Recently, I was working my way through another file of old documents passed down to me from my dad, Robert Lynch, who got them from his aunt, Celeste Murphy. After World War II, Dad succeeded Aunt Celie, who was editor of the I-T from 1915 to 1946. Among my grand aunt’s archives I found a hand-written letter dated April 20, 1934 from Al Sondag.
Alphonse Sondag was a well-known artist and sculptor of the time, known primarily for landscapes and paintings of historical sites in California.
Sondag’s letter began as follows: “As per your request, I am submitting to you the figures relative to the cost for erecting the proposed monument to Gen. M.G. Vallejo in Sonoma. The total cost, ready for unveiling, is $4,066.
“The bronze bust is of course the most costly item, $2,600.”
His letter went on to itemize the costs and explaining why it would cost so much.
In today’s dollars the $4,066 would be equal to nearly $75,000.
Undaunted, my grand aunt, who was a leading advocate for historical preservation and a founding member of the Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club, teamed up with the Native Sons of the Golden West and began a Vallejo-monument fund drive.
An item from the June 29, 1934 issue of the I-T documented that the drive was in full swing a few months later.
“Be sure to have 10 cents ready to buy a tag on July 4 from the committee and the attractive girls selling General M. G. Vallejo tags for the monument fund. The Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club is sponsoring the sale and will be aided by other organizations interested in the project. Buy a tag and help put over the memorial to Sonoma’s founder. The monument is to be erected in the Sonoma Plaza...
“Many clever performers will appear on the program tomorrow evening at the Boyes Springs bathhouse for the benefit of the Valley of the Moon Fire District’s building fund. The worthy cause has won the support of loyal friends from all over the Valley and nearby cities where Valley property owners reside. Paul Marcucci and his famous orchestra will play for dancing and the vaudeville numbers include two accordion numbers, two hula and tap dancing acts, a song and dance man, a guitar number with Hawaiian songs, an El Verano special musical act with freak instruments, and a laugh-provoking skit by a comedy team with songs and jokes.”
The drive continued through 1934, 1935 and into 1936. Unfortunately, it never got close to the estimated cost. In fact the founders had barely raised $400. In February of 1936, the Woman’s Club announced it was ending the drive and returning all of the checks to the donors.
Then, more than 80 years later, the Vallejo Monument idea was revived. A local group was formed last year to develop and build a moment on the Plaza memorializing Vallejo.
Together with Sonoma artist Jim Callahan, they developed an idea to have a life-size, bronze sculpture of General Vallejo sitting on a bench. The monument would be located on the north side of the Plaza, facing the location of his former home.
The local chapter of the Native Sons of the Golden West is once again a sponsor of that effort.
There hasn’t been a lot written about the idea yet. A few letters to the editor have appeared. And at least one prominent local historian, Bob Parmelee, opposed the idea.
While the odds are long, the effort is apparently still alive, and the supporters have a website: generalvallejomonument.com. Who knows, maybe they’ll succeed this time.
Somewhere, my grand aunt Celeste is smiling, delighted that her idea to memorialize Gen. Vallejo still has life.
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: