Email  Print

Remember When Week of November 18

News tidbits from the past

75 YEARS AGO

(From the Index-Tribune of Nov. 20, 1936)

The football dinner dance with favors and novelty entertainment at Sonoma Mission Inn tomorrow will attract many who like to celebrate big game night. Reservations may still be made. … The Odd Fellows will join with the Rebekahs in the celebration of New Year’s Eve when the annual custom of giving the Rebekah turkey dinner will be observed at Sonoma Grove. The fraternal brothers and Verdant Rebekahs will then adjourn to IOOF hall for a dance, cards and entertainment. … Dr. Fred Butler, superintendent of the Sonoma State Home, was host to the medical superintendents of all the other state hospitals in the north yesterday at Eldridge. The conference was attended by doctors from Agnew, Stockton, Napa, Ukiah, Preston and other cities. Dr. Smythe of Stockton, head of the great institution there with 3,000 patients, is the only woman superintendent of an asylum in the west and one of the most distinguished. She was formerly of Santa Rosa. … The Sonoma Kiwanis Club held its regular election of officers Tuesday of this week when ballots returned from the membership vote showed the following: president, Ernest Evans; vice president, Fred Batto; treasurer, E. A. Boye; secretary, Dr. Warren D. More; board of directors, August Pinelli, Dr. C. B. Andrews, Willis Jones, W. P. Downey, Joseph Vella, Howard Moser and A. R. Grinstead. … Among those attending the football game at Kezar stadium Sunday between St. Marys and Santa Clara was a party of young men composed of John Teeter, Tony Barrachi, Nig Cornelius, Jim Hill, Ray Barrachi, Herbert Batto and Keith Wilson.

 

70 YEARS AGO

(From the Index-Tribune of Nov 14, 1941)

Sonoma proved equal to the entertainment of 10,000 visitors Tuesday when Armistice Day was observed in the Valley of the Moon by the Sonoma County American Legion posts. The brilliant parade of the morning was participated in my many cities in the area, their schools and fraternal orders in addition to Legionnaires, Veterans of Foreign Wars and labor organizations. … Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. in the Sonoma City Hall, the State Railroad Commission’s examiner, Robert Austin, will conduct the hearing on the application of Robert G. Anderson doing business as Marin-Sonoma Fast Freight to extend service to Sonoma Valley. The new company would be in competition with the Pacific Motor Transport and the NWP railroad which now handles shipments here and in the Valley. … The Sonoma Valley Grange holds open house Monday honoring the Diamond Jubilee year of the Grange. An interesting program has been planned to be followed by old-fashioned square dancing at 8:15. … The auto license examiner will be in Sonoma Nov. 17 and every other Monday thereafter for the convenience of local car owners, states Traffic Officer Fred Eberhardt. … L. Mouyer, of Boes Hot Springs, reports the sale of a lot to Mr. and Mrs. Ricci of San Francisco and an improved parcel of land in the Howard Hill Estate to M. C. Roach of Glen Ellen. … With a final rush of voting, the Valley of the Moon turkey queen contest closed last night. As previously announced, the identity of the queen and her two attendants will remain a secret until tomorrow night when the queen will be crowned at the turkey ball held at the Boyes Springs Casino. … With more out-of-state blue-ribbon turkeys entered than at any other previous show held in California, the first annual Western States Turkey Show got off to a fling start at the splendid Boyes Hot Springs pavilion yesterday with nearly 200 entries from Washington, Oregon, Nevada and all sections of California.

 

69 YEARS AGO

(From the Index-Tribune of Nov 13, 1942)

Following the request of the government to turn in all tires in excess of five to the Railway Express agent, Clarence Philbrook, in Sonoma, has been swamped with rubber and the stage depot looks like a second hand tire emporium. One man turned in 12. Another Valley resident showed up with four new tires. The “A” card registration for gasoline will begin Nov. 18, 19 and 20, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Sonoma grammar school and Sonoma Valley rural schools. … Already the livewire leaders of Sonoma Valley, its chamber of commerce and the State Chamber of Commerce with Bob Moir are in action to get the San Francisco Seals Spring training camp here in 1943. … Tuesday evening, Nov. 17, has been selected as the date for the turkey whist party, at 8:30 o’clock at the Woman’s Clubhouse. Sponsored by the local chapter of the AWVS and a benefit for the local USO house, plans are under way for entertaining a large gathering. … A salvage sale will be held as part of the conservation for victory program of the Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club. Articles of clothing, furniture, hardware, toys, “white elephants” will be put on sale which would otherwise lay idle and deteriorate. Any material or labor saved is a step toward victory. … Donald Weise, son of Mr. and Mrs. Shirley Weise of Glen Ellen, is in the army now. He is interested in aviation mechanics. Prior to induction the young man was employed at the Standard Station here in Sonoma.

 

68 YEARS AGO

(From the Index-Tribune of Nov 12, 1943)

Complete co-operation of Sonoma County in the Armistice Day scrap drive of veterans organizations was pledged Monday by the board of supervisors, with the authorization for use of county equipment to pick up scrap collections. … Appropriation of $16,500 for restoration work at two Sonoma County historical sites were announced by Joseph B. Knowland, chairman of the State Park Commission, at a commission meeting in Los Angeles. He said that $10,500 will be provided for restorations at Fort Ross and $6,000 for the Sonoma Mission whose chapel is to be restored. Since there is no priority on the materials to be used, work will be started at once. … The management of Boyes Hot Springs announces that the dance season is continuing later this season in order to better entertain and provide recreation for service men in this vicinity. Ray Tillier and his orchestra will play this Saturday night at Boyes which means plenty to those who like to “step.” … Wednesday during the absence of office employees at the Sonoma Cheese Factory, whose place of business is now the Sonoma Mission Creamery, thieves stole $70 from th safe and checks for $2,000. Police Chief Lavin and Deputy Sheriff Ries are at work on the case. The only clue is that a man wearing a tweed coat was seen to leave the office about the time of the theft.

 

67 YEARS AGO

(From the Index-Tribune of Nov. 17, 1944)

Old Mother Nature seems puzzled about Sonoma Valley’s balmy climate. Last week plums were blossoming up the valley. This week one Sonoma farmer brought in new crop pears just sizing up on the trees. Monday a flower grower of Broadway informed the editor that lilacs were blossoming in his garden. … Col. Nelson N. Holderman of Yountville who won the Congressional medal of Honor for heroism in World War I will be the speaker at the Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club this evening. … Sam Ganos who for the past 25 years has conducted Sam Grill at Boyes Hot Springs, has sold his property and business there to Mr. and Mrs. Archie Ortner of Alameda county. They will take possession this week. … The cost to the city of Sonoma last year for volunteer firemen was $951.95. They are paid $1 per hour for each fire and also paid $1 for drill duty. All are on a volunteer basis. Jack Scribner is the fire chief. … Sonoma Valley’s community hospital will soon become a reality, with $30,000 subscribed to assure the reconstruction and equipping o the Buena Vista building leased from F. Bartholomew. Noted hospital doctors and superintendents have conferred with the Sonoma directors on best utilization of the class A building. … Sonoma football team played El Verano Tuesday and won 45 to 0. Reggie Wilson, the star player, made four touchdowns which was the most made in the game. Three other players made two touchdowns each. Bill Johnson, Pete Smith and Larry Rider. … Eugene M. Courtney, head of the agricultural department at the high school since 1942, has resigned to accept the executive secretaryship of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau. Robert Withey of Illinois Wesleyan College has been selected to serve out the term for Mr. Courtney. … The Glen Ellen winery of Charles Pagani which this season was greatly enlarged and improved with modern electric crusher and conveyors, is making a half million gallons of wine from choice Sonoma Valley grapes. Some of the vintage is to be used in making champagne.

 

62 YEARS AGO

(From the Index-Tribune of Nov. 18, 1949)

Dumping of garbage from throughout the Valley at the Sonoma City Dumps will continue for some time to come. This was evidenced on Monday when the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors dropped plans to buy a 41-acre garbage dump site from Mr. S. Carson Mitchell at Schellville. Supervisr Lyttle said yesterday that another site is now under consideration. Although no definite location of the newest site was given, it is understood that it is in the same area of Schellville, but northwest of the Mitchell property. … Athletes of yesterday will match their wits and absolve to “take it” against a bunch of donkeys next Tuesday night at the Sonoma High School gymnasium when members of the high school faculty challenge Sonoma Valley Rotary Club riders in a donkey basketball game. The hardwood rodeo, scheduled for 8 p.m., is the second annual meeting of the two teams, last year’s hysterical hoop game having been won by Rotary. … Sales of bonds for the proposed new Sonoma Valley Veterans Memorial Athletic Field are being reported ach week and slowly but surely the $25,000 goal draws nearer. … The beautify nativity display presented for the past several Christmas seasons by Mr. H. G. Makelim of Kenwood will be shown in Boyes Hot Springs this year, sponsorship of the Valley of the Moon Fire Department. The realistic setting will be shown in the highway lot adjoining the fire house in Boyes and will be erected by members of the fire department club.