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Remember When Week of August 26

83 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune files of Aug. 17, 1928)
Rev. and Mrs. Isaac Cookman of Angel Camp, and their great-granddaughter are guests of Ed. Coats and Miss Sara Coates, at their home on Second Street East. The former pastor of the Congregational Church and family, will spend a month’s vacation here. … At the recent U.O.R.M. State Convention in San Rafael, the Grand Lodge announced the first prize of $25 for increased membership to Sonoma Stamm of Redmen and $15 first prize for the ladies lodge to Sonoma’s Bear Flag Stamm, Daughters of Pocahontas. The membership quota of both Sonoma organizations eclipsed all other lodges in California. … After a comprehensive survey of a year or more, the Plaza committee of the Sonoma Kiwanis Club informally outlined to the city trustees at the club’s weekly meeting Tuesday a plan to improve and beautify Sonoma’s historic square. The plan includes the development and installation of water from a well and two artesian wells owned by the city. The water would be piped and distributed through a four-inch main so as to supply all the fire hydrants around the city square, thus saving the municipality money now paid to the Sonoma Water and Irrigation Company for fire protection. In addition, the water would be utilized for irrigating flower beds, shrubs and lawn and also as the source for an artificial lake and lily pond planned for the southwest corner of the Plaza. … A. R. Grinstead and A. J. Smith were among the prominent Republicans who represented Sonoma at the Hoover notification ceremonies at Palo Alto Saturday. … Miss Betty Bundschu, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Bundschu, of Santa Rosa, is to enter the University of California and will make her home with her aunt, Mrs. R. M. Sims, of Berkeley.

82 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune files of Aug. 16, 1929)
The prompt recovery of a tan purse heavy with silver was the experience of a lady tourists who came to the Index-Tribune last Friday to advertise her loss. As the editor started to write her advertisement and hear that it was a purse she had lost, she pointed to a tan bag on the desk, brought in just 10 minutes previous by an honest man, T. Dosis, who has found it in the street. … Sam Sebastiani opened his big Sonoma Cannery last Monday, which was good news to many fruit workers in this vicinity. Peaches are being packed for the Sutter County Fruit Growers Association and about 150 people are employed. … Next Sunday a pretty wedding is scheduled at the Sonoma Mission Inn, where Bunker Dresel, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Dresel, will claim Miss Verona Steere for his bride. She is the daughter of a prominent Napa family, her romance with the son of the pioneer vineyardist of Sonoma dating from the time young Dresel went into the service station business at Calistoga. … Miss Sadie Dunbar, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Dunbar of Broadway, arrived home Wednesday evening after a year’s sojourn in Canada. … The spirit of California famed for hospitality and plenty of it, was well exemplified at Bates Grove Sunday where Sonoma Parlor No. 111, Native Sons of the Golden West had one of the finest barbecues ever put on in Sonoma Valley. The beautiful grove of oak trees festooned in Spanish moss, was the ideal setting for the feast and 300 guests gathered around the tables and partook of the fine menu so generously served.

81 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune files of Aug. 22, 1930)
The garden party given in the beautiful old gardens of the O’Donnell home at Glen Ellen last Saturday night netted a substantial sum for the fire engine of the Glen Ellen fire department. The various attractive booths presided over by charming matrons and young ladies, an excellent program and the sociability of the Glen Ellen folks made the evening a most enjoyable one. … The Sonoma-Petaluma highway is being surfaced by the French Construction Company and rock and oil are being applied which will make a splendid road. The grading through Stage Gulch was done last year and all travelers praised the new grades and alignments. … Last Friday afternoon several homes and poultry ranches, including those of D. Nicol and A. Pfalzgraf, had a narrow escape from destruction when a grass fire fanned by a stiff breeze swept the premises. The fire evidently originated from a spark from the train which passed the vicinity a few minutes before the flames were discovered. … Reinhardt Monson, son of Mr. and Mrs. I. Monson, of Vineburg, has entered the College of Pharmacy, University of California. He graduated from Sonoma high school this year. … The Glen Ellen Womens Club will give a card party, as usual on the last Thursday in August. The hand embroidered sheets and pillow cases donated to the club will be disposed of at this time. … Broiled chicken right off the coals, pastocuitta that will savour of mushroom sauce and Parmesan, crisp green salad and trimmings suitable to such a feast await those who patronize the barbecue of the Druid brothers and sisters next Sunday at Bates Grove. … A new gas station, equipped with the latest features and made attractive in every way, will be built by Emil Pinelli on his Napa Street property near the Western Union telegraph office. The new service station will be leased to the Shell Oil Company for a term of years and will be a nice improvement for West Napa Street. The lease taken by the big oil company shows faith in Sonoma City’s future.

77 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune files of Aug. 24, 1934)
The California State Liquor Dealers Association will send a speaker here Wednesday, Aug. 29 to address the liquor dealers of this Valley on the pending legislation and tax plans to govern liquor sales in California. The dinner will be held at the Union Hotel and will be largely attended. … There will be a hot time in the little town of Glen Ellen Saturday night, the date of the Candidates Ball, which the American Legion, Jack London Post, is sponsoring. The dance will be held at the Jack London Hall and all the candidates and their friends are expected to be present. … From the federal prison in Atlanta, Georgia, 42 convicts being transferred to Alcatraz Island, the new government penitentiary in San Francisco bay, passed through Sonoma Valley Wednesday morning at 7 o’clock on a S.P. special train in charge of Conductor John Laux, former Sonoma boy. The six Pullman coaches, two cars of which were barred and wires for the more desperate of the charges were switched off the main line at Sacramento and routed via Napa Junction and Schellville to Sausalito or Tiburon from where they were conveyed in barges to “Devil’s Island” by the Golden Gate. … Sonoma Mission, San Francisco de Solano will honor the 159th anniversary of the death of Fra. Junipero Serra, founder of the mission churches of California next Sunday. Although Sonoma’s old church was not established by Serra, it was his plan to complete the chain of missions up the coast of the Californians to Christianize and civilize the Indians, so in 1823 just 61 years after his death, the Sonoma Mission, last and most northerly on El Camino Real, was founded.

75 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune files of Aug. 28, 1936)
The Home Owned Merchants Fair opened at Kenilworth Park in Petaluma Wednesday night and promises to be one of the most successful of the kind in this part of the state. The crowds enjoy spending “Fair Money” and Sonoma Valley has been saving plenty of it to blow in during the three or four days of festivity. Many prizes will also be contended for. … Sam Sebastiani, owner of the Plaza Hotel, is to make extensive improvements on the property. He is to install a modern steam heating plant to make the hotel comfortable in winter and will refurnish the place in modern style. The hotel is closed temporarily during its renovation and will reopen soon after the new stage depot across the street is in operation. … Mrs. Josephine Steiner of the Union Hotel entertained more than 30 members of the Steiner family last Sunday at a reunion and barbecue honoring her sister-in-law who is visiting in California from her home in New Jersey. … Mr. and Mrs. Jos. Baccaglia have started the erection of a new home on Second Street East. Contractor Rapp of Santa Rosa is the builder. … Mr. and Mrs. August Pinelli and little daughter, Marilyn, left Wednesday morning for Yosemite Valley, where they will vacation during the remaining days of August. … June Picetti has accepted a position as medical assistant to Drs. Chapman and Runner, with offices in the Medical and Dental Building at 450 Sutter St. in San Francisco. She is a recent graduate of the Lux School for girls in San Francisco. … Although for nearly a hundred years, the dark robed Mission priests and their Indian followers have been ashes, the last remaining tree of the San Rafael mission orchard is still bearing fruit. The tree, a gnarled pear, hold tenaciously to life almost as if it knew that it is the only living thing which remains of a mission which once throbbed with activity.

73 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune files of Aug. 26, 1938)
Almost completed, the new Hotz Store is being equipped with the beautiful new fixture and made ready for the fall and winter showing of goods which will mark the gala opening event, Sept. 3. The store will be closed two days to make ready for the informal modeling and little fashion show which will be featured all day and evening of the 3rd. … Harry Lutgens is seeking $2 million more with federal aid as a means to continue a $7 million program of improvement at state institutions of which he is director. Included in an itemized list is $317,850 more for the Sonoma State Home at Eldridge. … The Dunbar Union School will reopen Monday with the same efficient teachers, Principal McCammon and his four assistants. The enrollment will be 125 or more this year. … Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Meehan of San Francisco entertained a dozen guests at their country residence at the Springs. The visitors enjoyed dinner, reveled in the sunshine of Sonoma, and hope to return. … The state law closing all liquor dispensers Tuesday while the polls are open, will be enforced in Sonoma Valley. … This Sunday the Sonoma Ball Club meets a worthy opponent in the Benicia Oaks, when they come to this city to try and subdue the local aggregation. Hoxie will be on the mount for the local lads. Last Sunday the Sonoma boys won over the Merchants Parcel Delivery team of San Francisco, 5-2, when Hoxie and Smallen collected a home run each, features of an excellent game. … Proof that taxpayers of the county school districts in which a tax is required to supplement state funds are satisfied with the 1938-29 budgets is shown in the report that not a single protest was made at budget hearings this year. This was announced during the week by Edwin Kent, County Superintendent of Schools, who said that the county office has no authority to reduce budgets but can make recommendations and suggestions prior to the actual submission of the budget by the board of trustees, at which time it must stand unaltered.