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are distributed over an area of several hundred acres, for greater security against explosions. Both steam and water power are used in preparing the material and running the machinery. An explosion occurred here in November, 1867, causing the death of three workmen, and doing considerable injury to the works. The latter, however, were soon after repaired, and are again in operation.

The State Prison is located in this county, on Point San Quentin, twelve miles north of the city of San Francisco. The buildings, constructed of brick, and having a capacity for the retention of seven hundred convicts, the number now imprisoned there, are situated on a tract of land owned by the State, eight acres of which are walled in, the balance being mostly devoted to the purposes of brick making, which business has been carried on extensively by convict labor. The greater portion of the prisoners, however, are employed as coopers, tailors, cabinet makers, shoemakers, saddlers, etc., being hired out by the State to contractors, who pay fifty cents per day for their labor.

As yet, no valuable deposits of minerals have been found in this county, though it abounds in granite, limestone and other useful building stone, and a number of quarries have been opened within its limits.

SONOMA COUNTY.

Sonoma county is bounded on the north by Mendocino and Lake counties, on the east by Lake and Napa, and on the south, southwest, and west by Marin county and the ocean. It is about fifty miles in length with an average width of twenty-five miles, comprising an area of about 850,000 acres, of which nearly 300,000 are inclosed, and 200,000 under cultivation.

The chief topographical features of this county are its four magnificent valleys, Petaluma, Sonoma, Santa Rosa and Russian river, through which flow considerable streams bearing their respective names. The two former are in the southern part of the county, separated by low mountain ridges. Crossing the northwestern and central portions of the county is the more lengthy but narrow valley of the Russian river. Petaluma and Sonoma creeks flow southeasterly, and empty into San Pablo bay. They are navigable for small craft as high up as the tide reaches a distance of about fifteen miles. Russian river, although a large stream, is not navigable, owing to bars and rapids.

The northern part of the county is mountainous, being traversed by spurs from the Coast Range, which in some places rise to a height of two or three thousand feet. Pine mountain, in the northwestern part

of the county, reaches an elevation of 3,500 feet-Sulphur Peak, near the Geysers, in the north-eastern part, being 3,471 feet high. Many of the mountains, and even some of the lower hills, are covered with redwood-pitch, or yellow pine, (pinus ponderosa,) sugar pine (pinus Lambertiana,) spruce, or red fir, (abies Douglasii,) and California nutmeg, (Torreya Californica,) being found upon the higher ranges. Portions of the valleys and hills are covered with a scattered growth of oak, madroña, and other scrubby trees-sycamore and small willow being found along the water courses. There are thirteen saw mills in different parts of the county, making lumber chiefly for local consumption, though considerable quantities are exported from Bodega, Fort Ross, Timber Cove and other points in the northern section of the county. The amount of lumber manufactured in Sonoma annually is estimated at 12,000,000 feet. The most of the produce exported from the southern end of the county is sent from Petaluma, between which place and San Francisco three lines of steamers and a large number of small sailing vessels ply constantly.

Petaluma is situated on a creek of the same name, and about a mile above the head of navigation, a railroad having been constructed connecting the town with the landing. It lies about forty-five miles northwest of San Francisco, and is a growing place, the population having increased from 2,500 to over 4,000, within the last four years. It now contains seven churches, a college and a number of schoolhouses, a planing-mill, a sash and door factory, a soap and a match factory, with a ship-yard whereat vessels of as high as ninety tons' burden are built. The name of the town signifies, in the Indian tongue from which it is derived, "Duck hill," the locality having been famous as a resort for wild ducks prior to its settlement by the whites. A railroad, extending from some point on San Pablo bay to Healdsburg, on Russian river, having become an urgent necessity, the inhabitants of the county are making strenuous efforts to secure its construction, which there is good reason to believe will be effected at an early day, either by building a line direct from Petaluma to Healdsburg, or continuing the Napa and Calistoga road, now nearly finished, to that place. Once built to Healdsburg, there is little doubt but a railroad would be prolonged up the Russian river valley, until by gradual stages it might reach the interior of Mendocino county, if not ultimately the head waters of Eel river, following down the same to some point on Humboldt bay, and thus become the means of opening an extensive and valuable, but at present almost inaccessible region to trade and settlement.

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Sonoma county enjoys an even and agreeable climate, rarely suffering from the strong winds that prevail during the summer at San Francisco, while its proximity to the ocean moderates the fierce heat of the interior, insuring a mild and agreeable temperature throughout the year. The moisture imparted by the sea-air to the soil, in the valleys a rich alluvion, and on the uplands a yellow loam, tends to keep vegetation green, thereby insuring abundant pasturage and almost uniformly good crops in all parts of the county. In the valley of Russian river, good crops of Indian corn can be grown without irrigation, this being one of the few localities in the State where this cereal can be raised with facility. The number of acres of this grain planted in the county, in the year 1867, is estimated at 5,000, yielding 150,000 bushels. The country in the vicinity of Bodega is particularly well adapted to the culture of the potato, of which there were 4,000 acres planted in 1867, producing 150,000 bushels.

The name of this county is of Indian origin, signifying, in that language, the "valley of the moon," a term peculiarly appropriate, since a more beautiful spot than the great Sonoma valley, seen on a moonlight night, can scarcely be conceived of. This was also the name of at notable chief of the Chocuyen tribe, who inhabited this valley in the days of the missionaries.

Santa Rosa, the county seat, situated in a valley of the same name, about sixteen miles north from Petaluma, occupies a handsome site on the Santa Rosa creek, a small stream which, running west, falls into Russian river. The town is surrounded with oak and other foresttrees, and has a well fenced plaza filled with trees, shrubs and flowers. Around this central square, the most of the stores, hotels, and other business places, are located. The first settlement upon this spot was made in 1852. The court-house is a fine building, besides which the town contains several churches and school-houses, and a number of elegant private residences. In 1860, Santa Rosa had a population of 700, which seven years later had increased to 1,800. The valley in which it is situated is about ten miles long, and six wide. It is under a high state of cultivation, and is surrounded by scenery of surpassing beauty, the Cascade mountains, a low but picturesque range, bounding it on the west, and a much more lofty and rugged chain on the east ; the bold peak of Mount St. Helena, sixteen miles distant to the northeast, lifting itself to a height of 4,343 feet.

Healdsburg, another prosperous town, is located in the Russian river valley, at a point where it deflects to the southwest, and near the confluence of that stream, with Knight's creek, having its source in Mount

St. Helena, about twenty miles distant to the east. The town derives its name from Harmon Heald, who, in 1846, established a trading-post in the vicinity, for supplying the hunters and trappers in the neighboring mountains. It stands on a broad, fertile plain, having an altitude of one hundred and seventy-five feet above the waters of San Francisco bay, from which it is distant nearly fifty miles, being about forty miles north of Petaluma. It is the natural trade-center of a large agricultural region, embracing the several valleys of Russian river, reaching fifty or sixty miles to the north-Knight's creck, Dry creek, Santa Rosa, and several smaller valleys, through all of which run good roads converging to this place. The site of the town is no less beautiful than eligible, being surrounded by scattered groves of old oaks, and other trees of native growth, with a panorama of picturesque mountains in the distance. In 1867, it contained 1,500 inhabitants, of whom 410 were children under fifteen years of age. Three years before, the population numbered but 600, of whom 500 were adults. The excellence and cheapness of the land, together with security of title, and the prospect of early railroad communication with the bay of San Pablo, have contributed to greatly encourage settlement in this part of the county. The majority of the inhabitants came originally from the southern and southwestern states-a circumstance indicated not more by the peculiaritics of their manners than the style of their houses, most of which have huge chimneys built outside, after the custom in their early homes.

In 1841, eight square leagues of the valley, adjacent to Healdsburg, were granted by the Mexican government to an American family by the name of Fitch, some of whom continue to reside in the vicinity, though nearly all of this extensive grant has now passed from their possession. About two miles east of the town, stands an isolated peak some five hundred feet high, known as Fitch's mountain, being nearly the only reminder left of this pioneer family. The view from the top of this mountain is extremely fine, from whence may be seen Mount St. Helena to the east, the numerous ranges of Mendocino lying north, and the Pacific ocean on the west-the whole comprising a landscape abounding with striking features and diversified scenery.

The city of Sonoma is the oldest settlement in this county, the mission of San Francisco de Solano having been founded here in 1820. The old buildings first erected still remain, though latterly converted into a church supplied with pews, cushions, carpets, gaslight, and all

the modern improvements in ecclesiastical decoration. In its capacious auditorium, which once resounded with the uncouth jargon of half-clad savages, is now heard the melodious voices of a well trained choir, mingling with the strains of instrumental music. The town is situated a short distance east of the creek that runs through the center of the valley. It is distant about twenty miles southeast of Santa Rosa, and forty miles northerly of San Francisco. Some of the original houses built here are large and, though made of adobe, are two stories high. They surround the usual courtyard, and are adorned with porticos and corridors after the Venetian style, imparting to them a commanding appearance-this having been the residence of the élite of the native Californians. Many of them were neatly painted, and surrounded with gardens, orchards, and walnut-trees. The residence of Gen. M. G. Vallejo-a spacious building, in which so many, both foreign and native, once enjoyed his hospitality-was demolished in 1866, and an elegant hotel erected on the spot; the former proprietor having parted with this, as well as with nearly all the residue of his property in the county. The town of Sonoma, which in 1864 contained only five hundred inhabitants, now numbers over one thousand. The valley of Sonoma, about six miles wide and twenty long, is one of the most beautiful, as well as fruitful and highly cultivated, in the State, it being covered throughout nearly its whole extent, and, in many places, even to the summits of the adjacent hills, with grassy pastures, grainfields, orchards, vineyards, and gardens. The soil and general appearance of the valley, bear a striking resemblance to the vine-districts of Johannesberg, Hockheimer, Stienberger, and other famous wineproducing localities in the vicinity of Bingen on the Rhine; and there is no doubt but the white wines of this county will, in a few years, when their good qualities come to be more fully known, attain to as great a popularity in Europe as those of the Rhenish provinces. The yield of grapes to the vine, and also of juice, is much greater here than in France, Italy, or Germany, many of the vineyards in Sonoma yielding about 1,000 gallons to the acre, while in France the yield is not over 200; in Germany, 250; and in Italy, 400 gallons to the

acre.

Appended is a list of most of the principal vineyards in this county, with the number of vines and acres planted in grapes at the close of the year 1867:

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