Email  Print

Remember When Week of February 1

Tidbits from the past

91 YEARS AGO

(From the I-T of Jan. 28, 1922)

Rudolph Lichtenberg closed the deal with the Seals this week whereby these stars of the baseball world will train at Boyes Springs. Their coming in another feather in the cap of the big resort and will do much to advertise Sonoma Valley to fans throughout the country. The people of Buena Vista, particularly along the avenue leading to the Castle, are importuning the California Telephone and Light Company to give them light and power. This growing section of the Valley has many attractive homes which need the services and it is planned to get up a petition setting forth their desire for modern conveniences furnished by the local company. … Mine host Steinkamp expects many guests this weekend at his Boyes resort and will give everyone a social time including music, dancing and good eats Saturday and Sunday nights. … The school bond election in Watmaugh District Friday of last week went down to defeat. By the narrow margin of two votes the proposition to erect a new $7,000 school house failed to carry. There were 45 votes cast, 28 of which were in favor and 17 against the proposition. This is the second school bond proposition to be defeated recently, Glen Ellen, Dunbar and Kenwood voted down the proposal to build a new $30,000 school for these three recently consolidated districts.

 

88 YEARS AGO

(From the I-T of Jan. 31, 1925)

Glen Ellen has purchased its firefighting equipment and feels as proud as Boyes Springs when it first got the Little Red Devil chemical. … A cabin on the old Wright ranch on the Trinity Road was raided Wednesday night about midnight by Deputy Sheriffs Ryan and Dickson, and Officers Westphal and Housa, who found there 150 gallons of jackass brandy, a still and nine barrels of mash. The ranch where the illicit manufacture was being carried on is about three miles from Glen Ellen. … Last week in Santa Rosa the marriage occurred of Mrs. Eva Garoni well known and popular widow of Agua Caliente, and John Johnson, a young seafaring man, formerly of Alaska. To celebrate the joyous event Mr. and Mrs. Johnson invited about 50 of their friends to an elaborate wedding feats last Sunday at the Italian-American Hotel, of which the bride has long been proprietor. … A bill has been introduced in the legislature at Sacramento which would open up the state farm at Buena Vista as a refuge and reformatory for adult women convicts, delinquents and dope addicts. The sum of $350,000 is sought to erect a prison building, a building for women of the night life and dope addicts an industrial plant for vocational training and an administration building.

 

85 YEARS AGO

(From the I-T of Jan. 28, 1928)

Improvements continue at the golf links, where the $90,000 18-hole course built by the Sonoma Properties Company is being perfected and made ready for the opening the last of May. It is expected that invitations to all the leading golf clubs of the state will be issued for the opening tournament on Decoration Day. … Mrs. George O’Donnell, president of the Glen Ellen Woman’s Improvement Club, was in Sonoma Tuesday in the interest of the social dance to be held at the Jack London memorial library hall in Glen Ellen tonight. The Collegians music, which has won much praise at Boyes Springs, will play for the Glen Ellen dance, and a fine time is in store for all who attend. … The Boyes Springs Improvement Club and the Sonoma Valley Improvement Club are jointly giving a hard times dance on Feb. 11 to help the water fight fund. These clubs have attorney fees and other expense in connection with the effort to get a reduction of rates from the Sonoma Water and Irrigation Company, the matter having been threshed out here before the Railroad Commission recently. … On Tuesday night, Jan. 31, the Vineburg Athletic Club will play a return game with the DeMolay boys of Napa at the Sonoma high school court, and two exciting games are promised. The two local teams have been playing great ball, having won eight games and lost three to date.

 

58 YEARS AGO

(From the I-T of Feb. 3, 1955)

A permit, designating the A. B. (Charlie) Peluffo property on Highway 12 at Verano, for supermarket use, was on Tuesday night recommended by the Sonoma County Planning Commission. The 2-acre piece was recently designated as a C-2 of Commercial Zone. The board of supervisors must now pass on the recommendation. … Sports car drivers and owners from all over Northern California will be converging on the Sonoma Mission Inn at Boyes Hot Springs on Feb. 12 and 13 for the Second Annual Poker Rally Weekend, being put on by the Highwaymen Sports Car Club, a Santa Rosa organization, composed of sports car enthusiasts from the Redwood Empire area. … A planned new 46-home subdivision in Sonoma is meeting organized opposition from a group of property owners in the area of MacArthur and Fifth Street East. Under attack is the Provis Park residential tract in Allen Acres, lying west of Fifth Street East. The developer is William G. Raymond, representing the Duggan Investment Co. of Alameda. … An expansion program, approximating close to $1 million, is due to commence this summer at the U.S. Naval Radio Station, Skaggs Island, a few miles south of Sonoma. Commander H. Young, officer-in-charge, revealed yesterday that 60 new homes for station personnel are included in the expansion plans, with architects drawings of the new plans to be completed within two weeks time.

 

57 YEARS AGO

(From the I-T of Feb. 2, 1956)

The state department of public works has announced that the division of architecture will advertise for bids this week for construction of a receiving hospital, building at Sonoma State Hospital, Eldridge. Funds amount to approximately $700,000 are available for construction of the project. The new hospital will be located adjacent to the institution’s medical and surgical hospital and will function as a preadmission facility. … The Sonoma County Committee on School District Organization held its first study session Monday night on Huichica, Sonoma and Tule Vista school districts. About 30 persons attended the session, which is the first of a series to survey proposals for merging of two or more of the districts, chiefly Huichica and Sonoma. Twenty-five of the group were from the Huichica and Tule Vista area. … Civic-minded Kenwood taxpayers, voters and parents met with local and county school district officials in Kenwood’ Los Guilicos Clubhouse on Jan. 25 to weigh the educational advantages offered their school students by (a) establishing an independent district with their own school; (b) joining the Rincon District as part of Santa Rosa elementary school district; (c) remaining in the Dunbar Union to work for an “attendance center” in Kenwood. … Councilwoman Joan McGrath yesterday filed for re-election to the Sonoma council and City Clerk James F. Baker is to file his candidacy this morning for re-election to this post. Mrs. McGrath, who is completing her first four-year term on the city council is chairman of the Plaza, cemetery, finance and library committee of the council  

 

55 YEARS AGO

(From the I-T of Jan. 30, 1958)

The state park board has completed its negotiations for the Barracks and property adjoining the Sonoma Mission on the north. Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Murphy, who purchased the adobe and the military barracks in 1934, will continue to make their home in the upper part of the building. Other tenants are asking for leases until restoration begins under a five-year plan to restore the Sonoma of General Vallejo’s day on the former properties of Amelia Walton and the Murphys. … Mrs. Joseph Udvie of Jess and Joe’s Bar, 201 W. Napa St., reported to Sonoma police Saturday that more than $500 in currency had been taken from an open safe in a back room of the establishment. … William Knight, principal at the Sonoma Elementary School, West Fifth Stret, and assistant district superintendent, was named as agent for the school’s board of trustees in federal school dealings, following the death of Calvin Sassarini last Saturday night. … Members of the Sonoma Valley Business and Professional Women’s Club and their guests heard three building officials discuss building codes in detail at the club’s annual Forum Dinner, Jan. 22, at Lee’s Chuck Wagon in Sonoma.