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Remember When Week of February 17

106 YEARS AGO

(From the I-T of Feb. 17, 1906)

Thursday will be a gala day in Sonoma for on the historic Plaza will be laid the cornerstone of the new City Hall. The building of this fine structure was made possible through the voting of $10,000 bonds, and the bringing of the matter to an issue was largely due to the efforts of Mayor J. E. Poppe and Trustee Pinelli. These men, together with Trustees McDonnell and Hotz put the bonding proposition before the people and our citizens carried it almost unanimously. It is to be constructed of stone from our own quarries and the architecture is the Old Mission style with tiled roof. … The initial dancing party given by the Sonoma Social Club last Tuesday evening was a decided success. There was a large crowd of young people present and all had a delightful time. … Mrs. Robt. P. Hill has brought great honor to Sonoma Valley, for out of all the leading club women of the state she has been chosen as president of the federation. … Miss Millie Richards, the accomplished daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Theo. Richards of Agua Caliente, ran third in the great voting contest conducted by a Santa Rosa paper and which came to a close last Saturday. The young lady received 290,399 votes. There were many contestants from all over the county but none had more friends interested in the outcome than did Miss Richards.

 

95 YEARS AGO

(From the I-T of Feb. 17, 1917)

Sunday evening a unique and effective service was held at the M.E. Church in commemoration of Abraham Lincoln. Through the efforts of Z.T. Spencer, a most enjoyable program was arranged and was appreciated by all those in attendance. … The Northern Pacific R.R. has started work on “Vacation 1917,” a guide book issued annually of resorts along its line. Charge for representation is $6 per page, $1.60 per inch, cut extra. The annual distribution of this guide is 22,500 in the vicinity of San Francisco and in addition, 10,000 illustrated pamphlets in which the resources are listed showing location and price of board. … Peter Basaglia, the cement contractors has just completed one of the highest class cow barns in the Valley on the stock farm of Grace Brothers, southwest of town. It is a concrete structure modeled after the Panama Pacific  Exposition idea of housing stock and as a matter of fact some of the original Carnation cows bought by Grace after the Exposition will make it their home and will feel at home in it for it is after the same plan as the barn at the fair. … Mrs. Yenni has retired from the ice cream business and sold out the fittings of the former Mission ice cream parlors. … Union Hall will be the scene of a grand masquerade ball tonight to be given by the local Parlor of Native Sons and as the edict has gone forth that all dancers must be in costume and masked, the floor is expected to be crowded with many comic, unique and pretty costumes. The cash prizes of $5 each which will go to the most effective masqueraders will be a drawing card while two funny consolation prize will cheer the less fortunate contenders. … The Glen Ellen Clubdom met last Friday for its business meeting. The fund of $725 was voted to build a memorial to the late Jack London in the form of a clubhouse with a library attached or a library and reading room. Mrs. George O’Donnell very generously offered a lot for the building in the brick yard tract, which she bought from Chauvet.

 

82 YEARS AGO

(From the I-T of Feb. 15, 1929)

The annual masquerade ball of the Redmen and Daughters of Pocahontas will be an event of Washington’s birthday eve, next Tuesday, at St. Francis Hall. Prizes announced include the $5 door prize, a prize for the best group, best dressed and best sustained character. … On Feb. 20, the alphabetic C’s will have charge of the Whist party for the benefit of St. Francis church, to be held at St. Francis hall. Mrs. Tom Corcoran is chairman of the C’s, assisted by Mrs. T. Cereghino, Mrs. Canobbio, Mrs. M. Caterina, Mrs. Irene Castagnasso and Miss Josephine Cogo. … Tonight, the Sonoma Valley Sportsmen’s Club will meet at the city hall here and hear important discussion of the new fish and game laws to be up for passage before the Legislature next week. Assemblyman Frank Luttrell will confer with the sportsmen to get their views on some of this proposed legislation. … The Sonoma Mission Inn was the scene of an enthusiastic meeting of the Kiwanis Club Tuesday evening when distinguished speakers on the state park projects addressed the membership and a number of guests including the Vallejo family, Senator Herbert Slater, Assemblyman Frank Luttrell, Miss Honoria Tuomey, historian, city officials, representatives of the Sonoma Valley Sportsmen’s Club and Native Sons. … Miss Constance Power, former Sonoma girl and now one of the leading young professionals of San Francisco’s music colony, was heard last Sunday afternoon t 3 o’clock over the radio in a piano recital.

 

71 YEARS AGO

(From the Index-Tribune of Feb. 14, 1941)

How Henry Ford is contributing to national defense and the enormous quantity of planes he will turn out each day was told the Sonoma Kiwanis Club Tuesday in a talk by Mr. Doyle of the company. chairman Ernest Coates, local agent, introduced the speaker. … Five months ago Henry Ford started a new $11 million plant and by putting it under the largest ten tin the world and providing wind breaks against weather set-backs he has the plant almost ready for the airplanes and engine he is to turn out there. … The Chauvet Hotel at Glen Ellen has been bought by Mrs. Josephine Hough and daughter, Miss Evelyn Hough of Contra Costa county. They will renovate and improve the big hotel in Jack London’s old home town. Mrs. Hough is an experienced hotel proprietor and believes Glen Ellen has a big future. … There will be a dinner for the Legion veterans at Joseph Udvie’s, “Our Resort,” in El Verano on Feb. 26. … Next Tuesday evening, Feb. 18, the Sonoma Valley A.C. plays the most beautiful basketball team in the world in the Sonoma high gym. The club plays the Ozark Hill Billies, a team composed entirely of girls, that has beaten many good clubs and school teams in two years of playing. 

 

69 YEARS AGO

(From the Index-Tribune of Feb. 12, 1943)

A fire caused by a defective flue caused alarm in the business district yesterday morning as three fire engines were called to First Street East to fight the blaze. The fire had i origin in the attic of the old frame building once used as an undertaking parlor. It is now tenanted by a family of war workers. Firemen Jack Poulsen, living next door, summoned the fire department when smoke poured from the upper part of the dilapidated structure. … Mr. and Mrs. I. Diamond, of Buena Vista, have sold their 16-acre place, known as the Buena Vista Poultry Farms, to San Francisco parties. The new owners will engage in poultry raising and are taking notes from the successful couple who have operate the place many years. A substantial six-room hours, two cottages, up-to-date poultry houses, broders and incubators are included in the purchase. …  The Tule Vista Improvement Club will hold its monthly meeting this Friday, Feb. 12, at the schoolhouse. All members are requested to be present to elect new officers for the year. … About 100 interested businessmen and property owners from all sections of Sonoma County absented themselves from their businesses and gave of their valuable time last Monday afternoon to appear in mass protest against the “critical housing” erection of temporary shacks throughout Sonoma County by direct government financing and construction. 

 

67 YEARS AGO

(From the Index-Tribune of Feb. 16, 1945))

On the Maffei ranch near Tubbs Island 2,000 acres have been seeded to oats and is already doing well. “Nib” Maffei says he is well satisfied with is “vacation” at the ranch and expects to resume activities there as soon as the Sonoma Meat Company (formerly Maffei’s) and its new manager get better acquainted with the market and its patrons. … A meeting was held Monday night by the trustees of the Recreational District. A motion was made that the regular meeting night should be the second Monday in each month. A resolution requesting bids for a engineering estimate of the cost of the proposed sewage disposal system was passed. … The half million dollar construction at Skaggs Island is well under way, states, Lt. Commander Ross. The contractor who advertised in Petaluma for carpenters last week have many men now on the job. Skaggs Island is a permanent U.S. Naval radio station and is being steadily expanded. … Denny Carroll and W. Schurman, of Boyes Hot Springs, attended the Hot Stove League of Baseball session a Alameda Elks Lodge rooms last Monday. … A. C. Benedict, newly elected general chairman of the local Red Cross branch, today announced the list of elective officers for the coming year as follows: vice president, Armand Franquelin; secretary, Kathleen Maffei and treasurer, E. Williams.