Sonoma County CA Archives History - Books .....Vallejo Township 1880 ************************************************ 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 27, 2006, 4:43 pm Book Title: History Of Sonoma County VALLEJO. This township received its name from General Vallejo, who owned the Petaluma Rancho, and constructed the famous large adobe buiding, [sic] a considerable portion of which still stands. The erection as originally constructed had a frontage of one hundred and fifty-nine feet, with walls twenty feet in height. At the western end projected a wing running south one hundred and twenty-eight feet, while on the east end was another, with a length of sixty-eight feet. All the walls were two and one-half feet thick. In this mansion the generous General was wont to keep his state of almost potential splendor; his courts were full of Spaniards and Indians; his rooms were thronged with guests, while his flocks fed upon a thousand hills. In the vicinity of this homestead had he erected, long before Americans came to settle in the country, a mill wherein he ground his grain, a smithery, wherein were manufactured horse-shoes, spurs, bits, and other military gear, while all around were evidences of his foresight and unstinting hand. The township is a portion of the Petaluma valley, and is entirely an agricultural section. The earliest American settler was Frederick Starke who settled there in 1845. In 1852, there came W. J. Hardin, J. M. Palmer, David Wharff; in 1853, Abner Clark, Isaac Cook,'G. JB. Hickston, and William Mock; in 1854, G. R. Codding, and in 1855 Henry D. Gilbert Of course there were many more, but these are the only names we have been able to trace. DONAHUE.—This place is the present terminus of the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad and is situated on the Petaluma creek, about eight miles from Petaluma; the cars at this point connecting with a steamer to San Francisco, which is distant twenty-five miles. The town received its name from the enterprising builder of the railroad, and here are situated the machine shops and other buildings of the company. The place is in Vallejo township and possesses an hotel, while it is situated in the midst of a rich farming country, within easy distance of it being the magnificent farms and residences of Messrs. Peoples, J. R. Rose and Bihler. On February 19, 1874, the machine and car shops of the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad Company were destroyed by fire at a loss of one hundred thousand dollars. LAKEVILLE.—This village is situated on the Petaluma creek, about one mile above Donahue, and was, prior to the advent of the railroad, the point at which passengers for Sonoma were transferred to a regular stage line. The stage still runs to Lakeville from Sonoma, connecting with the morning and evening trains. We are told that the road between these two points passes the former lagoon to which Father Altimira referred in his mission in 1823: "We found on said hillock, a little further on, the large lake of Tolay—so-called after the chief of the Indians who in former times settled there. Its width at some parts is, with little difference, one hundred and fifty varas, at others two hundred varas, and at one point one-fourth of a league, which is also its length." The lake from which the hamlet receives its name has been drained and is now a potato patch. The first settler at Lakeville was A. M. Bradley, who built the landing about the years 1852-3. Bradley sold his interest to Joshua Chadbourne, George Carter and Josiah Bacon, he at the time having only possessory rights as a squatter, there being no title from General M. G. Vallejo; this right he sold to the above-named parties, who, in turn, disposed thereof to Niles Mills and Peter Donahue. In February, 1879, C. A. Bodwell erected the present new landing. The town mainly consists of a blacksmith's shop owned by E. J. Holley; and a postoffice, which was established in 1857. This was originally kept by the aforesaid Chadbourne, Bacon, and Niles Miles; after the death of the latter, or more correctly speaking, on January 1, 1875, the office was removed to Donahue, but in July of the same year it was brought back and permanently established in Lakeville under the charge of C. A. Bodwell. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY —OF- SONOMA COUNTY, -INCLUDING ITS— Geology, Topooraphy, Mountains, Valleys and Streams; —TOGETHER WITH— A Full and Particular Record of the Spanish Grants; Its Early History and Settlement, Compiled from the Most Authentic Sources; the Names of Original Spanish and American Pioneers; a full Political History, Comprising the Tabular Statements of Elections and Office-holders since the Formation of the County; Separate Histories of each Township, Showing the Advancement of Grape and Grain Growing Interests, and Pisciculture; ALSO, INCIDENTS OF PIONEER LIFE; THE RAISING OF THE BEAR FLAG; AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN; —AND OF ITS— Cities, Towns, Churches, Schools, Secret Societies, Etc., Etc. ILLUSTRATED. SAN FRANCISCO: ALLEY, BOWEN & CO., PUBLISHERS. 1880. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1879, by ALLEY, BOWEN & Co., in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. PACIFIC PRESS, Oakland, Cal. Printers., Stereotypers and Binders. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sonoma/history/1880/historyo/vallejot146gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 5.8 Kb