The current proposal, according to the public notice, calls for having the Hansen House officially designated as a landmark and rehabilitated by developer Hugh Futrell. Mr. Futrell proposes to build 34 two-story residential units, including 8 detached single family homes and 26 duets (duplexes). The Planning Commission will review all of this Tuesday, May 28^th at 7 PM.

For more information and/or to provide comments, contact Heather Hines, Planning Manager at (707) 778-4316 or send an email hhines@ci.petaluma.ca.us

The notice states that the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration was released for a 20 day public review from May 9^th thru May 28^th and that the document is available at the Community Development Department at 11 English Street and on the City’s web site http://cityofpetaluma.net/cdd/planning.html

First McKinley Elementary School, 625 E. Washington St., Petaluma, Calif. 1910. SCL 2846

There have been three McKinley Schools. First there was a one room school house which was replaced by a larger building designed by Brainerd Jones (the blueprints are on file at the Sonoma County Archives which is managed by Tony Hoskins of the Sonoma County History & Genealogy Library) and constructed by Frederick Cullen in 1911according to Thomas Gregory's History of Sonoma County.

McKinley Elementary School, 625 E. Washington St., Calif. 1912. SCL 2849

Both of these buildings were located on East Washington and Vallejo Streets – where Whole Foods is today. The second school was demolished in November of 1955. Construction of the current McKinley Elementary School on Ellis Street began in April of 1949. The architect was Robert Stanton of San Francisco and the builders were our very own Midstate Construction who are presently working across the street from the McKinley Elementary School on the East Washington Place Shopping Center.

McKinley Elementary School, 110 Ellis Street, Petaluma, Calif. circa 1958. SCL 18247

Whatever starting year you choose, none add up to 100 years. I bet several of McKinley students - past and present have figured this out, but heck acknowledging the educational accomplishments of today is what's really important here. Check it out for yourself by attending the celebration at the school on May 9th. For more information, please call Matthew Harris at (707) 778-4750.

When I was a budding genealogist decades ago, my grandfather Hoskins drew a chart for me showing our male line descent from his great grandfather, William Hoskins (1796-1870), Kentucky-born pioneer settler in Bureau County, Illinois. From that point until four years ago, I steadily researched this family, found William’s ancestors back to the English immigrant, Thomas Hodginson/Hoskinson (1680-after 1743), traced many lines from Thomas’s seven sons, and even established a point of origin and ancestry into the Tudor period for this family in Preston, Lancashire, England.

My genealogical confidence in this line was shattered four years ago when I decided to “go scientific” and have my Y-DNA tested. Having received my results at the 67 marker level, I asked Hugh Hoskins – a man who had contacted me years before to trace his line – if he had had his Y-DNA tested and identified. He had. Since he and I were “on paper” (documented) 5^th cousins, three times removed., we should have matched. We didn’t! About a week later, Hugh contacted me to let me know that a certain Ron Hoskins had matched him. Ron was “on paper” closer related to me than to Hugh. So, I knew the genealogical problem was not Hugh’s, but mine.

A bit alarmed, I contacted my 1^st cousin Andy Hoskins. He tested, weeks passed and (happily) he and I were an exact match through all 67 markers: meaning our male ascent was assured as far as our mutual grandfather. But, “Cousins” Hugh’s and Ron’s not matching Andy and me had to be pursued. The problem was clearly Andy’s and mine – but how far back was the “problem”?

Interested in learning what unfolded next, and the surprising twists and turns this DNA-genealogical odyssey has taken?  If so, come hear my presentation in the daylong seminar - Using DNA to Solve Your Genealogical Mysteries – sponsored by the California Genealogical Society, Nile Hall, Preservation Park, 668 Thirteenth Street, Oakland, CA 94612 on April 27, 2013,  9:00AM-3:30PM. (Pre-registration required. events@californiaancestors.org. 510-663-1358 )

Early view of the Cloverdale Free Library. SCL Photo 7476

So far no luck, but hoping that perhaps by posting this blog someone will come forward with photos, blue prints or building specifications (doesn't hurt to be optimistic).

A bit of history on the Cloverdale Library. According Images of America: Cloverdale by Joan Wagele, Marge Gray, and the Cloverdale Historical Society, and other sources, Cloverdale's first library was actually started around 1894 in the Library Hall at 231 North West Street. The Cloverdale Free Library was built in 1921 by the Women's Improvement Club on land donated by Ida (Hoadley) Humbert. In 1966 the Cloverdale Lbrary merged with the County Library and in 1979 the current Cloverdale Public Library located at 401 North Cloverdale Boulevard, opened in Feburary of 1979 at which time the "old" library became home to a wholesale lumber business.

If you or someone you know has information that you think might aid in the rehabilitation of this piece of history, please let me know by providing comments below.

Following the death of Arnold Scott, a lifelong Petaluman, in 1999 what remained of his family’s 134-acre ranch on D Street went to his alma mater, the University of the Pacific, where he received a degree in sociology in 1939. The ranch is located on the corner of D Street and Windsor Drive. Several of the original outbuildings are still present, including a prominent, 2.5 story red barn.

Photo of the Scott Ranch (1860 D Street, Petaluma) taken March 8, 2013. Photo courtesy of Scott Hess

Mr. Scott’s intention in donating the property was that it be sold and the proceeds used to fund a scholarship. Scott had received a football scholarship to UOP and was forever grateful for having had the opportunity to attend college. He believed others should share in his good fortune. This was not his first act of generosity. Arnold Scott provided sports scholarships in the names of his parents to Petaluma and Casa Grande high schools and contributed financially to the all-weather track at Petaluma High.

Arnold Scott (1914-1999). Photo courtesy Richard Lewis

Although Mr. Scott never married or had children of his own, he was a surrogate father to many local youth who he took on regular fishing and hunting trips – sometimes on the ranch itself which was purchased by Arnold’s father, Niels Christian Scott, in 1915.

Historic Background

In addition to the Scott family, the property is also associated with Wiese and Petersen families.

Carl Johannes Wiese, a German immigrant, received a patent to what was then a 160-acre parcel in 1868 and shortly thereafter established one of the first dairy ranches to supply milk to the local retail trade.

Historic view of Scott Ranch circa 1922. Courtesy of Richard Lewis

From probate proceedings included in an abstract of title held by the Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library, I learned that when Carl Wiese died in 1876 his 160-acre ranch, appraised at $4,800, as well as 20 cows and two horses went to his wife, Catherine. In 1893 she deeded the property to her daughter, Mary Petersen. Mary had married Julius Petersen on October 17, 1880 at the ranch. They raised their four children, Hulda, Bertha, Arthur and Rudolph, on the ranch. Bertha married Magnus Vonsen, a prominent Petaluma feed merchant.

In addition to operating the ranch, Julius Petersen was a painter, credited with painting some of the first incubators manufactured by Lyman Byce. His specialty however was carriages. Early on he had a shop at the corner of Keller and Washington Streets and later moved to the corner of Howard Street and Western Avenue. He likely used one of the larger barns on his ranch as a workshop.

By 1910 the Petersens had built a house at 407 C Street and were living there. In 1915 they sold all but 26 acres of their ranch to Niels C. Scott, a Danish immigrant.

Scott settled in California around 1900 and established a ranch in the Sonoma Mountains. After his daughter Carmen was born, he and his wife Amalia decided to move closer to town.

At the time Scott purchased the ranch, a reporter for the Petaluma Argus stated it was “one of the most important farm land deals made” and that the farm is a splendid one and is a quarter of a mile outside the city limits and only 15 minutes walk from the post office.”

According to another newspaper articles dated March 2, 1915, N.C. Scott awarded a contract to H.P. Vogensen for the “remodeling of practically every building and the reconstruction of every fence on his splendid farm on D Street extension.” The article continues by stating that “the improvements will cost much money, but when they are completed he will have a show place and one of the finest and most attractive farm homes in this vicinity.”

The old Wiese home would later be replaced by a one-story, stucco, Craftsman bungalow. This bungalow was destroyed by fire around 1967, but several of the outbuildings remain, serving as prominent landmarks to the passersby and artists alike.

When Niels Scott died in 1941 the Petaluma Argus stated that the Scott Ranch was one of the “model places in the county.”

Current Situation

The Scott Ranch was purchased by Davidon Homes of Walnut Creek in 2004 for $7.8 million (Press Democrat, October 17, 2006, pg. B1). Today, just as they did in 2006, Davidon proposes to build 93 homes on the 58 acre ranch that is situated next to Helen Putnam Regional Park.

The Scott Ranch is called out in the City of Petaluma’s 2025 General Plan which was adopted in 2008. Policy 2-P-68 states specifically that the red barns are to be preserved in place.

The barns are a tangible link to the region’s agricultural heritage that few Petaluma properties convey. Their physical location and setting provide a gentle transition from rural to urban that cannot be replicated.

The draft environmental impact report has been prepared. The draft EIR covers many issues including the red barns. Davidon Homes proposes demolition of the structures as one option, relocating as another.

The draft environmental impact report will be reviewed by the City Council on April 15, 2013. For more information go the City’s web site:  http://cityofpetaluma.net/cdd/davidon.html as well as that of Petalumans for Responsible Planning, a group of concerned citizens working to find an alternative to the Davidon proposal. Their web site is http://www.petrp.org/

Unidentified boy and dog drink from Petaluma’s WCTU fountain 1955. SCL Photo No. 28188.

Well in case you have, it was members of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) who hired local stone mason, E.W.M. Evans, to erect the granite fountain in 1891.

In 1879, Petaluma was one of the first communities in California to establish its own chapter of the WCTU, just five years after the national WCTU was founded in Evanston, Illinois. It is no wonder, given that Petaluma had nearly 50 saloons serving a population of 3,000 in 1880.

The Petaluma chapter of the WCTU followed the formation of the Petaluma Temperance Union, which was open to all and founded in 1877. Its initial membership consisted of approximately 300 people.

WCTU members chose abstinence from alcohol and defined temperance as moderation in all things healthful and total abstinence from all things harmful. The objective of the WCTU was to secure legal prohibition.

Members of the Petaluma WCTU circa 1902. From left to right: Minnie Raymond, Georgina Kynock, ?, ?, ?, Leoleon Ingersen, Effie VanBebber, and Emilie Skoe. Photo courtesy of the Petaluma Museum.

Not long ago I discovered that the Petaluma Museum has a WCTU minute books that cover the years 1911 to 1920 which they were kind enough to allow the Library to photocopy. The photocopied book has been cataloged and one of our dedicated volunteers, Moria Gardner, is indexing it.

The minute book along with this photo, also found within the Petaluma Museum archives, has much to tell us about Petaluma’s history and role women have played in it.

Thanks to Moria’s indexing, women who may have once been invisible to researchers are becoming visible and the story of our past made more complete.

This photo was taken circa 1920 which means the man on the steps may be Benjamin Corippo. Photo courtesy of Jane Soberanes.

Being that the house is on the market I was inspired to do a bit more research on the property. I knew from Sanborn fire insurance maps that the house was built between 1894 and 1906.

Using “A Map Book of the City of Petaluma” by F.G. Harriman, I discovered that the property was owned by Louis Bacigalupi, a railroad conductor in 1907. Mr. Bacigalupi and his wife Katherine and their two daughters, Katherine and Evelyn were living at 415 E. Washington Street in 1910 according to the census for that year. It seems likely that Louis Bacigalupi had the house built.

In 1920 and 1930, the house was rented to Benjamin H. Corippo who was the proprietor of Corippo & Gilardi, a grocery and liquor store. The Corippo family consisted of Benjamin’s wife, Edith Gilardi Corippo and their children: Robert, Edward and Arthur. In 1930 the household also included nephew Richard A. Gilardi.

By 1940, the Rowan family was renting 415 E. Washington Street. Clyde Rowan was an auto mechanic and his wife, Mary was employed in the laundry at the Hotel Petaluma. They had three children: Winifred Vivian, and Cyde, Jr.

According to a city director, Guido and Iris Boccaleoni had moved into 415 E. Washington Street by 1947. Prior to this, the couple had lived at 610 E. Washington with Guido’s parents, Abramo and Mary.

In 1938 Guido established Guido’s Richfield Service at 440 E. Washington Street (now the site of Starbucks). In addition to managing the gas station, Guido was a member of the Petaluma Minstrels as an accordion player and the Sons of Italy. He also taught the accordion.

Guido Boccaleoni died on October 22, 1999, and is survived by his wife Iris, children Guido, Jr., Diane, Bruno, Charles and Karen.

I’m told that Iris remained in the house until just a few years ago. It would be great to talk to her. She witnessed a lot of change during her 70 plus years living in the “old” East Petaluma neighborhood.

I speculated that the park and fountain were both demolished when the new Santa Rosa Central Library was built in the 1960s. I’ve since spoken with former City of Santa Rosa Parks and Recreation Director Bill Montgomery who confirmed my suspicion. Bill's been in the Library quite a bit these days doing research for the next Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery Lamplight Tour.

While the park and memorial are gone, the plaque according to Eric Stanley, history curator, is now in the possession of the Sonoma County Museum on Seventh Street along with this photo.

Photo courtesy of the Sonoma County Museum

Eric believes that the photo was taken during the dedication of the memorial in 1915 and that the children present are those who were delivered by Dr. McGaughey-Stuart.

Thank you Bill and Eric!

The idea is to provide the Press Democrat with photos from the Library’s vast collection of historic images. In most cases a professional Press Democrat photographer will then be assigned to capture the same vantage point so as to provide a now perspective.

In other situations we may provide a photo that needs further identification. Each situation will be different. The plan is to show images that represent all parts of Sonoma County and get the word out about the amazing photo collection (40,000+) maintained by the Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library.

The Towns editor Linda Castrone asked me how I find photos that might be considered as features. The easy answer is – usually by looking for something else.

For example when Kevin McCallum, a Press Democrat reporter, was looking for historic images of the former PG&E plant on First and E Streets in Santa Rosa I went to the Library’s catalog and typed in E Street as the subject. Much to my surprise a photo of a memorial to Dr. Anabel McGaughey Stuart came up. Why did this happen? Turns out that the memorial was located at 211 E Street – site of the current Santa Rosa Central Library.

Photo of the Anabel McGaughey Stuart memorial fountain taken in 1952. SCL Photo No. 20975

I found this quite interesting. I knew that Dr. Stuart was one of Sonoma County’s first female doctors (great subject for a National Women’s History Month blog post), but I wasn’t aware of the memorial. When and where was it installed? Where did it go?

My research began with Santa Rosa A Nineteenth Century Town by Gaye LeBaron, Dee Blackman, Joann Mitchell and Harvey Hansen in which I learned that “in a community where nearly all the physicians were general practitioners who treated entire families through two and three generations, “beloved” was not an unusual adjective to attach to a doctor’s name. But none in Santa Rosa were more beloved than the woman known to her patients as “Doctor Dear.” Anabel McGaughey Stuart, a leader in the Santa Rosa medical community in the last decades of the 19^th century, practiced in Santa Rosa until her death in 1914, when her patients dedicated a fountain to her memory in the little park next to the library.”

Photo of the west side of the Santa Rosa Carnegie Library taken by Don Meacham in 1960. Note the fountain in the foreground. To the left is Fourth Street. The library stood at the southwest corner of Fourth and E Streets. SCL Photo No. 22430

As I delved further into the subject I discovered that the “little park next to the library” was Santa Rosa’s first public park and was established by the Woman’s Improvement Club just prior to the installation of the Anabel McGaughey Stuart Memorial.

More research is needed to determine what happened to this park and the memorial, but I suspect they were demolished when the “old” Carnegie Library was torn down following its closure in 1960. Chances are there is someone out there with firsthand knowledge. As best I can tell the park now sits beneath the driveway between the Central Santa Rosa Library and the annex to the former Rosenberg’ department store at 720 Fourth Street (Empire Eye Doctors).

If the Arts Center had charged admission I would have said it was a sell out crowd. I suspect there were close to 70 people packed into the small classroom located adjacent to the exhibit space – a space currently occupied by an amazing textile show featuring the work of four women weavers.

Inge’s presentation was a great way in which to acknowledge that March is National Women’s History Month.

For my part I thought I’d take this opportunity to share a story I wrote about two World War I Red Cross nurses for the Petaluma Argus Courier back in May of 2007.

While 16 million lives were lost during World War I, it was the influenza epidemic of 1918 that killed an estimated 50 million people. Two of its victims were the Lundholm sisters, Viola and Ruth, who were born and raised in Petaluma.

The Lundholms were a large family that lived in a quintessential farmhouse that still stands at 200 West Street and was recently purchased by Jim Soules who plans to rehabilitate it with help from Chris Lynch and Mary Dooley of MAD Architecture.

200 West Street, Petaluma, Calif. Photo taken in 2007 by Katherine J. Rinehart. SCL Photo No. 33940

The Lundholms family consisted of parents Caroline and Andrew Lundholm, both Swedish immigrants. Andrew was a cobbler, who along with his wife, raised not only Viola and Ruth, but son Charles and daughters Esther, Julia, Lydia, Mabel and Florence.

Viola and Ruth attended Petaluma High School and following graduation worked as clerks  - Viola at Walter Towne Drugs and Ruth at a candy store on Kentucky Street – before deciding to attend nursing school at Merritt Hospital in Oakland. Their married sister Lydia was living in Oakland at the time. Once Viola and Ruth obtained  their degrees, both signed up with the Red Cross.

This is a photo of a painting that originally hung in the American Legion Hall until the building was demolished in the 1960s. The painting was given Ed Fratini who later gave it to the Petaluma Museum. The photo was taken by Terry Hankins. SCL Photo No. 33070

Ruth Lundholm was stationed at Letterman Hospital in San Francisco and Viola was sent to Camp Cody in New Mexico. After a few months, the sisters reunited in New York where they remained for three weeks before sailing for England. They arrived at Portsmouth on September 14, 1918, and within a month’s time both were dead.

It is thought that Ruth contracted influenza during the sea crossing at which time both women were attending to infected soldiers. While nursing her sister, Viola fell ill and died on October 11, 1918 at the age of 22. Twenty-five year old year old Ruth had a relapse and died a week later. The sisters were temporarily buried in the Magdalan Hill Cemetery in Winchester, England.

On August 23, 1920, the bodies of Viola and Ruth arrived in Petaluma by train. The two caskets were draped in the American flag and placed side by side at the funeral parlor where they lied in state. According to a Petaluma Argus article dated August 9, 1920, the bodies of the two nurses were the first of the dead to arrive in Petaluma from overseas.

The funeral was attended by hundreds, including nurses who had trained with the sisters. Flags were lowered at half mast throughout the city and business was suspended during the hours of the funeral, which was conducted at the Baptist Church on Kentucky Street. The local papers reported that long before the funeral services had begun, the church was filled and the streets adjacent were crowded with vehicles. Hundreds of people were unable to secure admission and no building in the city could have sheltered all who sought to pay a last tribute to the dead.

The names of Viola and Ruth Lundholm are included on the World War I Memorial at Penry Park.