Although only eight years had passed since the first permanent white man had settled in the Petaluma area, the town had grown to approximately 1200-1300 people and by 1858, the local newspaper was ready to lobby for incorporation because - (a) families were arriving daily, (b) there was a demand [...]
What a day this has been! At first, I was preparing to compose a blog dealing with Emergency Preparedness because today's Argus-Courier featured the Westridge Knolls NERT model in their "Community Section." Then, it dawned on me. Today's date - April 12 - is of great significance to Petalumans. Do [...]
Yesterday was an unusual day. I spent four hours on a boat trip up and down what was historically known as Petaluma Creek.*Talk about a Then & Now experience, it was great! As we left the Turning Basin dock in front of the remodeled River House and cruised under the [...]
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 [...]
Although she isn't a Petaluman, Gaye LeBaron of the Press Democrat, is a great writer, as well as an excellent historian and storyteller. It was one of her many articles about Sonoma County history that caught my eye about a most important development that had its origin in Petaluma -the [...]
My name is William Howard Pepper, but this photograph really isn't me. He's an imposter, someone who personifies me as one of the Petalumans of Yesteryears.(He's hysterical, but I'm historical and a real Petaluman who lived in Our Petaluma, from 1858 to 1906.) (Click on "View Photo Album" #01) This [...]