A Short History of Sonoma

Preface

ix When I was in junior high school, my grandmother told me a story about the afternoon she had tea with Charmian London, widow of Jack London, the famous author. I remember being amazed at how casually she dropped the London name. I was a budding historian by this time, and her tale added to my already strong interest in Sonoma’s history, because it was my own family’s history, too. Both of my paternal grandparents’ families arrived in the Sonoma Valley around 1913 from points north and east, and my father was born in his great-grandmother’s house just a few blocks from the city’s storied central plaza. I grew up in nearby Marin County, and my parents, my sister, and I spent many weekends visiting the folks in Sonoma. As soon as I was old enough, I regularly deserted the family gatherings to wander through the coolness of the adobe mission, marvel at the Victorian furnishings at General Vallejo’s home, or—eventually—breathe in the scents of ancient wine casks on the tour of the Sebastiani Winery. The historical pleasures of the Sonoma Valley never paled, and these excursions helped me realize that history was my calling. Now, a few decades later, I have a career as a historian and writer, and after many wanderings, I also live in Sonoma. I always wanted to write about this place, and finally got the opportunity after a chat with Matt Becker, acquisitions editor at the University of Nevada Press, who was looking for authors to write short histories of western places. I suggested Sonoma, with me as the writer. In this book, I detail the broad sweep of Sonoma’s history, from its earliest native tribes to its Spanish missionary period to its development as a world-renowned wine region. Throughout, I describe its fascinating Preface x p r e f a c e people and tell the stories that link this city to national and international movements. The names “Sonoma Valley” and “Valley of the Moon” refer to the town of Sonoma itself and the nearby communities of Glen Ellen, Boyes Springs, Agua Caliente, El Verano, and Fetters Hot Springs. As readers will learn, these places have lived in Sonoma’s pockets for more than a century, and locals consider them part of the valley as a whole. When viewed from the air, the town of Sonoma looks a bit like a cup. Attached to it is Highway 12, threading north with the resort towns along each side, like a very long handle. To me, Sonoma’s story works best when you hold the cup and its handle together, so that is what I have done. Writing this book sent me back into the past I read about as a child and at the same time gave me a chance to learn quite a few new things about my ancestral home. It also put me in touch with a lot of wonderful people whose help and encouragement made it all possible. Diane Moll Smith, director/curator of the Sonoma Valley Historical Society Depot Museum, opened up the archives and her incredible memory to help me plumb the details of Sonoma’s history. Gracious, knowledgeable, funny, and smart, Diane made my work easy and fun as she let me roam free in the society’s archives. Her partner in history, office manager Sandi Hansen, was equally generous and helpful. The other living historical resource in town is Bob Parmelee, whose own book, Pioneer Sonoma, served as my early reference material. Thanks also to Carol Dodge of the California State Parks, and Caitlan Maxwell, of the Montana Historical Society, for their friendly assistance with photo research. When it comes to Jack and Charmian London, the fount of all knowledge is Sue Hodson, curator of literary manuscripts at the Huntington Library. Sue is always generous with her time and expertise, and she let me tap into her vast reservoir of London lore without complaint. For his all-encompassing knowledge of California history, especially the Bear Flaggers, I owe much gratitude to my friend and colleague Dr. Robert Chandler. Patti Elkin was the first person to hear every chapter as it came out of the printer. Jeanne Hangauer and Taina Kissinger worked their digital p r e f a c e xi magic for me once again. And Joseph T. Silva graciously allowed me the use of...