Contributing Institution: University of California, Davis Library, Dept. of Special Collections

Title: Sonoma County Travel Album

Identifier/Call Number: MC300

Physical Description: 1 volume Thirty-one annotated photographs, partially-interleaved with [18]pp. of handwritten text tipped in. Oblong octavo. Contemporary grey wrappers, front cover stamped in maroon.

Date: 1908

Abstract: Photograph album with a narrative account documenting travels through the wine country of California in the first decade of the 20th century.

Physical Location: Researchers should contact Archives and Special Collections to request collections, as many are stored offsite.

Language of Material: English .

A unique annotated vernacular photograph album with an interesting and informative manuscript narrative account documenting travels through the wine country of California in the first decade of the 20th century. The text and photographs in this album document a nearly month-long tour through Sonoma and Napa counties, with observations on towns, sites, agriculture, and more. The annotated photographs capture a "mountain schoolhouse," a eucalyptus grove near Napa, a vineyard near Forestville, a "glimpse" of the town of Forestville, the small village of Duncan Mills, a scene near the mouth of the Russian River, fishing at Salt Point, "An Old Shipping Point at the Riebach Cove, used in pioneer lumber days," breakers at Salt Point, a rural farming family, "McKerlie's Blacksmith Shop & Granary," people preparing venison jerky, views of the Riebach Cove and the Sutherland Resort between Cazaderro and Guerneville, a large redwood tree growing out of a rock near Cazaderro, the Schuber residence near Fisk Mill, and more. The manuscript narrative opens with the unknown male author and a friend, Gussie Kaufman leaving home and heading to Sonoma County by steamer. They travel around Sonoma County in a horse-drawn carriage, visiting a number of towns and villages: Winters, Vacaville, Fairfield, Cordelia, Napa, Sonoma City, Kenwood,Santa Rosa, Forestville, Guerneville, Duncan Mills, Markham, Jennings, Fort Ross, Timber Cove, Salt Point, Sea View, and Cazaderro. The author comments on the fine quality of the soil near Winters and Vacaville. They travel past the Pierce ranch and "its large peach, prune, pear, apricot, and cherry orchards," which employs "many Chinese and Hindus." They pass "several big vineyards and a winery" near Cordelia. Upon arriving in Napa City, the author reports its "beautiful residences and lawns...a very lively town commercially." They pass orchards and vineyards in the Napa Valley ("they are found in all the valleys in Sonoma Co.") and the author makes a pointed remark about Napa: "The trees, vines, fruit, & grapes can't compare with Yolo Co. product, either in size or flavor." The implication is that the author hails from Yolo County, an adjoining county and the largest producer of tomatoes in the United States. Continuing to Sonoma City, the author mentions the town's new Carnegie Library and the frequency of saloons between Sonoma City and Santa Rosa. The traveling pair sees hop fields in Santa Rosa, a town the author calls "the most beautiful and tidiest city I ever saw." Forestville, the author observes is "all orchards and vineyards." Guerneville is described as "on the bank of the Russian River, a very beautiful stream, and is a great summer resort." The two travelers face "a lot of trouble" near Duncan Mills after "some Italians had chopped a tree down and it had fallen across the road." They travel through Markham (described as "a lumber camp") and Jennings (where "the mill was shut down") before seeing their first glimpse of the ocean. Visiting Fort Ross, the author notes that it "was settled by the Russians long before the 'Gold Rush of '49' and some of the buildings are still standing although they suffered greatly in the earth quake of April 18th, 1906." After having some difficulty finding hay, the author finds the McKerlie Ranch, where he and Gussie stay for the night and learn to go "fishing and abaloning." The reference to foraging for abalone, a local delicacy, is notable. Here, they also pick hazlenuts, huckleberries, and go swimming. While staying with the McKerlies, the author helps retrieve a load of alfalfa from Cazaderro, where he stays a night at the Buena Vista Hotel, "run by Italians and [where] the bedbugs nearly ate us up." At this point, on September 3, "we bid farewell to Salt Point and started for home...." When they travel back through Napa, they encounter a strange scene: "Barnum & Bailey's circus was there and we overtook about 200 or more inmates of the asylum going home from the circus. There was a guard for every 2 or 3 patients. Some of the patients were quarreling and throwing rocks at each other but when they got to the gate they had to go through in single file so that they could be counted." The narrative ends with a list of towns visited by the author and Gussie Kaufman, with distances noted between the towns.

[Description provided by William Reese]

Collection is open for research.

Liz Phillips created this finding aid with information supplied by bookseller William Reese.

Purchased from William Reese, 2020.

[Identification of item], Sonoma County Travel Album, MC300, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, University of California, Davis.

All applicable copyrights for the collection are protected under chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code. Requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California as the owner of the physical items. It is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.