annual pilgrimages. Often previous to
that time their bands might be seen filing along the way, embracing all sorts
and conditions of Digger Indian life, from "El Capitan," who usually rode a
lean, half-tamed mustang, to the old crones with hugh baskets hung to their
backs by a band across their foreheads, loaded with a promiscuous assortment of
rags, old blankets, attole, pinole, papooses, cooking utensils, etc. The fording
of the Estero was their usual halting place.

   S. L. Fowler and J. E. Fowler arrived in San Francisco in May, 1849. After
many hardships, chance brought them to Big valley, better known as the valley of
the Estero Americano, then an unfenced wilderness. Not a furrow had been plowed,
and a wealth of grass clothed the hills. They settled where the trail crossed
the Estero, and purchased of F. G. Blume six hundred and forty acres of land
lying between the Ebabias creek and the Estero. In July following they built a
house two hundred yards from the ford.

   Thomas Smith, who had been engaged running a saw-mill with Messrs. Hendy &
Duncan, near where John Vanderleith now lives, built a cabin on the point
between Ebabias creek and the Estero, which tract they had purchased of F. G.
Blume, and, with his partner, K. Gahen, prepared to put in a crop of potatoes.

   Sanford & Stone located across the creek on the place now owned by Roach &
Webber. They received a portable grist-mill from the east, and in the winter of
1852 and 1853 they ground the grain raised in the neighborhood. The mill was
small and the flour coarse and unbolted, but they were kept busy by the
settlers, who waited their turn at the mill.

   Whitehead Fowler came to the country in 1852. The same year E. Thurber
settled upon the tract east of town, now owned by A. P. Garver. These were the
first settlers at Valley Ford and the adjoining ranches.

   In May, 1854, Stephen C. Fowler and his wife, the parents of S. L., James E.,
and W. Fowler, with their three sons, John H., Benjamin, and Nathaniel, arrived
at Valley Ford. Mrs. Fowler was the first female resident of the town, and both
she and her husband have resided continuously in the latter place from that day
to this, having now attained the ripe age of eighty years—recently celebrating
the fifty-fifth anniversary of their marriage in their residence on the Estero.

   What had been formerly but an Indian trail had now become a well traveled
road. Several other persons look up claims, among them were some having
families, but by far the greater number "bached it." A crop of oats yielding one
hundred bushels to the acre was raised in the summer of 1854 upon what is now
the town site.

   In 1856 Thomas Smith run his grist-mill with twelve horses and two runs of
stone. Two years later a steam engine took the place of horses, and the mill
soon became famous for the excellent quality of flour made there.

   In the fall of 1861 Daniel Hall opened a blacksmith shop. In the spring of
1861 John H. Fowler opened a general merchandise business. A bridge was built
across the creek about the same time. James E. Fowler opened a lumber-yard, and
E. B. & J. W. Palmer built a carpenter shop. In 1863 the Methodist church was
built. J. N. Rien built the Valley Ford hotel in 1864. An express and
post-office was established. There is a lodge of Good Templars and a Templar
hall. A Methodist society, and a Presbyterian society, with a Sunday-school. A
district-school is kept in the village.

   In the summer of 1876 the North Pacific Coast Railroad Company extended their
road through the town, and built a neat depot. The people can now reach San
Francisco in about four hours' time. Previous to the building of this road the
people received their goods and hauled their produce to and from Petaluma, a
distance of eighteen miles, and traveled the same route to San Francisco; hence
they welcomed the railroad which brought an end to those tedious journeys.

   In 1876 P. E. Merritt opened a new grocery store in the place. J. Parry
opened a tin shop, and John Hunter opened a meat market. With her railroad
facilities, fine climate, and rich and productive surrounding country, why
should not Valley Ford continue to grow and prosper?


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.


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