Category Archives: Uncategorized

Boyes Hot Springs, People, Photographs, Resorts, Uncategorized, Wonders and Marvels

Harmonie Ausflug

A curiosity of early 20th century postcards from the Boyes Hot Springs resort are labeled “Harmonie Ausflug.” “Harmonie Ausflug” is not the name of a specific society but of the activity: the Harmonie  (singing society, choral group,) takes an outing.

Livia Gershon in JSTOR Daily:

“In Europe’s German-speaking states…male choir organizations started popping up around 1810 and grew in number and prominence over the next half-century. Most were open to people of different social classes and focused on the idea of educating people and spreading middle-class values-though, by the 1860s, some were specifically “workers choirs,” affiliated with socialist and labor movements.

However, for many regular German Americans, this wasn’t really the point of the festivals. They showed up to enjoy romantic or humorous folk songs, eat childhood foods, drink beer, and reminisce about the old country.” and,

“German American singing festivals included both highbrow and lowbrow features.”

The Harmonie Ausflug post cards clearly represent the choristers indulging in the “lowbrow features.”

Animal costumes were favored. Dated 1909 on front.

An actual animal.

Not just singers, but a marching band!

“My wife’s husband has gone to the country “but oh you Kid!”

Taking the waters at Boyes.

A zeppelin (invented by Ferdinand von Zeppelin, don’t ya know)? Seems to be hanging from a cable over the pool.

All photos, dated 1909, are by the prolific Charles Weidner.

The JSTOR article https://daily.jstor.org/german-song-in-america/?utm_source=mcae&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=jstordaily-07102025

Further reading about German American singing societies from a University of the Paicific thesis from 1955 https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2276&context=uop_etds

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Uncategorized

The Springs Museum Is Ten Years Old!

The Springs Museum website is ten years old! I’ve posted monthly for almost the entire time, so that’s around 120 posts. It’s a collection of historical info, natural historical musings, observations and appreciations of the place we live, with occasional wider scope. It’s been cited by historians, journalists, planners and architects.

I’m still working on getting a brick and mortal existence for the Museum. You can help by clicking the Donate button, and/or spreading the word. Thank you!

Greatest hits? No, just some of my faves.

2014-https://springsmuseum.org/2014/10/15/bottle-village/

2015-https://springsmuseum.org/2015/12/  Keatons Shack

2016-https://wordpress.com/post/springsmuseum.org/745 Valley of the Moon Resort

2016-https://wordpress.com/post/springsmuseum.org/894 Rosenthal’s Resort

2017-https://wordpress.com/post/springsmuseum.org/1526 Music in the Valley

2017-https://wordpress.com/post/springsmuseum.org/1735 Fire Social Media

2018-https://wordpress.com/post/springsmuseum.org/1900 The Oak at Sierra Way

2019-https://wordpress.com/post/springsmuseum.org/2201 Neighborhood Phenomena

2019-https://wordpress.com/post/springsmuseum.org/2284 Dick Dawley

2019=https://wordpress.com/post/springsmuseum.org/2403 Arroyo Road

2020-https://wordpress.com/post/springsmuseum.org/2619 Sonoma Highway

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Boyes Hot Springs, History, Holidays, People

Christmas 1923

A sampler of Christmas from the Index Tribune, one hundred years ago.

Sonoma was in the grip of movie fever. Actor/producer/director/swindler Harold Binney had arrived to set up his studio. Local were recruited to be extras in the “Account of the No Account Count.” Alas, Binney absconded having written bad checks, and Sonoma as Hollywood North never materialized.

See you at the Union Hotel for Christmas dinner? Oh, that’s right. They tore it down and built an unlovely Bank of America! However, they were considerate enough to erect a bronze plaque commemorating what they had destroyed.

Directors included Sam Sebastiani, and Frank Wedekind.

Sweet!

I wonder how Mr. Abbott came by the molds. Spoils of war?

In 1923 it did not take much to produce contentment, apparently!

“Bring along your rifle!”

By 1923 the railroads had significant competition from bus lines. The egg laying contest had thirty six entries, eleven of them from outside California! The IOOF building is still there and in great shape.

Sonoma Index Tribune courtesy of the Sonoma Valley Historical Society

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Boyes Hot Springs, History, mid-century, Place Names/Street Names, Uncategorized

Jim’s Lunch

In 1923 a huge fire destroyed much of Boyes Hot Springs. Community spirit was strong, however, and rebuilding began immediately. One property owner, Bob Liaros, rebuilt on the highway.

The Liaros building at left. Next to it is the ice house. Across Vallejo St. we can see Sam Agnew’s service station. Agnew was an ex-major leaguer who was famous for catching Babe Ruth in the 1918 World Series.

According to the Index Tribune, “Bob Liaros owns one of the finest and most substantial buildings on the highway in Boyes Springs. After the fire, Mr. Liaros took the slogan, “a bigger and better Boyes Springs” at its full value and proceeded to show that he, for one, meant to build bigger and better than before. In place of the frame building and barber shop which was located next to the original post office at Boyes, the enterprising business man let the contract for a handsome hollow tile type building, with concrete floors and  fireproof throughout. The exterior is most attractive with its tile trim and plate glass front. The building is divided into two stores, in one of which Mr. Liaros has his beautifully  appointed barber shop with its mirrors, three chairs and finest plumbing. He does bobbing for the ladies and has a competent assistant barber. Liaros has leased the store and living rooms in his building for an ice cream parlor and refreshment stand.” IT 1925.

Jim Nichols opened his Jim’s Lunch restaurant on Napa St. in Sonoma, “at the entrance of the ball park,” in 1933. In 1937 Jim sold to Marie Tarrens and moved to Oregon. But, in 1938, “Jim Nicholas, who sold out and left Sonoma for Oregon, only to return convinced that there is no place like the Valley of the Moon, is opening up a coffee shop and café at Boyes Springs in the Bob Liaros building. In 1939, Evelyn Frank and Alice Jones applied for a liquor license under the name of Jim’s Lucnh Room. Not sure where Frank and Jones went but in 1941 Alice Norrbom bought the establishment from Katherine Ewert Jorgensen. I believe the two photographs of Jim’s date from Mrs. Norrbom’s ownership. In 1944 she sold to Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Reynolds and I think they were the last owners of Jim’s.

Menu from the WWII era.
Photo by Zan Stark, 1950s

In the 1950s the Liaros building housed the  Boyes Variety Store and Polidori’s store. Kelly’s Deli was there in the 1980s’90s. The building was torn down in 1992. The site now houses the Sonoma Mission Inn employee parking lot, alas.

Photo dated 1992

ADDENDUM

In 1931 Bob Liaros bought “Lot Number 1, Woodleaf Park, being a part of Rancho Agua Caliente, T. 5 N., R. 6 W, M.D.M.,” (The letter-number combinations are Township and Range. MDM stands for Mount Diablo Meridian, a baseline used by the Public Land Survey System.)

The sign at the left of the arch advertises “J.W. Minges desirable summer and winter cottages.”

First Avenue became Vallejo Avenue, so this would be the corner of Vallejo and Hwy 12 (“Santa Rosa and Sonoma Road”.)

Thanks to the Sonoma Valley Historical Society for the Index Tribune and many photographs, Lloyd Cripps for the arch photo, Phil Danskin for the map, and Stanford University Library, Special Collections for the Zan Stark photo.

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Agua Caliente, Boyes Hot Springs, El Verano, History, Place Names/Street Names, Resorts, Uncategorized

Traces of the Northwest Pacific Railroad Right-of-Way

The last year of operation for the Northwest Pacific Railroad in Sonoma Valley, which ran on the east side of Sonoma Creek, was 1942. That year freight service ended, and the tracks were torn up for steel for the war effort. Traces of the right-of-way can be seen in several places in El Verano, Boyes Hot Springs, Fetters Hot Springs, and Agua Caliente.

From El Verano going north:

In El Verano the tracks run through the Paul’s Resort property, where the Verano (not El Verano) depot was located.

Paul’s Resort, 1960s

From there it parallels Fairview Ln. (which may have been right-of-way) until it gets to Thompson, where Sierra Dr., formerly Meinke Ave., takes over the roadbed. (More about Sierra and Mienke.) Manzanita St. might have been a spur. It features several buildings that look as if they could have been built by the railroad.

House on Manzanita near Academy Lane

Where Sierra turns east to the Highway the right of way continues north through the Sonoma Mission Inn (originally the Boyes Hot Springs Resort) grounds and past the BHS depot, which land is now the parking lot for the Plaza Center building (More here).

Boyes Depot 1942

Right-of-way next to old commercial buildings at Boyes Plaza, which were demolished in 2018. Photo taken from the apporxiamte location of the Boyes Depot.

Continuing north it parallels the Highway and can be seen crossing Lichtenberg Ave, parallel to Johnson Ave.

At Lichtenberg.

The next trace is the old Fetters Depot building on Depot Rd in front of Flowery School. It crosses the Fetters Apartments and Charter School properties and is seen again at Vialetti Dr. The old roadbed has become the alley the runs from Vailetti to Marin Ave. That is the last appearance of the right-of-way in the area.

Fetters Depot 1910s

1910s

At Marin Ave. looking south.

At Marin Ave. looking north.

At Vailetti Rd. looking north

Maps and photographs courtesy of the sonoma Valley Historical Society unless noted otherwise.

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Uncategorized

551 Central Avenue

In 1964 a disastrous fire swept through Boyes Hot Springs, destroying many homes.

 “ A cluster of five residences at the intersection of Central Ave and Las Lomas was leveled. The Larson home…was one of them.

While the Cohn home was leveled, the Tom Codellos house right next to it was untouched. Oddly enough, the home of Mr. Cordellos’ grandmother, several blocks away at 550 Central Avenue in Boyes Springs, was also saved, while the ones next to it were destroyed.”Sept. 24, 1964 Index Tribune.

This was across the street from our lot, apparently, although the normal logic of addresses, odd one side, even the other, often does not apply in Boyes.

2013

2013

March 2019 showing a nice growth of quince, which always blooms at Lunar New Year.

2019=Lily Creek at right beyond fence. Please see https://springsmuseum.org/2019/11/13/the-arroyo-of-arroyo-road/

2019

The lot remained without a house (I don’t like to say “vacant” because it was home to plants and animals and the occasional human) until mid 2022, when clearing started and a foundation was built.

2022

The fence at back was built before the foundation. The setbacks for this house are the minimum.

2022-The house mover’s implements.

One day in September 2022, we heard the cry, “There’s a house a-comin.” And indeed there was. (Apparently manufactured houses are cheaper than ground-up construction, though not actually cheap; and the time required to get permissions from the County is still onerous.) Many were skeptical the huge, wheeled vehicle could make it down the narrow streets and around the tight corners of the area the fire department calls “the Maze.” Progress was very slow and the crew had to prune trees as they went along.

Of course, this is only one half of the building. They delivered and got the sections in position in one day.

Almost there.

The old (2019)…

and the new.

House is home at last. Now for the foundation framing, front porch, and everything else.

copyright 2022 Michael Acker

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Boyes Hot Springs, Entertainment, History, Uncategorized

Music at the Resorts

From earliest European settlement (and possibly before), the Valley of the Moon was a place of rest and healing, but by the late 1890’s excitement was added to the activities: show business. First and always there was music. Theater and the spectacle of the circus were also popular. Movies arrived by 1917.

The following is a sampler of the variety of music available at the resorts.

 

IT1923ArtHickmanArrivesCLIP

Art Hickman had been coming to Sonoma Valley since 1910. He was a newspaper man who became the leader of a popular band in San Francisco. He is sometimes credited with inventing the word “jazz,” in Boyes Hot Springs. This dubious claim is fully discussed in Bruce Vermazen’s interesting article: http://www.gracyk.com/hickman.shtml

Hickman’s arrival in Boyes Springs was front-page news in 1923. (No elucidation as to the nature of his accidental burns is given.)

In that year, Prohibition was in force, which did not prevent the resorts from offering refreshing beverages to their guests, to enhance their musical appreciation. As we see from the headline, the El Verano resorts were “Again Raided.”

1917NufSaidClip

Was Nuf Sed the name of the “Original Ragtime Orchestra…” or just an emphatic statement?

BoyesTheater

It looks like a circus troop in this photo, marching with a band. The stamp on the reverse dates the card to 1909.

Some of the musical offerings were more high-toned. A Ladies Singing Society would be very refined.1922HARMONYSOCIETYCLIP

1928HardTimesDanceClip

Between 1920 and 1950 there were over a dozen ads in the IT for “Hard Times” dances. Attendees were expected to come dressed in stereotypical farmers’ clothing, and decorations leaned towards hay bales, wagon wheels, and animal harnesses. The music for this 1928 affair, held at the Boyes Springs Club House, was provided by Prof. G. Nimpfer, who was originally a tailor and had run a resort in Agua Caliente under his name. What discipline his PhD was granted in is not known.

ClubhouseMen

IMG_0396

Paul Marcucci’s “Hill billy Band” from 1933. Marcucci was a talented musician and song writer who presided over Paul’s Resort for three decades in the mid-20th century.

1949funmakersClip

Unfortunately described as a “negro orchestra,” the Funmakers featured Johnny Alston and Jeanne DeMetz. Alston and DeMetz recorded extensively. To get an idea of what they might have sounded like at the Fetters Resort, listen to this recording of “Sam the Boogie Man,” 1946, from the Prelinger Archive:  https://ia600604.us.archive.org/13/items/78_sam-the-boogie-woogie-man_johnny-alston-and-his-orchestra-robert-scherman_gbia0007741b/Sam%20The%20Boogie%20Woogie%20Man%20-%20Johnny%20Alston%20and%20his%20Orchestra.mp3

 

 

SamtheBoogieMan

IT1951PaulsAdClip

Hugh Wedge and his Melody Men were active in the Valley in 1950 and 1951. Obvioulsy versatile, they played for dancing of all eras (modern and old-fashioned).

IT1951ResortMusicAdsClip

Leon Pasco’s orchestra, “from Napa,” gigged a lot in the resorts from 1948 through 1953. Hugh Wedge was also billed as from Napa. Did they really hail from there, or was that puffery to make them sound more exotic? The Funmakers were billed as “direct from many smash engagements at New York’s most elaborate NIGHT SPOTS,” which probably had some truth to it. But “from Napa?” Not very enticing.

IT1954AnsonWeeksClip

Anson Weeks was famous as the leader of the orchestra at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in the 1920s and 1930s. For more on Weeks, see https://soundcloud.com/peter-mintun/sets/anson-weeks-his-orchestrahttp://www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/weeks.html

In 1969 Pete Mancuso took over the old Resort Club in the heart of Boyes Hot Springs and renamed it Little Peter’s Melody Club. The establishment was in operation until the mid 1980s.

IT1969MelodyClubAdClip

The Melody Club sign was in place until 2014, when it was removed for safety.

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