At 2:40 p.m., yesterday, I stopped by the foot of Copeland Street, the place near Steamer Gold Wharf, where the first spike in the P&SR (Petaluma and Santa Rosa Electric Railway) was driven over 100 years, ago. No one was there, but me. I paused and tried to think what thearea may have looked like in 1904.

It is difficult to know and to understand what life in the “good old days” was really like. Do we tend to over-glorify what happened? Do we tend to minimize the significance of the accomplishments and the achievements of earlier times? Do we fail to understand the relevance of earlier events to the world of today? How do we recapture the essence of those Yesteryears?

“Yesteryears” is a word that has been used in a variety of ways. The Walking Tour Guides of our Historic Downtown District, who have adopted the persona of one of Petaluma’s prominent citizens from the late 19^th or early 20^th Century, have created a unique team of historical enthusiasts who are known as the Petalumans of Yesteryears. Through special presentations and Adult School history classes, they help preserve knowledge about our town’s past.

Another way to recapture those days is to look at source documents like diaries, scrapbooks, old postcards, letters, and newspapers. Our weekly newspaper, the Petaluma Argus-Courier, features a column called “Yesteryears.” It is written by one of our community’s “Good Eggs,” Katie Watts. Katie is a diligent researcher who takes a look back at local history, as viewed through the pages of the Argus-Courier, 25 to 125 years ago. For example:

“100 Years Ago – Wm. Ortman has purchased from F.H. Atwater the local agency of the San Francisco Examiner and will move it to the cigar store of J.H. Smith, next to the Wickersham Bank. (April 5, 1906)”

“125 Years Ago – A spot more truly beautiful than Cypress Hill Cemetery would be hard to find, and it certainly is a monument to the enterprise of John A. McNear.”

Did you recognize the names Atwater, Wickersham, and McNear? In the photograph, below, from left to right, the original Petalumans of Yesteryears, are Mr. William H. Pepper, Mrs. George P. McNear (Ida Belle), Mrs. John A. McNear (Clara), Mrs. F.H. Atwater (Addie), (a mystery lady), and Mr. Isaac Wickersham.

Petaluma will celebrate its 150^th Anniversary as an incorporated city, in 2008. (The fancy word is Sesquicentennial.) It will be a year-long celebration when various organizations and groups from all sectors of the community may step up to the plate and share their historical contributions to the growth and development of our favorite river town, a place second to none in spirit and a sense of community. Stay tuned for additional tidbits of Then & Now.