When the State of California was created in 1850, it designated Sonoma County one of the original 27 California Counties, and the City of Sonoma was selected as the County Seat. Over time this changed and the County Seat moved to the biggest city in Sonoma County, the City of Santa Rosa.
This post will discuss some of the milestones which occurred in Sonoma County history. We’ll start with this table, which is a summary of the development of the Cities which make up Sonoma County.
The Cities of Sonoma County
| Date Founded | Name of City | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| 1844 | Bodega | Capt. Stephen Smith was granted the Bodega Rancho, which reached from the Bay at Bodega to the Russian River |
| 18?? | Bodega Bay | The town now called Bodega Bay started as the town of Bay. |
| 1869 | Cazadero | This "hunting place" started out as "Ingrams" until 1888 when the entire town was purchased and the name changed. |
| 1856 | Cloverdale | Originally known as "Markleville", the original town was a tavern with some "town lots" surveyed and mapped. The town was sold in 1859 and the name was changed. |
| 1849 | Rancho Cotati | What are now the towns of Penngrove, Cotati and Rohnert Park was, from 1849 to 1892, known as "Rancho Cotati" |
| 1877 | Duncan Mills | Originally established in 1862, the Mill at Duncan's Mills was moved to avoid flooding; it's been in place ever since. |
| 1869 | Forestville | Originally spelled "Forrestville" for the town's founder, Andrew Forrister. |
| 1849 | Freestone | Jasper O'Farrell (of O'Farrell Street fame in San Francisco) acquired the land and built his home near the "free stone" quarry which was on the property. |
| 1851 | Geyserville | Clark Foss opened a stagecoach line and hotel so visitors could see the "geysers" in Geyserville. |
| 1858 | Glen Ellen | Founded by Charles V. Stuart and named for his wife, Ellen - Glen Ellen was the "go to" place for San Franciscan's looking for a holiday. |
| 1904 | Graton | What had been the first subdivision in Sonoma County, Gray's Town became known as Graton; the name was changed officially in 1905. |
| 1861 | Gualala | Just outside Sonoma County's northern border is the town of Gualala, which was once a major logging community. |
| 1860 | Guerneville | Originally called "Stumptown" due to the heavy logging activities, Guerneville was founded by George Guerne, who built a sawmill on the Russian River. |
| 1857 | Healdsburg | Starting as a store and Post Office, Healdsburg became Sonoma County's second city when it incorporated in 1867. |
| 1867 | Jenner | What started out as a canyon home for a recluse writer turned into Jenner-by-the-Sea or "Jenner" |
| 1876 | Monte Rio | Originally a railroad watering station, Monte Rio was known as a Vacation Wonderland due to the easy access by rail. |
| 1876 | Occidental | First it was a village called Howard's Station, to honor an original settler from 1849, the name was changed in 1876. |
| 1851 | Petaluma | The first city in Sonoma County to incorporate, Petaluma was an important shipping point due to the Petaluma River, which meanders from the northern most part of San Francisco Bay all the way to Petaluma. |
| 1864 | Rio Nido | Another spot which was originally a lumber mill, over time Rio Nido became a year-round vacation spot right on the Russian River. |
| 1929 | Rohnert Park | When the last tract of the Rancho Cotati was purchased in 1929, it was the Rohnert Seed Farm. Years later it was subdivided and turned into a planned community called: Rohnert Park. |
| 1853 | Santa Rosa | The original founders of Santa Rosa, Barney Hoen, Feodor Hahman and William Hartman, rented the Carrillo Adobe, opened a general store and then plotted out the town of Santa Rosa, which was incorporated in 1867. |
| 1851 | Sebastopol | Founded by Dr. Joseph Miller and John Walker, the village of Pine Grove was renamed Sebastopol around 1860. |
| 1850 | Sonoma | Sonoma is a word from the original people of the area, the Chocuyen. The name means "Valley of the Moon" and the Chocuyen people believed the Moon lived in their valley. |
| 1868 | Stewarts Point | Now the home of the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians, the Stewarts Point Rancheria was originally a store and hotel built by two brothers: John Colt Fisk and A.L. Fisk. |
| 1846 | The Sea Ranch | A naturalized Mexican citizen of German birth, Ernest Rufus was given one of the last Mexican Land Grants. He developed a community which, over time, became The Sea Ranch. |
| 1855 | Windsor | While it was founded in 1851, it was four years later before Windsor became a town. |
Another interesting note in Sonoma County’s history is it took sex seriously. Besides General Hooker’s house in the City of Sonoma (which is how the word “hooker” came to mean prostitute – during the Civil War, General Hooker let the Ladies camp near his Troops and over time they became known as Hooker’s Girls … and then Hookers) the county was home to many brothels and bordellos.
Before Wine, it was Women and Song
While The “oldest profession” was outlawed in California in 1872, it persisted and was even tolerated to a certain degree in Sonoma County.
According to the book “Hidden History”: “Guerneville had its ‘cribs,’ Petaluma had its ‘Green House’ and Santa Rosa had its ‘Tenderloin,… ”
During the 1890s, Santa Rosa’s red light district was located just south of Chinatown, near Santa Rosa Creek. It encompassed the area of First Street from Main (today’s Santa Rosa Avenue) to E Street, and D Street, between First and Second streets, according to the book.
Today, the Main Post Office in downtown Santa Rosa is located near the heart of the old red light district.
At the turn-of-the-century, there were five or more known brothels in close proximity, some owned by one of Santa Rosa’s largest property holders. However, the houses of ill repute offered more than just sexual favors.
One known as the “Chicken Coop,” had grooming services. And all brothels were allowed by the city to serve liquor after buying a license for $15 per month, even though the businesses operated neither as restaurants nor saloons.
Business was especially brisk when the horse races were running at the fairground. Men, awaiting their turn with the ladies of the night, would form lines along the fences opposite the bordellos.
Property values
Men would line up along the fence, across the street and the racket, the language and the smoking really offended the neighbor. In addition, the working women and patrons also could often be seen in the windows in various stages of undress.
The Santa Rosa City Council, in May 1907, passed a resolution specifically defining the boundary of the red light district. Among other things, it required establishments to be licensed, which also included each “guest” to be inspected by a doctor and subject to vacating the premises if a contagious disease was found.
End of an Era
Eventually the bordellos closed and during the 1920s the general area for that type of business moved south to neighborhoods of Santa Rosa Avenue.
What else is there to discover? Come on out for a visit and find some adventure yourself!
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