August | 2025 | springs museum

The success of the resort founded by Henry and Antoinette Boyes proved to be an example to others. In 1907, a couple from Pittsburg (Emma was originally from Austria) by way of San Francisco, George and Emma Fetters, bought the old Halstead ranch just a mile north of the Boyes’ property. Robert Halstead (“a wealthy sugar planter from Hawaii” according to the Index Tribune) had bought the property from E.P. Thomson, who planted olive trees on it in the 1880s. Many of those now large trees are still there.

The Halstead property crossed the Northwest Pacific railway line and Sonoma Creek, just south of Agua Caliente. Some early post cards identify its location as Agua Caliente. The boundaries were flexible. Map courtesy of the Rumsey Collection.

George had been in the hotel business in Pittsburg. The money for the land and the ambition to open a resort were mostly Emma’s. The next year they opened Fetters Hot Springs Resort. Soon after, they leased their resort to Morris Levy, a prize fight promoter from San Francisco, who renamed it Eleda Hot Springs.

The Fetters took over operation again in 1911. In 1913, apparently bearing a grudge over losing the lease to the resort, Levy testified in opposition to a liquor license being granted to Fetters. They received the license, but this would not be the first time the Fetters got into legal trouble over liquor. In 1918 they were tried for the offense of providing liquor to enlisted men (a crime under the War Emergency Act.)

Testifying in their defense were “Fred Boyngton, the well known lumber yard man, E.G. Koenig of Boyes Springs, and Lillian the “entertainer,” among others.” Despite Lillian, both Fetters were convicted, but George’s conviction was overturned on appeal. Emma’s sentence was later commuted. Both George and Emma were in and out of court many times, being sued for damages by resort guests, and once for libel.

The Fetters were constantly improving the resort, bringing in moving pictures in 1923, sidewalks in 1924,and a new dance hall in 1925. George donated the land for the Boyes Springs ball field, and at its dedication in 1940, he threw out the first ball.

According to the Index Tribune, Emma Fetters was “an energetic woman of wealth and enterprise.” The Fetters built not only the resort, with its hotel, swimming pavilion and theater, but the Fetters Depot of the Northwest Pacific Railroad. Mrs. Fetters also owned much real estate in the area, and once owned the Chauvet Hotel in Glen Ellen.

In 1923 a movie company came to town and shot some scenes in and around Fetters Resort (and that’a another story!)

The resort era continued into the 1950s and beyond. Photo courtesy of Sonoma County Library.

The notorious and beloved, by some, Juanita Musson operated her restaraunt in the hotel from 1969 to 1975. I havn’t written a post soley devoted to Juanita, yet, but more here.

The hotel burned down in 1975.

In 2009 this was all that was left of Fetters Resort. It appears to be “Bachelors Row,” shown above. I met Juanita when she lived in one of these cabins. Authors photo.

Emma Fetters died in 1922, of pneumonia. George was a prominent member of the community and continued to run the resort until he sold in 1944. He died in 1964. Interesting that the gravestone omits the S at the end of the name.