Yesterday afternoon, the Petalumans of Yesteryear had an opportunity to share their claim to fame as early “shakers and movers” of Petalima in a 2.5 hour “snap shot” Adult School history class that featured the River, the Town, and the People. There just wasn’t sufficient time to cover everything.
Bill Roop, local anthropologist and archeologist used early maps and timelines to cover the period from the early 1700s to the mid-1900s. Obviously, the town has changed dramatically, as well as the so called river,over the years. Prior to the discovery of gold in 1848, the native American Indians and early Spanish settlers occupied the region in which ‘Our Petaluma” – from pe’ta, flat, and luma, back, on a low hill east of Petaluma creek was located.
Among the early white settlers that came from the east, overland or via the Isthmus of Panama or the around the tip of South America, were the following “soon-to-be” prominent citizens of early Petaluma: (Date = year the person arrived in Petaluma)
Captain Thomas Baylis – 1851
- Early schooner service, warehouse and hotel owner
- Member Fire Brigade, Emmett Rifles, Odd Fellows
- Founded Petaluma’s first library
Isaac Wickersham – 1853
- Established Sonoma County’s first bank – 1865
- First district attorney
Mrs. John A. McNear (Clara) – 1856
- First wife of John McNear, mother of George P. McNear
- Her death lead to the creation of the Cypress Hill Cemetery – 1866
William Howard Pepper – 1858
- Founder of Pepper Nurseries – 1858
- Founder of Pepper Free Kindergarten – 1894
Mrs. A.T. Atwater (Addie) – 1859
- Ladies’ Improvement Club -Walnut Park – 1880s
- Provided land for the Carnegie Free Library – 1904/1906
Mrs. George P. McNear (Ida Belle Denman) – Born on Petaluma – 1869
- Second wife of George P. McNear – 1887
- First President of the Woman’s Club – 1895-1900
The community initiated by these community leaders as well as many others will be highlighted from time to time as we approach the 150th Anniversary of the City of Petaluma in 2008. Stay tuned and learn how to pronounce sesquicentennial correctly, in order to impress today’s “shakers and movers” with your own contributions to the 21st Century “Spirit of Petaluma.”
P.S. “Our Petaluma” blogs #19,20,21 have also touched upon our sense of community and the need for neighbors becoming better acquainted with each other. This was not a concern in the late 1800s or early 1900s because the city’s population was much smaller. However, times have changed dramatically. How do we recapture that early spirit and sense of community that the Petalumans of Yesteryear represented? Or, do we still have it? Your comments please! Stay tuned.