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Remember When Week of May 13

91 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune of May 15, 1920)
A program to attend the formal hanging of the Mission bell given to Sonoma from Sutro museums to grace the entrance to the Old Mission, San Francisco de Solano, has been approved by the Womans Club and will be carried out shortly. Mesdames Hill and Stofen presented their tentative program at a recent meeting and it was enthusiastically received. … The Supervisors in session at Santa Rosa were paid a visit from a representative delegation of Sonoma Valley road boosters Wednesday who went up to see what could be done in the matter of speeding up the Highway Commission to build the Schellville-Santa Rosa road. … Basing his figures on a registration of 20,000, County Clerk W. W. Felt has itemized the expenses to the taxpayers of the proposed recall election in Sonoma County by which it is planned to recall District Attorney G. W. Hoyle and Supervisor Wm. L. Cunningham, Mr. Felt finds that the expense will be $7,018.86. … El Verano announces the opening dance for the season of 1920 Saturday night, May 29. Perkins orchestra will play and Louis Lamotte extends a cordial invitation to friends and patrons of the popular resort to be on hand for the joyous time. … John Pluth announces the opening of his grill here next Saturday. Mr. Pluth went down to San Francisco to purchase fittings for his new place.

89 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune of May 13, 1922)
Negotiations were completed and a lease signed this week whereby John E. Madocks of San Francisco became lessee of the Fetters Springs hotel and baths. Mr. and Mrs. George Fetters have leased their fine property for a number of years and will devote their attention to the farm and orchard acreage on their big estate. … The Boyes Springs and Valley fire engine was called to the Mosso home Thursday to fight fire which started on the roof and was running along coping and gutters menacing the fine residence. Upon the arrival of Chief Cause and his crew, the flames were promptly extinguished. … There is evidence of a real development in New Sonoma’s finest residence district. A. L. Browne, who was last operating in exclusive residence tracts in Stockton, is handling the beautiful Monte Vista Park tract which was formerly the Chase property. Together with H. Harold Hunt, the present owner, he spent Thursday in Santa Rosa completing the final details. … “Dude” Wiley of Graton, a candidate for sheriff, was in Sonoma last Saturday greeting old friends and making new ones. Wiley was a candidate in 1914 when the late Jack Smith was elected sheriff of Sonoma County. … Sal Carlo of Agua Caliente has engaged the services of a famous chef formerly connected with the Dio d’Italia in Rome, and will specialize on the serving of Italian dinners. … The coming Grammar School entertainment in Sonoma should not be missed by anyone who can crowd into the big auditorium next Friday or Saturday night. The old time songs sung by little folks in Colonial costume, the choruses to be led by Master Preston Hotz in white satin costume plus a real baton, is just a hint of the fine numbers to be expected.

87 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune of May 17, 1924)
Sonoma had a close call Monday night from one of the worst fires imaginable when flames were discovered in the rear of the El Dorado Hotel shortly after 9 o’clock. Looking out of a rear window of the hotel, Lenora Quartaroli saw flames eating their way through the walls and roof of the laundry, a small building just across from the dining room. Fortunately thee was no wind and the firemen soon had the fire completely subdued and under control. … Cherry picking and packing is in full swing at the Ritz orchards and under the novel and delightful arrangement of working to radio. The splendid big set of Ritz brothers has been transferred to the packing house and at intervals throughout the day concerts and jazz entertainment comes in from the various broadcasting stations and regales the workers. … The Valley of the Moon organization met Monday night at the Sonoma Valley Improvement clubhouse at Fetters Springs, with President Serres in the chair. … The Merry Makers Jazz Band will furnish the music for the dance at Fetters Pavilion tonight. … J. W. Minges, the pioneer boosters and builder of Boyes Springs who lost a business block and a number of cottages in the fire last fall, is erecting a modern apartment house, consisting of four three-room apartments on the site of the former Sunset Garage.

64 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune of May 9, 1947
So as to rush to completion of the new Sonoma Fire House, the City Council Wednesday night declared the Patton Street building project an emergency. The city can now exceed expenditures over $1,000 without the formality of requesting bids on various phases of construction. … The small but mighty city of Sonoma has three State of California roller skating champions. Back home from the State Amateur Roller Skating Championships held at Pasadena on May 3 and 4, are Eileen Davis, Bobby Wood and Donnie Newman, the local skating trio who made clean sweeps of the juvenile divisions in which they were entered. … Dr. P. K. Gilman of San Francisco, head of the Bureau of Hospital Surveys for the State of California is coming to confer with Sonoma Valley’s district hospital trustees on May 23. He will advise on the outlook for allocation of materials for a new hospital and suggest the size and number of beds this community may need judging from data available and probable future growth of the area. … With their first successful year in Sonoma Valley behind them, Edward Levitt and Thomas Aleccia, owners of the Agua Caliente Springs Hotel will commemorate the occasion with a gala First Anniversary dinner at the attractive hotel tonight.

62 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune of May 13, 1949)
Tiny Huichica School in the Vineburg District may produce the only voting contest in the school trustee elections set for Friday, May 20, one week from today. At Huichica it is the term of trustee Fred Batto which expires, and the veteran board member has not filed for reelection, nor have any other residents of that district chosen to place their name on the ballot. … Frances and “Doc” Schoell, new owners of the Fetters Hot Springs Hotel announce that the large outdoor mineral swimming pool at the Fetters Bath House will open for the season on Sunday, May 15. The bathhouse has been entirely redecorated, a new “Casino” has been installed and the pool is newly painted. … The annual Boy Scout Camporee this year will be staged at the Maxwell Park on June 3, 4 and 5 with a Court of Honor on Saturday night, June 4. … With Supervisor James F. Lyttle, Mayor Dave King of Sonoma, members of the press, leading Sonoma Valley Italians and others present, the initial broadcast of the Valley of the Moon Italian radio program was inaugurated Monday evening between 5:30 and 6 p.m. at Paul’s Resort, El Verano. … While El Verano will have a fine new steel and concrete bridge across Sonoma Creek, eliminating dangerous curves and hazards the improvement will bisect the beautiful Maxwell ranch picnic grove, taking four and one-half acres of the land with its fine trees.

60 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune of May 11, 1951)
All Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce members, prospective members and guests are urged to attend the annual banquet of the Chamber to be held next Thursday, May 17 starting at 7:30 at Paul’s Resort, El Verano. Always an outstanding event of the year, the C of C has prepared an excellent program, including music and dancing – with the highlight being the appearance of top radio news analyst John K. Chapel. … A determined and visionary group of Sonoma Valley citizens, led by Supervisor James F. Lyttle, on Wednesday in Sacramento succeeded in defeating in committee a Senate Bill that would have appropriated $750,000 for surveys and plans for the construction of a toll bridge across San Francisco Bay from Marin to Contra Costa counties. … The Prestwood Elementary School board of trustees has adopted a policy of watchful waiting as regards the bill in the legislature which would, if passed, allow school districts to reuse buildings condemned by state edict – in Sonoma’s case, the old brick grammar school on Napa Street. … The City Council, in special adjourned session Wednesday night ordered street signs for the intersections of MacArthur and Donner, MacArthur and 3rd Street East, Chase and 3rd East and Moll Court. … It’s definite. Postmaster Lucille Palmer of the Sonoma Post Office announced yesterday that the “big move” into the beautiful new building on Spain Street will take place over this weekend and that regular business hours will be observed at the new spot starting May 14. Boasting 3,500 square feet within, the $40,000 building will have approximately 1,000 post office boxes, as compared with the 700 now at the present site on East First Street.