SONOMA COUNTY HISTORY & GENEALOGY LIBRARY
 
 
NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2019
Volume 1 Issue 5 

Treasures from the Sonoma County Archives Revealed 
The Henry N. Wallace Collection, by Katherine J. Rinehart
 
Oak Knoll Sanatorium PWA plaqueThanks to grants from the Sonoma County Historical Society, Sonoma County Landmarks Commission and the Sonoma Historical Records Commission, project archivist Lynn Downey was able to organize and inventory an amazing collection of materials consisting of architectural drawings, surveys, building specifications and field notes housed at the Sonoma County Archives – an archive managed by the Sonoma County Library.
 
The collection is associated with Henry N. Wallace (1916-74), a Sonoma County-based civil engineer and surveyor. During the 1930s Wallace served as the director of two different New Deal era programs: the State Emergency Relief Administration (SERA) and the Civil Works Administration (CWA). Later he was employed by the Sonoma County Surveyor-Road Commissioner’s Department. In 1955 Wallace founded his own consulting firm of Henry N. Wallace and Associates in Santa Rosa.

Detail of Oak Knoll Sanatorium - Main Entrance. Included in the over 1,000 rolled drawings and maps inventoried by Lynn are countless treasures related to Wallace’s career as a private consultant as well as items that date back to the 1900s which belonged to his uncle, Marshall M. Wallace (1896-1967), a former Sonoma County road commissioner, sanitation engineer, and surveyor. One such treasure is the architectural plans for the Oak Knoll Tuberculosis Sanatorium.
 
This building, located at 3322 Chanate Road, Santa Rosa, later served as the Norton Center for Behavioral Health. The future of this historic structure, as well as the former Sonoma County Hospital, which is located across the street, is uncertain as the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors pursue plans to redevelop the site for affordable housing. Both the hospital and the sanatorium were constructed with Public Works Administration funding and are listed on the Living New Deal website.
 
Photo, top: Jeremy Nichols. Oak Knoll Sanatorium PWA plaque. Photo, right: Don Silverek. Detail of Oak Knoll Sanatorium - Main Entrance.  
 
Sonoma County Profiles 
Eeve T. Lewis (1947-2016) - First Female Sonoma County Clerk
By Kim Wallis 
 
County Clerk-Recorder Eeve Lewis with catThe California Constitution of 1849 provided for the establishment of the offices of County Clerk, District Attorney, Sheriff, Coroner and Supervisors. The earliest act detailing duties of the County Clerk was passed by the first California legislature on April 18, 1850. One of my recent projects here at the H&G Library was to list all Sonoma County Clerks from the beginning to the present. 
 
Over the last 169 years there have been 25 different County Clerks and until 1977 they had all been male. Eeve T. Lewis was 24 years of age and had earned her Master’s degree in English from Sonoma State College when she began a clerical job with the County in 1971. When County Clerk Eugene Williams died in 1977, Eeve was appointed Acting County Clerk. The following year she ran for the office of County Clerk and won. She was reelected for six more four-year terms and served until her retirement in 2006.
 
An article in the April 6, 2016, Press Democrat stated that one of her favorite tasks was to swear in new citizens. To administer the oath of citizenship was important to her as she took the oath in 1965 when she was 18 years old. She was born in Germany to a mother who had fled Estonia after its WWII occupation by the Soviet Union. Eeve, her brother and her mother lived for three years in Germany while waiting permission to immigrate to the United States. They entered the country through Ellis Island and lived in New York State and Connecticut before driving cross country to California.
 
The Sonoma County Local History & Culture Digital Collections include several publicly televised interviews with Eeve Lewis and other Sonoma County officials:
 
 Eeve Lewis with public officials in 1983April 1992: Eeve Lewis and Assistant Registrar of Voters Janice Atkinson discuss with host Rich McGlinchey how to get prepared for the 1992 General Election.
October 1992: Rich McGlinchey interviews Eeve and Mike Chrystal, Assistant County Admin.
February 2008: Eeve Lewis discusses her work as Clerk-Assessor-Recorder with Tony Hoskins, former H&G Library manager.
 
Photo, top: Legacy.com. Photo, right: Sonoma County Library. Left to right, back row: Roger McDermott (Sheriff), Robert Conner (Auditor), Donald Merz (Treasurer), Nick Esposti (4th District Supervisor), Helen Putnam (2nd District Supervisor). Front row: Gene Tunney (District Attorney), Ernest Comalli (Assessor), Eeve Lewis (County Clerk), Bernice Peterson (Recorder), Walter Eagan (Superintendent of Schools), 1983.
 
2020 Women's Vote Centennial 
The Sonoma County 2020 Women's Suffrage Project
By Leslie Graves
 
The Sonoma County 2020 Women’s Suffrage Project is celebrating the centennial of women’s right to vote with our official kick-off celebration in December 2019. As a Chapter of the CA 2020 Women’s Suffrage Project, we have adopted the goals of the National Women’s History Alliance including education, empowerment, equality and inclusion. We have also committed ourselves to creating programming to explore the long complex history of the fight for the inclusion of all women including women of color, trans women and non-binary individuals.
 
Comprised of diverse dedicated individuals and local organizations throughout Sonoma County, we have developed three main programming areas:
 
Sonoma County 2020 Women's Suffrage Project Logo with California poppyCommunity Events - inviting the community to participate with us in several parades and festivals throughout the year.
 
History and Education - the local Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library leads a group of volunteers and outside organizations by hosting speakers and working to identify and mark the activity of the suffrage movement in Sonoma County (see below).
 
Social Justice and Advocacy - a wide array of programs to advocate for populations that continue to experience oppression and to address inequalities to ensure all women have access to voting rights.
 
Find out more information including a calendar of events and sponsorship opportunities by visiting our website or on our social media pages including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @socowomen2020. 
 
Leslie Graves is a steering committee member of the Sonoma County 2020 Women’s Suffrage Project. 
 
Get involved locally and create history!Art Deco Votes for Women Image
 
The H&G Library is working with a team of volunteers to document those involved in the local suffrage movement as well as the sites where suffrage-related activities occurred. This research will feed into two related projects - a "Votes for Women Trail" map and written biographical sketches that will be submitted to a national online biographical database. Read more here and contact H&G Library manager Katherine J. Rinehart at (707) 308-3212 if you would like to participate. 
 
Honor ancestors who participated in the suffrage movement and leave a virtual flower at findagrave.com - here is an example by Michael Von der Porten. Send names and suggestions to Mary Dodgion at the Western Sonoma County Historical Society, 707-293-3609, wschs.historycorner@gmail.com. And know that if your great-grandmother or aunt was politically involved, a member of a church club, the Native Daughters, the Woman's Relief Corps or the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, she might have been a suffragist! 
 
The Petaluma Museum Association is seeking photographs and other mementos you may have of family members who helped to secure the vote for women. Contact the museum if you are interested in loaning your artifacts for an upcoming exhibit during the summer months in 2020. 
 
Meet Cortunay Minor, our summer intern
This year, Sonoma County Library was selected to join 50 nationwide libraries to participate in the Public Library Association’s Inclusive Internship Initiative, which offers a paid and mentored summer-long internship to high school students from diverse backgrounds. Cortunay was one of 56 applicants and is now working on a community-based project with her mentors, librarians Zayda Delgado and Joanna Kolosov. She traveled to a kickoff event in Chicago and will conclude her internship with a wrap-up event in Washington, D.C. in September.
 Cortunay Minor in front of a chalkboard
Hi Cortunay, tell us about your educational background!
I just graduated with Honors from Santa Rosa High School! For three years, I participated in the school’s ArtQuest Theatre Program which offers specialized training in performing and digital arts. This falI I will leave for Seattle to major in Drama at Cornish College of the Arts.
 
What interested you in the Inclusive Internship Initiative?
I was excited to hear that the III is geared to high school students – usually these kinds of internships require higher education or at least job experience - and it is paid! I enjoyed my time at the commencement event in Chicago in June – it was nice to see like-minded people helping each other grow and create an impact.  
 
What’s a typical day like for you and what type of projects do you get to work on?
I ride my bike to work and then start with my connected learning project. I'm particularly interested in historically under-documented communities in libraries and archives, so I'm creating Sonoma County - "By Our Own Hand", a platform that aims to authentically document these unheard voices. Teens, especially teens of color, LGBTQ+ members and individuals of different abilities are invited to share poems, photos and other works of art. Submissions will later be included in the Sonoma County Library's Digital Collections. 
 
What do you do when you are not volunteering?
For the first time in three years I have some free time in the summer! At the moment, I’m re-familiarizing myself with acting, watching plays, writing and taking walks. I’ll leave for Seattle at the end of August, so I’m trying to spend as much time with my family as possible. 
 
Do you have a favorite local cultural institution? Tell us about it!
The Sonoma County History and Art Museums on 7th Street! I used to pass the building every day on my way home from school, finally walked in and now regularly go back. Both museums host a variety of interesting changing exhibits throughout the year, and sometimes even offer free admission days. I particularly liked the exhibit featuring Santa Rosa's 50-year-old time capsule. 
 
Interview and photo: Simone Kremkau. 
 
Titanic survivor buried in Guerneville 
Juho NiskanenA recent article by Press Democrat staff writer Chris Smith featured Finnish immigrant Juho (John) Niskanen who settled in Cazadero after having survived the sinking of the Titanic. Thanks to local researchers/sleuths Ray Owen, Sandy Frary and John Schubert, we now know that Juho is buried at the former Odd Fellows Cemetery in Guerneville. Locating the burial place proved to be a complex task and missing records (a stolen Guerneville cemetery book!) didn't exactly help. Follow the hunt by reading Sandy Frary's detailed report in the August issue of the Rural Cemetery Preservation Committee's newsletter, The Cemeterian.
 
For a wide range of information on the Titanic and the disaster visit the directory Encyclopedia Titanica. Find deck plans, detailed passenger and crew member biographies and photos, and original research articles from all parts of the world.
 
Photo: Niskanen Family/Press Democrat.
 
Local Events
 
Sebastiani Theatre, Sonoma
True Humans - a Documentary
 
Sunday, August 4
1 PM - 2 PM
The $10 donation will go to
PHA – Family Advocates United
 
 
Charles M. Schulz Museum
Summer of Woodstock Free Day
 
Sunday, August 25
10 AM - 5 PM
 
Enjoy free Museum admission, live music, hands-on crafts, and other activities in celebration of Peace, Love, and Woodstock! At 1 PM, free ice cream cake while supplies last.
 
 
Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery
Tapestry of Cultures Tour
 
Saturday, August 10
10 AM - 11 AM
 
Learn about the diverse cultures of the people who rest in the Rural Cemetery during a 90-minute docent-led walk.
Tours depart every 20 min. from 10-11 AM. Meet at the Franklin Gate. Admission is FREE; donations appreciated.
 
Group of Petalumans of Yesteryear4th Annual History Trails Walk with the Petalumans of Yesteryear
Join the Petalumans of Yesteryear through Petaluma's historic downtown! Meet some of Petaluma's most colorful, influential and fascinating characters, including John McNear, Benicia Vallejo, Lyman Byce (inventor of the practical incubator) and other important Petalumans, including surprise appearances! Along the way, historic sites will be pointed out, and each character will delight with their humorous, sad, and riveting stories. The walk is moderate in length (1 – 1.5 hours), the pace leisurely. Remember walking shoes, hats, water and sunscreen to be comfortable. The walk begins at the foot of the Balshaw Pedestrian Bridge. Light refreshments served outdoors at conclusion of walk in the Museum Garden Court. Walk limited to 20 people per group. Sat., August 25, 1 PM - 4 PM. 
Reserve now!
 
Welcome SCHUNRS!
 
New Historical Society in Bodega Bay - Sonoma Coast Historical & Undersea Nautical Research Society (SCHUNRS)
 
Are you interested in the history of shipwrecks and remains of old 'doghole ports'? SCHUNRS (pronounced “schooners”) will be documenting the remains of infrastructure and shipwrecks at several sites along the coast, including Bodega Bay. Goals are to discover “lost” maritime cultural resources, and document, protect, and interpret existing and newly discovered ones; contribute to the training of scientifically certified SCUBA divers in underwater archaeology methods; public education and outreach.   
 
More information on 'doghole ports' here. For an insightful and detailed report about the history of Sonoma County’s Redwood Coast and its many shipwrecks, see this article by James Delgado. If you have information to share about local shipwrecks or would like more information, contact John Harreld at harreldj@gmail.com.
 
Sonoma County Library Events
The History & Architecture
of Petaluma's D Street
 
Presented by Katherine J. Rinehart 
Saturday, August 3
Petaluma Regional Library
10:30 AM to 12 PM
 
Chocolate & Cinema
Billy Wilder's "Some Like It Hot"
 
Sonoma County Public Library Foundation
Thursday, August 22, 7 PM
Rialto Cinemas, Sebastopol
 
Tickets include bag of popcorn & chocolate. All proceeds from this fundraiser benefit the Sonoma County Library. 
Stacks of BooksBook Sale - Friends of the Santa Rosa Libraries                                              
Central Library Forum Room Sale
  • August 16-18
Friday, August 16: 10 AM – 5 PM
Saturday. August 17: 10 AM – 5 PM
Sunday, August 18: 2 PM to 5 PM
 
New Sonoma County Library Service
Since July 15, 2019, Link+ gives you free access to millions of books from 56 libraries across California and Nevada. Link+ is faster than traditional ILL and also includes new releases and DVDs. Search the Link+ catalog to find a title that is not at the Sonoma County Library. If you can't find it, you can still use Interlibrary Loan. Try it out! 
Click here for more information. 
 
Link+ Logo
 
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Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library
Mailing Address: 211 E Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Physical Address: 725 3rd Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Phone: (707) 308-3212 
Mo,Wed 10 AM - 9 PM; Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat 10 AM - 6 PM 
Read about us in the Press Democrat
Sonoma County Library
6135 State Farm Drive
Rohnert Park, California 94928
707-545-0831
www.sonomalibrary.org