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Remember When Week of December 30

Women’s farm gets goat herd

90 YEARS AGO
(From the I-T of Dec. 24, 1921)
Sonoma Episcopal church will hold Christmas services Monday morning at 10:30 a.m. at Trinity with Rev. Mr. Short of Santa Rosa at the pulpit. A number of baptisms will take place that day. … The Industrial Farm for Women at Buena Vista has put in a herd of Toggenberg goat on the property, according to Miss Englehart, the woman farmer of the institution. The inmates will be taught the management of the herds and also will go in for rabbit and poultry raising under Miss Englehart’s instruction. … The ladies of Glen Ellen Women’s Improvement Club will give a grand whist party for the London Memorial New Year’s Eve, with prizes for every game and a grand prize for the highest score of the evening. … Through the efforts of the public-spirited and generous hearted folks of the Flowery School District, the children there had a wonderful Christmas at the school house Wednesday night. A big tree laden with gifts and candy was prepared and a program of Christmas recitations and songs arranged by Miss King and Miss Howard, the teachers.

80 YEARS AGO
(From the I-T of Dec. 25, 1931)
The dramatic and music departments of the Sonoma Valley union high school presented a Christmas program for the kiddies of the community last Monday evening which was greatly enjoyed. Both the serious and the comic elements of the Yuletide season were included and the program proved educational as well as entertaining. … Members of the Sonoma Woman’s Club last Friday were hostesses to the county club president, Mrs. V. Ronk, of Santa Rosa, and a number of other outside guests, including Mrs. T. J. McMannis and Mrs. Charles Kellogg, the latter the well-known newspaper woman of Santa Rosa. The event took the form of a Christmas observation, with carol singing by the group led by Mrs. Ralph Hotz. Mrs. E. J. Finnerty, Mrs. A. K. McGrath and Mrs. Hotz also rendered several numbers in trio. … The California State Park Commission has allocated $8,650 from its available funds toward the purchase of the old home and Swiss chalet, of Gen. Marino Guadalupe Vallejo, located on the northern limits of Sonoma, which has been appraised at $17,300. The proposed purchase includes approximately 17 acres of land, the only remaining portion of a large ranchero, formerly owned by the distinguished Spanish general.

70 YEARS AGO
(From the I-T of Dec. 26, 1941)
The City of Sonoma is not only guarding its water supply day and night, but has also put in new equpment and ordered more to assure that in the event of failure of electric power, gasoline propelled pumps would keep the reservoirs full for fire and domestic purposes. This will be the second auxiliary pump to be installed for emergency. … The California State Chamber of Commerce announces that “after many contacts the California medical profession has added its support to the state chamber’s mineral springs exploitation program.” The committee recommended that resort owners and mineral springs proprietors join the doctors of Mendocino, Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties in spreading the exploitation campaign. … Sonoma county’s federal taxes on four “luxury” items – gasoline, tobacco, liquor and sugar – gave the United States treasury during the past fiscal year a total of $1,028,184.28 or enough to pay for 27 fast, medium tanks to aid the national defense program.

 

Contracts let for new Boyes hotel

88 YEARS AGO
From the Index-Tribune of Dec. 29, 1923)
Miss Mayme Walsh, of San Francisco, niece of Miss Emily Kearney, is wearing a beautiful engagement ring, the gift of her fiancé, Peter J. Kelly, overseas war veteran and employee of the Flieschmann interests. The engagement of the handsome and popular girl will be joyous news to a host of friends throughout Sonoma Valley, where she spent her girlhood. … Contracts and subcontracts for the new $85,000 Boyes Hot Springs Hotel, will be let the coming week. The new structure which will replace the shingled hotel destroyed in the recent fire, will be a beautiful two-story building of 60 rooms. The hotel will occupy the former site and will extend a width of 325 feed. From the central lobby, 70x35 feet, two wings, an east and west wing, will extend each containing guest rooms and either private bath or shower.

87 YEARS AGO
From the Index-Tribune of Dec. 27, 1924)
Between 300 and 400 dolls were the gift of B. H. Chambers of the Elite to the children of the State Home at Eldridge this Christmas. Mr. Chambers made a similar gift last year and he has received a nice letter of acknowledgement from Dr. Butler, superintendent. … Miss Mary Tomlinso, a Sonoma high school girl, already recognized for her scholarship and talent won the Sixth District first prize of $75 in the home lighting essay contest, and a third prize of $100 in the regional contest, awarded by the Lighting Education Committee of New York. In the later contest 4,500 contestants from California, Nevada and Arizona competed. … The Lark clubhouse at Agua Caliente, on the highway, was burned down yesterday morning. The roadhouse, owned by Sal Carlo, took fire from a defective chimney and despite the heroic efforts of the fire department was a complete loss. At one time it was believed that the fire was under control but a sudden draft carried the blaze to the roof and the building was quickly doomed. … The ground breaking ceremonies for the new club house of the Boyes Springs Improvement Club which were postponed last Sunday owning to the storm are scheduled to take place tomorrow. Honorable Herbert W. Slater, the silvery-tongued orator of Santa Rosa, will deliver the leading address of the occasion, and Mrs. L. Mouyer will turn the first shovelful of earth for the new building. … Mrs. Jep Valente entertained at a Christmas tree and party for the little folks of her neighborhood Wednesday. In the evening, Mr. and Mrs. Valente entertained San Francisco relatives.

86 YEARS AGO
From the Index-Tribune of Dec. 26, 1925)
The Plaza Hotel, owned by Sam Sebastiani, will reopen on Jan. 1, and will be conducted as a first class commercial, family hotel under the popular management of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Quartaroli. The Plaza is modern and up to date and is being entirely renovated for the opening. … The domestic water supply of Sonoma city, which was recently sold by the Gen. Vallejo heirs to a new company, was turned into real money. One of the parties to the deal specified that gold coin of the United States must be exchanged for the Lachryma Montis spring instead of checks, paper or other collateral. As a consequence $30,000 in real money was brought to Sonoma to close the deal. A representative of the new company and the local manager of the Mercantile Trust Company transferred the ducats for the deal from Santa Rosa. On the way down, Sheriff Joe Ryan trailed the gold-laden car and gave it safe escort to Sonoma Valley, where the golden hoard was turned over to the heirs of the late Gen. Vallejo.