SONOMA COUNTY HISTORY & GENEALOGY LIBRARY
 
 
NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2019
Volume 1 Issue 7 

It's American Archives Month!
Sonoma County Archives Crawl

 
October is National Archives Month,
which provides the inspiration for the inaugural 
Sonoma County Archives Crawl 
a way to celebrate archives and encourage community members to explore and engage with organizations that help preserve and collect archival materials.
 
More information online 
Brochure (PDF) 
 
Sonoma County Library's three special collections,
the History & Genealogy Library, the Healdsburg Wine Library and the Petaluma History Room, will be hosting open houses, along with many partner organizations: 
 
Geyserville Museum at the Bosworth & Son Store - Healdsburg Museum - Windsor Hembree House Museum - Charles M. Schulz Museum - Museum of Sonoma County - West County Museum, Sebastopol - Cotati Museum - The Sitting Room Community Library, Penngrove - California State Parks, Blue Wing Inn, Sonoma - Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society, Petaluma - Petaluma Museum.
 
At the History & Genealogy Library there will be pop-up exhibits featuring recent donations, as well as a local history quiz. Staff will be on hand to discuss preservation issues, how to teach with primary resources and research tips and tricks.
 
News from Healdsburg
World-class Corkscrew Collection at the Wine Library  
By Megan Jones, curator  
 
Corkscrew exhibitAt the Sonoma County Wine Library in Healdsburg we currently have on display an exhibit of historic corkscrews from Michael Papay’s collection. Papay is a former Sonoma County resident, and this is his second time displaying the corkscrews at the Wine Library. The corkscrews on display are only a small selection of the 2,500 total corkscrews in his collection. Papay has been collecting for over 40 years, and the collection represents four centuries of invention. 
 
Corkscrews in glass casesPapay’s collection spans all of the categories represented in The Ultimate Corkscrew Book by Donald Bull, the author of several books on corkscrews, who has dubbed it “world-class.” Pages from The Ultimate Corkscrew Book are displayed alongside the corkscrews, as are a number of related wine objects that Papay has collected. 
 
The exhibit will be on display through the month of October. Come check it out anytime during the library's open hours or on October 5th, during the Sonoma County Archives Crawl!
 
The Sonoma County Wine Library, dedicated in 1989, is housed within the Healdsburg Regional Library at 139 Piper Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448. It is open the same hours, Mon./Wed. 10 AM - 9 PM; Tues./Thurs./Fri./Sat. 10 AM - 6 PM.  
 
Recent Discoveries at the Sonoma County Archives
West County Property Ownership of the 1920s Revealed
By Katherine J. Rinehart
 
Since 1965, the Sonoma County Library has served as the official archive for the County of Sonoma. Today the Sonoma County Archives is housed in a warehouse that is part of the Los Guilicos "campus" located at the base of Hood Mountain about nine miles east of downtown Santa Rosa. Some of the most valuable materials held at the Archives are those created by engineers and surveyors.
 
Guerneville map
 
One such example is this 1926 map prepared by John B. Piatt (1888-1951), a Santa- Rosa based civil engineer. Piatt’s map provides the names of property owners who were to be assessed the costs incurred for paving Guerneville Highway from Pocket Canyon to the bridge over the Russian River at Guerneville. The project, which called for the creation of an acquisition and improvement district, was completed under the provisions of the 1925 Mattoon Act, or Acquisition and Improvement Act.
 
Until just a few months ago, we did not know that this map existed. It was discovered while searching for something else. Consultation with staff employed by the Sonoma County Clerk-Recorder, Board of Supervisors and Transportation and Public Works reveals this map is likely one of a kind. Historians, those involved in property title research and others yet to be identified, will surely find this map of great interest. The Piatt map measures 52” x 52” and will be on display on Saturday, October 5th, as part of the Sonoma County Archives Crawl.
 
Have Fun with History: Happy Halloween!
Haunted Wine Sonoma County, by Kate Deadder
 
Are you looking for haunted Sonoma wineries to visit this Halloween? You have a “varietal” of options! Arguably the recently reopened Bartholomew Estate Vineyard in Sonoma is known more for its unusual history than its wine. The location has served as a hospital, a morgue and as a home for "wild women". The property was planted to vines in the 1830s and purchased by Agoston Haraszthy. According to legend Haraszthy disappeared into the jungles of Nicaragua and “may” have been eaten by an alligator.
 
Korbel Tower
The Johnson family purchased the land and built a stately Victorian mansion which housed the elderly matriarch, Kate, and approximately 200 Angora cats. In 1920 the property was acquired by the state of California and a State Farm for Delinquent Women was established. Objections concerning the facility persisted until a mysterious fire ended operations. The current structure served as a home for unwed mothers and later evolved into a mental hospital.
 
Today the Bartholomew Estate Winery entertains stories of ghosts congregating in the main building and the voices of disembodied women singing choral hymns. It was reported that during a 1970s earthquake retrofit, the remains of a woman were discovered within one of the walls. Although most of the stories tell of friendly ghosts, one mischievous entity watches over the tasting room and has been blamed for broken wine bottles and the occasional appearance of wet footprints.
 
Buena Vista WineryThe Korbel brothers arrived to the Guerneville area in the late 1860s and became pioneers in the California champagne industry. They were so inspired by the region that they convinced a friend, Dr. Joseph Prosek, to join them. Prosek's Victorian home now serves as a Bed & Breakfast and is known as the Santa Nella House. The ghost of Emma, Prosek’s wife, reportedly moves items throughout the house, and there have been sightings of a mysterious elderly gentleman who wears a mourning coat and a top hat. A third ghost playfully rings the doorbell, and a ghost cat is said to leave paw imprints in the Blue Room. Korbel Champagne Cellars was the inspiration for the 2014 horror movie, Altergeist, which was filmed on location.
 
Disclaimer: This article is written in fun and neither confirms nor denies the presence of ghosts or spirits. Meticulous research has confirmed the “manifestation” of amazing Sonoma wines!
 
Photo, upper right: Christopher Chung/Sonoma Magazine. The brandy tower at Korbel Champagne Cellars in Guerneville. Left: Sonoma County Library. Buena Vista Castle. Built by Robert and Kate Johnson on 300 acres in the east foothills of Sonoma, it burned to the ground in 1923. 
 
Haunted - DVDs
Find Haunted Sonoma County (2016) and Haunted Wine Country (2017), two feature-length documentary films produced and directed by Tom Wyrsch, at the Sonoma County Library. Travel through California's Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties visiting dozens of haunted locations. Presented by historians, writers, paranormal investigators and eye witnesses.  
 
 
Volunteer Spotlight
Barbara McFarland - H&G Library genealogical volunteer since 2011Barbara McFarland volunteer
 
Barbara, how did you get involved with volunteering at the H&G Library?
I worked for the Sonoma County District Attorney’s office and was tasked to research past Sonoma County district attorneys. I requested a box of Oaths and Bonds of Officers from the Sonoma County Archives and when it arrived, realized it was a treasure trove of information and became hooked! I also knew another H&G volunteer, Moria Gardner, from work. When we had lunches together she told me about her experience, and it sounded fascinating.
 
What do you wish people knew about the H&G Library?
That it exists! Too few people seem to know. It is true that you can find a lot of information online, but at some point you need books to get into the hidden material. Take for example the many Sonoma County index books in the H&G Library's collection. They are a good place to start your birth, death, marriage, probate or naturalization records search. 
 
What do you do when you are not volunteering?
I’m doing a lot of genealogy work for friends, just for fun. And, believe it or not, I’m still working with the District Attorney papers and finding new information. I also love to travel. This year I went to Hawaii and on a three-week Mediterranean cruise. We saw Athens, Rome and other exciting cities, and it was wonderful.    
 
What might someone be surprised to know about you?
I own four classic cars. Two 1937 Fords: a 5-window coupe and a pick-up truck; a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door hardtop and a 1963 Corvette split-window. I’m driving them all, except the Corvette. I was also a multiple Blue Ribbon winner at the Sonoma County Fairs and Harvest Fairs, mostly in the baked foods department. Over the years I’ve won over 100 prizes all in all, for my pecan tarte, white chocolate cookies, breads, heritage apples and crafts projects.
 
Do you have a favorite ancestor in your personal genealogy? 
Towards the end of her life, my mother got started with her family’s genealogy. We used to go to the National Archives in San Bruno, CA every Wednesday afternoon until her health failed. I will never forget the moment when she discovered her name in the 1920 Watertown, NY Census! She had always thought her last name was “Amo,” but it turned out to be an abbreviated version of “Emond.” She was a descendant of several “King’s Daughters” or "filles du roi," young French women whose parents had died and whom King Louis XIV of France sponsored to immigrate and marry French soldiers in New France between 1663 and 1673.
 
Volunteers provide free genealogical assistance at the H&G Library
Wednesdays & Fridays 1 PM - 4 PM. Appointments not required.
 
Interview and photo: Simone Kremkau. 
 
National Family History Month 
10 Databases for Slave Ancestry Research 
How to get around Ancestry's exclusion of the 1850 and 1860 slave schedules from search results, by Simone Kremkau
 
Some time in 2018, Ancestry.com stopped including links to the original records from the 1850 and 1860 United States Census slave schedules in an individual's search results. This means, when piecing together their family history, a person searching for an enslaved or slaveholding ancestor's name has no immediate way to know about their past, and, in the latter case, as an article by Adam H. Domby in Black Perspectives puts it, “no record of the foundations of their wealth [...] despite the central role slavery had in shaping the nation’s politics, economics, culture, and society.”
 
 
Ancestry search resultWe compared results for Gray W. Smith of Marshall County, Mississippi, who is listed in the 1850 United States Federal Census as a "physician and planter." Further results on Ancestry point to the "Mississippi, Compiled Census and Census Substitute" - without identifying the document as the 1850 slave schedule in the search result list and without providing a preview or full link to the scanned microfilm reel (NARA Series M432, Roll 387). A quick search for Gray W. Smith on FamilySearch.org in comparison reveals a result list that fully discloses the 1850 slave schedule and links to the original searchable scanned images, showing that Gray W. Smith owned over 50 slaves. Familysearch search result 
 
Find more information on this topic:
- Beyond romantic advertisements: Ancestry.com, genealogy, and white supremacy  
- Genealogy sites are whitewashing the history of slavery
 
For your own research, explore the following essential and free online databases and record collections compiled by ThoughtCo: the Digital Library on American Slavery hosted by the University of North Carolina; the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database run by researchers at Emory University; Unknown no longer, a database of Virginia slave names, launched by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, and many more.
 
Photo above: Digital Library on American Slavery. Left: Ancestry.com. Right: Familysearch.org 
 
Sonoma County Library Events
Will Gorenfeld
 How the West was Really Won in Northern California
A tale of displacement, slavery, and genocide
 
A Talk by Will Gorenfeld
Monday, October 14
7 PM - 8:30 PM
Petaluma Regional Library, Forum Room
 
Courts, politicians, miners, settlers and Indian agents, with little exception, found nothing amiss in exploiting, displacing - and murdering - the indigenous people on their way to acquiring their own wealth and land. The unspoken local legacy of Indigenous Peoples' Day: you may have learned about Sand Creek or Wounded Knee, but did you know that similar massacres occurred to the Pomo and Yuki people just a few miles outside of Petaluma at places such as Clearlake, Hopland and Eden Valley?
 
Come to the Petaluma Library Forum Room to hear more about how this confluence of cultures created great wealth at the expense of indigenous peoples and carries this legacy even today.
Photo: Marin Independent Journal.
 
The North Pacific Coast Railroad
Then and Now
Rick Coates 
Monday, October 7
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Central Library Santa Rosa, Forum Room
 
Take a virtual trip on the historic North Pacific Coast Railroad. Compare historic photos with recent pictures along the 84 mile route and listen to stories about the railroad’s history.
 
Rohnert Park Regional Library
October 22, 3 PM - 4 PM
Sonoma Valley Regional Library
October 28, 6 PM - 7 PM.
 
Local Events
 
Cypress Hill Memorial Park Petaluma
Annual Cemetery Tour
Saturday, October 19
10:30 AM - 12 PM
 
The Petalumans of Yesteryear
“The Lives of the Petaluma Pioneers”
 
Tour begins at the Cypress Hill Cemetery office parking lot. Greeting by Isaac Wickersham, then the groups are to be escorted by Benicia Vallejo and Melissa Mecham to the gravesites of:
 
Brainerd Jones - Lyman Byce - Captain Tom Baylis - Isaac Wickersham, Esq - Addie Atwater - The McNear Family - The Lippetts – Fred Wiseman - Lorenzo Waugh 
Sonoma County Genealogical Society
Steve Morse:
 A Complete Genealogy Starting From Nothing
Saturday, October 19
1 PM - 2:30 PM
Finley Center, Santa Rosa
 
Discover Stephen P. Morse's one-step search tools for finding immigration, census and vital records, and for dealing with calendars, maps, foreign alphabets, and numerous other applications. 
One-Step Portal for Online Genealogy   
Sonoma County Library Databases
GenealogyBankNow available at all
Sonoma County Library branches 
and remotely!
 
 Over 230 years of fully-searchable historical newspapers printed in small towns and big cities throughout the U.S. - Obituaries 1977 to current - Historical books and documents  
Start here 
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Email the editor: skremkau@sonomalibrary.org           
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 
Mon./Wed. 10 AM - 9 PM; Tues./Thurs./Fri./Sat. 10 AM - 6 PM 
Read about us in the Press Democrat
SONOMA COUNTY LIBRARY6135 State Farm Drive • (707) 545-0831
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