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Remember When Week of May 6

Tidbits of yesteryears

87 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune of May 10, 1924)
Sonoma was again menaced by fire when in the early hours of Wednesday morning the Jacobson wood and coal depot near the telephone office was discovered in flames. The fire has gained great headway when seen at 3:45 o’clock by the cook at the Union Hotel. … The $30,000 annex being erected by Contractor Ivan Anderson at El Verano for Louis Parente, enterprising hotel man of Sonoma Valley, is looming up and reveals construction which will make the hotel one of the most complete and up-to-date in Northern California. … The Millerick Brothers, who had many contracts for rodeo performances throughout California this season have been hard hit by the cattle epidemic ban which caused the cancellation of their contracts. … Ralph E. Murphy, who owns 18 acres of fine farming land bordering Sonoma Creek, has closed a deal with the Richard Diener Bulb Company of Kentfield whereby he disposes of his place and will give complete possession by Jan. 1. The acreage is to be utilized for the growing of bulbs and already men are on the ground preparing the land and installing an irrigating system for the immediate planting of 10 acres of gladioli. … The city trustees met Wednesday evening, all members being present. After the minutes of the previous meeting had been read and approved, the report of R. E. Perkins, who had completed the auditing of the city accounts was read and placed on file. The marshal’s report was referred to the finance committee. … Bethrothal cards announcing the engagement of Miss Florence Elizabeth Rubke and Milton Anthony Curry of San Francisco have been received here by the family and friend of the bride, a former Sonoma girl.

86 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune of May 9, 1925)
Bids for the new fire engine which the City of Sonoma is to acquire were opened at the regular May meeting of the city trustees Wednesday night. The bids are under consideration and will later select the engine best adapted to Sonoma’s needs and made the first payment on it from funds generously subscribed by citizens of the town and Valley. … From present indications not less than 10,000 people from all sections will attend the opening festivities on Decoration Day at Boyes Springs, for which a program of unusual interest has been arranged. Special events that will characterize the opening as a carnival of pleasure, are to make the first three days a commencing Saturday, May 30, a period of frolic such as has never been known at any California summer resort. … F. A. Maley, well-known property owner of Boyes Springs, will operate a sight seeing bus through the Valley to all points of interest this summer. He started his trips yesterday and specializes in trips to the Burbank Home, Jack London place, the Sonoma Mission, Vallejo museum, Calistoga geysers and way points. … The second dance given at Coney Island last Saturday night taxed the big pavilion to capacity. The attendance was even much larger than on the opening night and everyone had a splendid time. … Tom Corcoran announces that the newly constructed Caliente Poppy Bowl, located in the Agua Caliente bathhouse, will have its opening on Saturday, May 16. The premiere will be featured by the introductions of a Kohler & Chase piano and Fitzgerald’s Oakland Six Orchestra, which hs been a big feature of the Knights of Columbus dances in Oakland all winter. … Thursday evening, in the presence of half a hundred relatives and close friends, Miss Virginia Pomeroy of Santa Rosa became the bride of Percy Joseph McGuire of San Francisco. The bride, a niece of Mrs.Rae Hunter of Sonoma, is one of the most beautiful and popular girls in Sonoma County.

83 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune of May 4, 1928)
Last Sunday was such a beautiful day that traffic through here was pronounced by many business people to be as heavy as on some Sundays in July. The warm sunshine, lovely green hills and Valley carpeted with wildflowers, delighted all travelers. … Commencement exercises at the Sonoma Valley union high school will be held on June 8 this year. George C. Jensen, the principal of the Sacramento high will, will deliver the chief address. In addition to the speaker, there will be a miscellaneous program of music and other entertainment. … The Jack London Country Club estate, the Glen Ellen tract recently put on the market and attracting wide spread interest, has been chosen by several people of great prominence to be the site of lovely country homes. One of the most noted buyers to be announced is Miss Armine von Tempski, of Hawaii, who has decided that the Valley of the Moon is the loveliest place to live in America. … The modern cannery plant in Sonoma owned by Sam Sebastiani, local capitalist, will be operated on a bigger scale than ever during 1928, so Mr. Sebastiani announces. The cannery and warehouse will be enlarged to take care of the great volume of business which has developed and which will make a lively fruit season in Sonoma Valley this year. … The trout season opened on May 1 and Sonoma Valley sportsmen brought in some good catches fro the small streams in this vicinity. N. Dal Poggetto, Ed Peterson, Joe Bacengllio, Armand Franquelin, Jim Lawrence and others were lucky ones. Dal Pogetto and Franquelin got limits.

69 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune of May 5, 1932)
Detailed arrangements were completed Monday afternoon by a special committee of the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce, for its third annual meeting and dinner, to be held in the dining room of the French Cottage Resort, at El Verano, on Thursday, May 12. It is expected that fully 100 people, including friends and invited guests, will be present at this annual get-together function of the local chamber. … Mrs. Eliza Shepard, of Glen Ellen, sister of Jack London, has been appointed by Gov. James Rolph Jr., as a member of the California Conference of Child Health and Protection, which will be called into session by the governor soon, at Sacramento. This is one of the most important movements in the history of child welfare. … Four thousand newspaper publishers throughout the United States this week will receive invitations urging them to tour the Redwood Empire en route to the National Editorial Association convention in San Francisco and Los Angeles during the coming summer. … The current issue of the Retail Coal Dealers’ Journal, official publication of the California Fuel Dealers’ Association and widely circulated in California and other west coast states, contains a full page of descriptive matter and illustrations of Sonoma Valley. Among the pictures shown in the page are the Mission Inn, at Boyes Springs, where delegates of the Fuel Dealers’ Association are now in session.

78 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune of May 5, 1933)
The many people who crowded the Sonoma high and grammar schools last Friday demonstrated the great interest they feel in Public School Week. The committees in charge of the observance were much gratified and the public was well repaid by their attendance and public spirited response. … Dates for joint graduation exercises of 33 rural schools, to be held in the Analy, Sonoma and Santa Rosa high schools, were announced at the county school office. Arrangements are being made this year for holding joint exercises in each high school of the county for all rural schools in that district, permitting presentation of more elaborate exercises without the expense of repeating programs in each individual school. … A large delegation of Veterans of Foreign Wars from posts of Sausalito, San Rafael, Petaluma, Santa Rosa and Sonoma, motored to Vallejo last Sunday morning to visit “Old Ironsides.” The veterans were escorted to the commander’s cabin where L. Cmdr. Hartley graciously accepted the book of letters of welcome presented by Judge Advocate Philip Keller of Petaluma.

77 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune of May 4, 1934)
Coops Brothers are busy at the present time picking and shipping their cherry crop. The crop is very light this year and Mr. Coops reports that the prices are very unsatisfactory. The recent heavy rainstorm cracked the cherries to some extent and with the low prices offered, the growers are somewhat discouraged with the present outlook. … Boyes Springs baths will be opened for the 1934 season on Saturday, May 12. There will be special entertainment and an orchestra will furnish music for the occasion. … About 700 people came to the high school auditorium last Friday evening to attend the annual Public Schools Week program. The Hon. Rolfe L. Thompson of the Appellate Bench delivered a very fine and stirring address on the need of public schools for the preservation of American ideals.