History Corner

The History Corner provides a monthly glimpse of the Western Sonoma County 50, 75, and 100 years ago. They originally appeared in the Sonoma West Times beginning in 2011. The SWT stopped publishing in April 2022 but we are still preparing the monthly article, currently publish at SebastopolTimes.com. Here we are presenting the last 12 months on this website. You may see prior articles at your local library or via newspapers.com.

history corner november 2022

Group photo of Sebastopol Police Department, taken sometime between January 2, 1940 and August 2, 1941. Cars are parked in front of the City Hall and Police Department on Bodega Avenue. Left to right: Jim Morris, Chief Ed Foster and Bill Lawrence. Officers used their own vehicles and mounted red lights on front. L to R: Jim Morris, Chief Ed Foster, Bill Lawrence.

See the full text history from 1922, 1947, and 1972.

HISTORY CORNER OCTOBER 2022

Boy and girl dressed in costume, possibly for Halloween. Black cat in baby doll stroller. Circ. 1920 William S. Borba Collection from Ed Trigiero.

See the full text history from 1922, 1947, and 1972.

history corner september 2022

Minor League Baseball Champions 1957 team photo. 1957 was the
first year of Little League in Sebastopol and was sponsored by Bill Guanelle. Photo was taken at Ives Park with the old wooden bleachers in the background and chicken wire backstop. All the
players are wearing Sebastopol Little League Clubs t-shirts and caps. (Note the misspelling of “Sebastopol” on the t-shirts.) Hand written in red on the photo are all the signed names of the players and the following: “We, The Cubs, are proud and honored to have you, Bill Guanelle, for our sponsor and your interest in the betterment of the youth of Sebastopol.” Pictured are:
back row L-R: Coach Roy Camozzi, George Sheridan, Pete Hill, Richard Fye, Duane Kitchens and Charles Symes. Front row: L-R Stevie Fiori, Jerry Breuggmann, Stevie Powell, Donald Graham,
Randy Hankins and Jimmy Breuggmann.

See the full text history from 1922, 1947, and 1972.

history corner august 2022

Folk Singer Kate Wolf, as seen in a 2019 Gaye Lebaron Press Democrat article remembering her. Photo from the Press Democrat 1982 archives.

See the full text history from 1922, 1947, and 1972.

history corner july 2022

A 1972 Sebastopol Times newspaper photo clipping of a redwood ‘pod’ dwelling, built by Paul and Bruce Paddock of Living Spaces.

See the full text history from 1922, 1947 and 1972.

history corner june 2022

The Green Valley Railroad’s passenger car with people riding, being pulled by a 5 ton Plymouth on tracks installed by the Green Valley Railroad Corporation. The building behind the train is a wine storage house located on Packing House Road.
Photo courtesy of Connie Graeber circ. 1972.

history corner may 2022

(See the full text history from 1922, 1947, and 1972.)

1951 Sebastopol Apple Blossom Princesses taken at the California State Capitol, Sacramento by McCurry Foto Co. Men from L-R: Earl Warren – Governor of California (VP nominee with Dewey in 1948 and later Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court), Curt Stange
(Bank of Sonoma County), Harry Martin (Martin’s Nursery and Ed Herring (Best & Feaks Insurance). Young girls are L-R: Helen Inman, Kathleen Flaming, and Meredith Shelton. Unfortunately Kathleen and Meredith came down with Chicken Pox and were replaced with Peggy Osborn and Linda Miller. Helen Inman became Queen.

history corner april 2022

(See the full text history from 1922, 1947, and 1972.)

Business on North Main Street, Sebastopol circa 1940. Seen are Fleming’s Market, Metcalf Hardware, Stan’s Clothing Store, Appleton Bakery, Real Estate and Insurance office, Starr Furniture, Sprouse Reitz, and Rexall Drug Store.

history corner march 2022

(See the full text history from 1922, 1947, and 1972.)

Lyons-Magnus Cherry processing plant was located at 6721 Sebastopol Avenue from 1953 to 1971. There were 20 brine tanks each holding 28,000 gallons of locally grown Royal Ann cherries. The cherries were put in a brine solution which takes out sugar and color and hardens the cherries. The cherries then go to the firm’s San Francisco plant for cooking and sweetening into Maraschino Cherries.

history corner february 2022

(See the full text history from 1922, 1947, and 1972.)

Analy High School Bus No. 1 parked in front of the Analy High School with students on board. Circ. 1920’s

history corner january 2022

(See the full text history from 1922, 1947, and 1972.)

The Starland Theater, 175 North Main Street, Sebastopol built in 1911, owned by Albert Huntley. In 1930 it converted to Vistaphone sound, becoming the first full-time sound theater. It closed in 1932. The building on the left is the IOOF hall and on the right is (partial) W.F. Fore’s Central Cigar, circ. 1926.

history corner december 2021

(See the full text history from 1921, 1946, and 1971.)

The Sebastopol Lions Club added Christmas decor to John Spooner Park, at the intersection of Petaluma Ave and South Main Street, Wishing Seasons Greetings in 1962. Members of the Lions Club involved were Jack Robinson, Jack Fore, Don Shatto, Sam Leighty.

See the full text history from 1922, 1947, and 1972.