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    Sebastopol
    Sebastopol
    Sebastopol
    Ebook166 pages29 minutes

    Sebastopol

    By The Western Sonoma County Historical Society

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    About this ebook

    Since the 1850s, the soothing countryside hamlets of Sonoma County have beckoned settlers of every stripe-farmers, homesteaders, businesspeople, and commuters. Sebastopol has always been among the county's loveliest towns, retaining its small-town feel even as its population has steadily grown. This book of vintage photography presents Sebastopol's journey through time, the early Mexican land grants and initial settlements, Luther Burbank's far-ranging botanical experiments, and the rich farming industry that made this town one of California's premier agricultural zones, producing grapes, hops, cherries, and dairy products. In these pages readers will experience Sebastopol's turn-of-the-century days at the Apple Fair, with its astonishing fruit sculptures. The first days of railroads are illustrated with images of the Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railway, an electric train system that took passengers to and from Sebastopol Depot. The architecture of the region and the stories of local businesses and institutions are all shown here, along with Sebastopol's early religious institutions, schools, sawmills, factories, and even its small airport in the 1920s. Together with views of the town's sporting teams, natural history, outlying communities, and important citizens, these photographs tell a unique story of a unique place that transcends the generations.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateSep 10, 2003
    ISBN9781439630679
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      Book preview

      Sebastopol - The Western Sonoma County Historical Society

      (Z)

      INTRODUCTION

      In 1855, six years after the beginning of the Gold Rush in California, Ohio emigrant Joseph Morris claimed government land between two Mexican land grants and started the town of Pine Grove. Some time after this a Mr. Stevens and Mr. Hibbs had words, escalating into a fight, leading Mr. Stevens to take refuge in the general store. The storekeeper would not let the fight continue on his premises so Mr. Hibbs waited all day for Mr. Stevens to exit. People said this was Mr. Hibbs Sebastopol Standoff, just like in the Crimean War that was being fought overseas at that time.

      Later, when a post office was to be opened for the town, there already was a Pine Grove in California so the townspeople chose Sebastopol as the new town name. Thus began the quirky history of Sebastopol that some say continues today. To illustrate that point, we are a designated nuclear free zone.

      From the 1850s, immigrants have arrived here after learning what great potential this land has for farming. Early on, people grew fruit of all kinds, especially grapes and apples. Great wealth was built from hops grown before Prohibition, and the apple industry hit its peak around World War II. Grapes were grown since the turn of the century and are now making a resurgence, along with a great deal of interest in organic farming.

      The Western Sonoma Historical Society’s archives and photographs gathered from private collections provide a look into many areas of local history in our city. The variety of life here is impressive. In the 1920s, for example, we had an established airport where pilots provided thrilling barnstorming rides. And before that, in 1903, the Petaluma and Santa Rosa electric railroad established Sebastopol as the crossroads to stations north, east, and south (the 1917 P&SR Depot now provides a home to the West County Museum). Luther Burbank, who lived in Santa Rosa, purchased 18 acres in Sebastopol in 1885 to expand his legendary botanical experimentation; 3 acres of his original farm have been preserved by the historical society. The museum and farm, as well as one home from 1903, are on the National Register of Historic Places.

      Sebastopol boasts many distinct architectural styles of homes still preserved in their original state. Meanwhile, the former Odd Fellows and Masonic cemetery contains the burials of many people significant to the history of California, including members of the Donner Party, the Bear Flag revolt of 1846, Luther Burbank’s sister and mother, and many pioneers of the West County.

      As for natural surroundings, the Laguna de Santa Rosa—one of Sonoma County’s most significant watersheds—flows through Sebastopol. In the 1920s, this scenic body of water was used for recreational bathing; today it provides a home for many species of flora and fauna.

      Sebastopol’s diverse ethnic history is embodied in such structures as the Enmanji Temple, now home to a Buddhist congregation. This amazing building was brought here from the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair and reconstructed without nails. Portuguese from the Azores Islands, Japanese farmers via Hawaii, Native Americans, and others also add to our cosmopolitan makeup.

      The Western Sonoma County Historical Society works to inform the public about local history as well as preserve it. Through this collection of photographs, we hope you will enjoy this look into Sebastopol’s past.

      Sebastopol’s first Apple Show in 1910 gave individual farmers and cooperatives the opportunity to promote their products.

      One

      ALONG THE LAGUNA DE SANTA ROSA

      Ten thousand years ago, Native Americans inhabited the Laguna de Santa Rosa, and to date, 11 Pomo village sites have been identified on the Laguna. The Mexican era began when Joaquin Carrillo petitioned for ownership of the Llano de Santa Rosa Rancho in 1844, and within Carrillo’s resulting land grant was the Laguna. John Walker and James Miller, two men who were among the white settlers arriving beginning in 1850, operated a trading post along the Laguna two miles south of present-day Sebastopol. With the arrival of more settlers and the beginning of the farming industry, trees were removed from the Laguna, sediment gradually created dams, and three lakes were formed: Lake Jonive, Cunningham, and Ballard. On Lake Jonive, north of Analy High School, people boated, swam, sunned, and fished in the early 1900s. In 1915, property owners along the Laguna wanted to form a drainage district and drain the Laguna to increase the value of their land. In the 1930s, the Civil Conservation Corps employed young men to make ditches and dams to control drainage into the Laguna.

      Sebastopol’s main purpose when the city incorporated in 1902 was to

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