Windsor Historical Society Windsor Walk€¦ · The oil portrait portrays a petite, pretty lady with an air of tranquility. Her 1893 journal narrates weather patterns, farm chores,

Windsor Historical Society · Windsor Walk · Apr/May/Jun 2012 Page 1· Windsor Historical Society · Windsor Walk · Windsor Historical Society ·

Windsor Historical Society

Windsor WalkA Historical Journey to the Past for the Future Apr/May/Jun 2012

Cunningham House Parkerson ’95

Continued on page 6, Rich

by Elinor Rich

In 2007 Elinor Rich completed acomprehensive manuscript of her family’shistory. Elinor’s fascinating narrativebegins with her great-grandmother SarahMyers Rich Latimer, a woman whocontributed generously to her family andcommunity.

Sarah Ann SophiaMyers Rich Latimer

1826 - 1904The oil portrait portrays a petite,pretty lady with an air oftranquility. Her 1893 journalnarrates weather patterns, farmchores, prayers, names of friendsand neighbors who called.

Tidy little anecdoteshanded down by Sarah’sdescendants are only teasingvignettes of a lifetime of twistsand turns of fate. My curiosityto learn more about Sarah AnnSophia Myers Rich Latimer hasled me on a ponderous journeythrough old documents andlibrary references.

What we know of Sarah’slineage begins with her greatgrandfather Michael Myers, whoimmigrated to Maryland fromGermany before 1760. Nodocumentation has been discovered toreveal any information about hisspouse.

Michael’s son John (1760-1838)married Mary Dillon (1767-1857).Mary was born in England. JohnMyers had a mill, distillery and farmin Maryland. The family also lived inBucks County, Pennsylvania, and

Putnam County, Ohio, where John andMary are buried in the Myers familyplot.

The eldest of John and Mary’sthirteen children, Abraham DillonMyers (1789-1872), married MarthaPreston Gillingham (1788-1844). TheGillinghams proudly trace theirancestry back to Yeamans Gillingham

(1674-1722) of England andPennsylvania, and his fatherJames Gillingham (1648-?) ofKent, England. Abraham andMartha Myers were the parentsof eight children—Sarah AnnSophia Myers (1826-1904) bornin Lambertville, New Jersey,was their sixth child.

Old letters relate thatAbraham Myers traveled toCalifornia in the mid 1840s—after the death of his first wife,Martha (Sarah’s mother), in 1844.He returned East, then came backto California in the 1860s.According to an 1867 map,Abraham Myers owned propertyin Sonoma County. An 1877 atlasshows that A. D. Myers came toCalifornia in 1850 and SonomaCounty in 1854. It is believed thathe is buried in the Healdsburgcemetery. The Myers plot is easyto find on the cemetery chart, buta jungle of shrubbery covers the

area. The thought of slithery creaturesin the foliage restrained my furtherinvestigation.

A Rich Family SagaAn Intimate Look at the Admirable Life of Pioneer Sarah Myers Rich Latimer

Sarah Myers Rich Latimer1826 - 1904

Page 2 Windsor Historical Society · Windsor Walk · Apr/May/Jun 2012

Hops Will Be Ready for Harvest

at WHS’s Hop Festival on September 1

President’s MessageWindsor Historical SocietyBoard Members

Stephen A. Lehmann, President(H) 838-6152; [email protected]

Barbara F. Ray, Vice Presidentand Newsletter Editor836-0101; [email protected]

Cheryl Strong, Secretary

Marilou Del Greco, Treasurer

Loren BarkerKen Del GrecoEdna HonsaJosephine RebichDave Turnes

Hembree House Cultural Center9225 Foxwood Dr.

Windsor, California

www.windsorhistory.org

Springtime means that the hops wentinto the garden and this year we

moved last year’s hop yard into the moreconventional trellis system thatdominated the Russian River Townshipwhen hops were a major agriculturalproduct. We have twelve plants growingand nine of them are plants that havebeen transplanted from the original yardsalong the Russian River. Today the mostcommon variety of hops are “Cascade”but in the middle of the 20th Century thebest was the “Sonoma County Hop” andthat’s what we are growing. We haveoriginal hops growing on a vintagetrellising system that is just the wayRaford Jones and Bill Beedie laid themout. Come by and watch them grow.

Of course in September the hopswill be ready to harvest, so put onyour long sleeve shirts and wide brimhats and join us for WHS’s SecondAnnual Hop Harvest the first Saturdayin September. This year we willincorporate the annual town reunionand serve a sit-down lunch. Whatbetter way to celebrate our heritageand history than at a hop harvest atthe Cunningham Homestead! Detailswill follow.

Cunningham House UpdateThinking of the Cunningham

House, some of you may have noticedthat we are preparing the house forpainting. We have pruned the ancientrose on the east side and will soonopen up two more windows. Thepaint will be a needed improvementbut a new foundation and replacementof the north wall will be next on thelist of essential upgrades. Our goalis to open the house for tours!

Annual MeetingJune 20th will be our annual

meeting and you are all invited toattend. The meeting begins at 6:00 p.m.and we will be serving hot dogs withtrimmings. The meeting will notinclude elections because all boardmembers were elected or re-electedto two-year terms at last year ’smeeting but we will have availableour annual financial report anddiscuss the previous year’s activitiesand the coming year’s plans. I hopeto see many of you then.

Thanks as always and see youaround the Museum.

Steve

Mission Statement

The mission of theWindsor Historical Societyis to collect, preserve, anddisseminate the history of

Windsor and theRussian River Township

through museum exhibits,historic sites,

educational programsand printed materials.

In the spring of 1908, a viticultural club was organized at Windsor by the hopand grape growers of the Russian River Township. Those in attendance representedmore than 4,000 acres of grapes and 1,200 acres of hops. The purpose of the groupwas to recommend to the legislature laws that would favorably impact the distributionand sale of wine, cider and beer. The following officers were elected: W. L.Cunningham, president; Sheridan Peterson, vice president; William B. Chisholm, sec-retary, and H. M. [probably Hugh N.] Latimer, treasurer. Directors: W. H. Small, AlMisener, H. G. Reimann, C. W. Jessup, Edward Thompson, and James Crosby.

Source: San Francisco Call, 12 April 1908

Windsor Historical Society · Windsor Walk · Apr/May/Jun 2012 Page 3

WHS Member News

June 20 , 2012Annual Membership Meeting

All WHS members are invited to attendthe Annual Membership Meeting.

June 20, 2012

6:00 p.m.

Hembree House

Hot dogs with all the trimmings will beserved. We hope to see you there.

Donna Rueb CollierOct 22, 1947 - Mar. 9, 2012

Donna Collier, age 65, wife of RonCollier, passed away on March 9

in her Windsor home with her familyby her side, after a short fight withpancreatic cancer. Donna was born onOctober 22, 1947 in Wishek, NorthDakota to Ted and Helen Rueb. Shegrew up in Ukiah, married Ron, andthe couple moved to Windsor in 1968,where they soon became valuedmembers of the community. Donna andRon were married for 43 years.

Donna was the first femalefirefighter in the Windsor FireDepartment where she was awardedFirefighter of the Year in 1976. Prior toand after that, she served as part of theWFD Women's Auxiliary. She heldmany other jobs, too, including workingas a waitress at Mad Lee's, Lil's Caféand Chubby's Diner in Windsor. Donnais survived by her husband, Ron, ofWindsor; son, Troy (wife Deon) Collierof Windsor; daughter, Theresa (husbandDan) Warner, of Cottonwood; and herthree beloved granddaughters, KristiCollier, and Brittney and Kayla Warner.

Condolences . . . We grieve with family and friends.

Sharon “Gail” Rhodes BakerMar. 3, 1941 - Mar. 29, 2012

Sharon “Gail” Rhodes Baker, age 71,went to her eternal rest on March 29,

2012, following a courageous battle withcancer. Gail was born on March 3, 1941,in Nampa, Idaho to Esther and VictorRhodes, and in 1954 moved with herfamily to Windsor. Pretty and personable,Gail was a popular student andcheerleader at Healdsburg High School,graduating in 1959. Gail is survived byher husband of 51 years, James Baker;son Steve Baker and his wife, Laura;son Todd Baker and his wife, Victoria;three cherished grandchildren, Shalyn,Makenna, and Dalton Baker. Alsosurviving are Gail’s sisters, Joy Price andPhyllis Rhodes, both living in the Windsorarea, and many other beloved relatives.After high school, Gail found her niche inbanking and worked at San FranciscoFederal Savings for 17 years. She hadbeen employed with Summit State Banksince 1992 where she was an assistant vicepresident and manager of theMontgomery Village Branch. She alsoenjoyed homemaking, and was an avidGiants and 49er's fan.

mam

Welcome New Members

John BurtonSanta Rosa, Calif.

Julie SandersonTaft Street Winery

Don & Patty Pratt StevensWeed, Calif.

Donations

WHS greatly appreciates receivingrecent donations from the following:

Elinor Richin memory of

Barbara Jones

Nancy Sargent Johnson

Contributions — large and small —help us preserve Windsor’swonderful history for futuregenerations.

Thank you!

ImportantReminder

Membership Duesare Due

WHS 2012-2013 member-ship renewals are dueon July 1st. For yourconvenience, renewal/membership forms areavailable on our web-site. Thank you! Cheryl Strong WHS Secretary

Happy 90th

Birthday!

to

Harold OxsenJuly 12, 2012

Wonderful man,faithful WHS volunteer.


Ella McClelland Welch’s Friendship Quilt

Ladies' Aid Societies or Soldiers' Aid Societies were women’s organizations formed during the American Civil War, dedicated toproviding supplies to soldiers on the battlefield and caring for sick and wounded soldiers. Over the course of the war, between 7,000and 20,000 Ladies' Aid Societies were established.4 As early as 1865, there was a Soldiers’ Aid Society at the Windsor Methodist-Episcopal Church with Mrs. Sarah Myers Rich serving as president of the society.5

Windsor Historical Society sincerely thanks Mary Catherine Cameron Frost for donating a friendship quilt made for hergrandmother Ella McClelland Welch. The quilt was lovingly stitched by members of the Windsor Methodist Church Ladies’Aid Society during the 1920s or 1930s, in honor of Ella’s retirement, perhaps from a Ladies’ Aid Society role. Each ladyembroidered her signature on the quilt block she sewed, ensuring that the recipient would remember the friends who gavethe quilt to her. For those who have lived in Windsor for many years, some of the names below will surely bring backmemories. For those who did not know these ladies, perhaps we’ll have stories about them, and/or photos, in futureissues of the Windsor Walk. If you wish to share a memory of one of the these women, please let us know.

1The Windsor Herald, 25 Mar 19052Windsor Community Methodist Church, “History of the church 1863-1963,” pg. 43Healdsburg Tribune, “Windsor News,” Nov. 5, 1919

4Frank, Lisa Tendrich, Women in the American Civil War, Santa Barbara, CA, 2008, p. 965California Farmer and Journal of Useful Sciences, “Festival at Windsor,”

18 August 1865, Vol. 24, Num. 6

Quilt Block Signatures: Mrs. Archer, Elsie Bell, Mrs. Brock, Lulu Butcher, Edna Coppedge, Clara Eagan, R. Erickson, Mrs. C.Eweifel, Mrs. A. S. Fuller, Jennie Fuller, Mrs. Henley, Edith Hinkle, Anna Leslie, Mrs. Leubberke, May Luce, Rena Martin, FloraMonti, Ella Morton, Clarice Myers, Bess Richards, Pearl Robbins, Secy., Emma Shane, Edith Silk, Alice Smith, Cora Small,Minnie Small, L. VanWinkle, Ella Vought, Lena Walker.

Left, full quilt. Right,Clara Eagan’s quilt block.

Below, Cora Small’s andLulu Butcher’s blocks.

Ella Welch’s quilt iscurrently on displayat the HembreeHouse Museum.

Ella Isabella McClelland Welch was born Dec. 24, 1864 to James and Mary Jane CunninghamMcClelland. She was the sister of Clara McClelland Hembree and the granddaughter of pioneersRobert and Isabella Cunningham. Ella married Frank T. Welch on Sept. 25, 1884 and they had fourchildren: James Raymond, born in 1885; Mary Clarita, 1893; Lois Lavinia, 1897; and Lura Isabella,1901. Both Frank and Ella were founding members of the 1905 Windsor Grange, and Ella served asthe grange organist.1 The couple was also active in the Windsor Methodist-Episcopal Church, followingin Ella’s family’s footsteps. Grandfather Robert Cunningham had nurtured the fledgling congregationand was instrumental in the construction of a new church in 1863.2 Ella was a member of thechurch’s Ladies’ Aid Society, and around 1920, Ella and Frank were hosting socials at their Windsorhome to stimulate interest in Sunday School.3 Ella passed away on July 20, 1941 at the age of 77.

Ella Welch, c. 1910


Jim DuVander’s

Memories of Windsor in the 1950s

Mail Delivery on Route 1

They were real mailmen. Women didnot deliver the mail in Windsor then.

Two men delivered the mail. One was BillCraven. The other was Cornelius Olsen.But nobody called him that. He was“Corny” to us.

Carriers supplied their own vehicles.Corny drove a faded black Model A Fordsedan. This car looked out of date even then.Corny liked to get full use out of his vehicles.Well into the 70s, he was still using his ’29Ford truck flatbed to deliver his grapes tothe Windsor Co-op Winery on WindsorRoad. I remember him with a short cigar inhis mouth. I don’t remember it ever beinglit, however. He just chewed it.

Corny delivered on the west side oftown, so we never had him as a carrier,since we lived on Brooks Road on theeast side. But Corny lived on the east side,so he was our neighbor. (In those daysWindsor Creek was the dividing linebetween East and West, not the freewayas it is today.)

Bill Craven was our carrier. He had a’48 Oldsmobile with a rare automatictransmission. Most cars were still stickshift then with three speeds and reverseon the steering column. This Olds withthe automatic probably enabled Bill todrive. Bill had one good leg and a woodenone. (He lost his leg above the knee in asaw mill accident before the war.) Thiswould have made shifting a stick difficultfor him. I was impressed with Bill’s drivingskills. He would sit on the passenger sidewith his one good leg alternating betweenthe gas and brake pedals, his left handreaching across to the steering wheel. Hewas quite adept at maneuvering his car inthis strange, angled position. His mail wasarranged on the seat where the drivernormally sits.

Bill was a very cheerful, friendly guyand he liked kids. Although some of my

feelings about Bill could be colored bythe fact that at ages 4, 5 and 6 years old, Iwas convinced that all the good that cameto me in the mail originated with Bill. Mymom would try to dissuade me of thiserroneous idea but I could not beconvinced. Somewhere about age 7, itfinally dawned on me that Bill was merelythe carrier, not the source of my goods.

One year early on, Bill’s mufflerdropped off his Olds. When he wouldpull away from our mailbox, the loudengine exhaust report would announce thearrival of our mail. After a few years, Billgot around to replacing the muffler, endingthis handy delivery alert.

The Montgomery Wards catalogcarried all sorts of things not stocked inthe Santa Rosa stores. I would pore overthe toy section for hours, scouring thepages for something that I could afford.Mom and Dad had very little cash to payfor my toys except on my birthday andChristmas, which seemed to only comeevery ten years. The rest of the time itwas up to us kids to make enough moneyto buy our own toys. Later it would beelectric trains, then bicycle parts thatwould occupy hours of my time studyingthe catalog. My bike had Riverside tires,a “Monkey” Wards brand. Nothing beatthe excitement of something new cominginto my life through the mail.

When we opened up our mailbox, ithad real mail in it. There was no junk mailthen. We used 3 cent stamps that had tobe licked to stick. The stamp was mostalways hand stamped with the name ofthe originating post office marked on thecancelation with a date. So we all knewwhen and where it was mailed. The writingwas usually in longhand. Anythingtypewritten was usually bad news. It wasprobably from the IRS, an attorney, acourt summons, the DMV or other

The Craven Family, early 1950s. BillCraven had a most unusual way of drivingand delivering mail. Above, he stands withhis wife, Dorothy, and son, Wayne.

government tax bill. A postcard was stillone cent. There was no zip code yet. Thatwould come later. Our address was Route1, Box 86, Windsor, Calif. The fact thatwe lived on Brooks Road was notmentioned in our address. Also, the two-letter abbreviation “CA” had not comeinto use yet. So it was Calif.

If anyone happened to be near themailbox when Bill came, it was anoccasion for a conversation. We knew Billfrom Grange, Farm Bureau and maybechurch. We didn’t talk to him that oftenso it was an opportunity to catch up onlocal news.

Bill was more than a mail carrier to us;he was our friend and participated in givingus a deep sense of community.


Continued from page 1, Rich


Sarah and John’s WeddingSarah’s marriage to John PenningtonRich of Doylestown, Pennsylvania,took place in Lambertville, NewJersey, May 26, 1846. Sarah wastwenty years old and John elevenyears her senior at thirty-one years.Lambertville is directly across theDelaware River from Bucks County,Pennsylvania, where the Rich andMyers families both have roots.

John, Construction EngineerJohn’s work as a construction engineerkept the family on the move from NewJersey to Maine, then to Massachusettsand back again to Maine. Thebirthplaces of their five childrenillustrates the trail of their travelsthroughout New England. The eldestHenry Jackson was born 1847 inLambertville, New Jersey; Emeline P.,born 1849, Portland, Maine; Edmund,born 1853, Sandwich, Massachusetts;Florence Rea, born 1855, Portland,Maine; and William Burr, born 1860,Westbrook, Maine.

Infrequent letters from Sarah’sfather, Abraham, and brother, Jackson,extolling the wonders of California,planted dream seeds on the fertileground of discontent. Lengthy,sometimes heated, discussions took

place. Sarah declared that her healthcould not take another harsh winter.

John would be well paid for hiswork in California, but did they wantto make the large expenditure requiredto move from the East Coast to thewilderness of the West? Hopeful plansof escape developed and grew intopossible reality as his work on animportant toll road in New Hampshireprogressed. It was a colossalundertaking, up Mount Washington, themonarch of the White Mountains, andJohn’s obligation to complete theprecipitous, eight-mile roadway up theside of the unyielding mountain keptthem bound to the commitment.

Preparation for realization of theirdream seemed to take an eternity. Theyclosed business connections, packedhousehold furnishings for shipmentaround Cape Horn and said theirgoodbyes to friends and family.

Sailing to San Francisco andSettling in Sonoma County

John and Sarah, with their fourchildren, sailed from Boston on April10, 1862, and left the ship at theIsthmus of Panama. The bitter coldwinter of Maine sharply contrastedwith the tropic heat as they walkedacross the Isthmus. The two youngerchildren, Florence and Willie, rode

in saddle bags, one on each side of apack horse. A ship on the westernside of the Isthmus took them to SanFrancisco, where they arrived onMay 18, 1862. After resting for oneday in San Francisco, they continuedthe last part of the journey to SonomaCounty.

Sarah expressed her delight withthe new homestead by writing in herjournal about the oat grass as tall as thehorses, wild life in abundance,California Indians, and the glorious mildweather. They had indeed discoveredthe Garden of Eden. But not for long.

Farming the homesteaded 480acres adjacent to properties owned bySarah’s father Abraham Myers andbrother Dillon Myers began in earnest.The ranch location in a secludedvalley offered a small, spring-fed lakeof both fresh water and mineralsprings. The Indians believed thesprings to have medicinal powers. Anaccumulation of Indian artifacts havebeen found throughout the valley andin the hillside caves the Indians usedfor shelter.

First Death in CaliforniaJohn Rich resumed his career inmapping out and constructing the roadsthrough the Sierra Nevada Mountains.In a few month’s time, he becamegravely ill with malaria. Most likelythe disease was contracted in Panama.John Pennington Rich died November12, 1862. The first death of a familymember in Sonoma County necessitatedthe grim task of designating a small plotof land for a cemetery on the ranch.John is buried on a wooded hilltopoverlooking the small valley.

In memory of John P. Rich, Sarahdonated one acre of land to be used asthe site of a primary school foreducation of pioneer children in thedistrict. The school was named HillSchool for its first teacher, RobertHill.

Hill School, 1892

In memory of herhusband, John P.Rich, Sarah MyersRich donated oneacre of land to beused as the site ofa primary schoolfor pioneerchildren in thedistrict. The schoolwas named HillSchool for its firstteacher, RobertHill.


Continued from page 6, RichNo Time to Grieve

John and Sarah’s shattered dream of anew life together in California driftedinto the reality of a ranch to run andthe care of two teenagers and twosmall children. Time to grieve wouldhave to come later. Sarah managed theranch, the children, hired help, andprovided food and shelter to those inneed. Her compassion extended to theIndians living in the valley. We havebeen told of one occasion when anailing Indian woman came to her forhelp. Sarah gave her some hot,nourishing soup, then turned to thestove to stir the pot when she heard afrightening sound of collapse. TheIndian woman was face down in thesoup, passed on to the happy huntingground. Did Sarah attend to her burial?Or did the Indian family membersattend to the ceremony with their tribalritual?

Sarah named the ranch Glen ValleySprings. The highest hill she called Mt.Pleasant, and a favorite trail becameDark Canyon. The names of theselandmarks remained through the nextfour generations who carried on theranch operations.

From Sarah’s writing in her diary,one can easily detect the spiritual andmoral strength of this tiny woman. She

often took herBible and walkedthe scenic trailthrough DarkCanyon with itssmall stream ofwaterfalls and fern-covered mossywalls. Herdescendants wouldfollow this sametrail wending itsway to the top ofMr. Pleasant toview the largervalley below. Ther e w a r d i n gpanoramic scene ofa patchwork of farm lands never lost itsallure. The valley train puffed along toannounce its presence with a shrillechoing whistle intruding upon thesilence. The Russian River flowed onits way to the ocean, and the westerncoastal hills were an ever–changingcolor wheel.

Away from the demanding clamorof a busy household, Sarah relaxed inquiet solitude on Mt. Pleasant to readher Bible and indulge in prayerfulmeditation. Sometimes she foundpeace, and other times she would fretabout the current problems. Her brotherDillon’s drinking habits caused her


Lorenzo D. and Sarah Rich Latimer Home. After Sarah Richand Judge Lorenzo D. Latimer wed in 1865, they built aseventeen-room home on Sarah’s property to comfortablyaccommodate their newly combined family of eight—twoadults and six children.

William Burr Rich,standing right, andElla Faught Rich,seated left, relaxwith their sonsClarence, Edwin,and Stuart. Thesenatural springswere also enjoyedby local Indianslong before thearrival of easternpioneers.

Glen ValleySprings Resort,

early 1900s

worrisome consternation. Alas! Alas!The curse of drink, she wrote in herjournal.

Dillon built a winery on his ranchwhich was across the road from Sarah’sproperty. Dillon was his own bestcustomer. His mortal remains werediscovered in the winery October 11,1902. Dillon’s unhealthy addictionclaimed its price at age 73.

Judge Latimer Comes CourtingLorenzo Dow Latimer, a widowerwith two sons, came to call. Sarahbecame acquainted with this

distinguished gentleman

Above, Sarah’s grandsons Clarence andStuart Rich boat with Glen Valley guests.


through professional services renderedshortly after the Rich family arrived inCalifornia. He also had advised Sarahin the disposition of John’s estate. Mr.Latimer maintained a successful lawpractice in Santa Rosa, where heresided.

On November 17, 1865, Sarah andLorenzo married. Their combinedfamily of six children (ages five toeighteen years) necessitated building aseventeen-room house on Sarah’sproperty. The building site selectedprovided a picturesque settinglandscaped with trees and grape arborsbordering the small lake.

President Grant appointed Mr.Latimer United States Attorney in1868. The prestigious assignmentrequired upheaval of family andhousehold belongings to anotherresidence on California Street in SanFrancisco. Judge Latimer’s entourageadjusted from country living to citylife. Invitations to politicalreceptions, social events andentertaining at home exposed thechildren to another lifestyle quitedifferent from country familygatherings and neighborhood eventsin Sonoma County. Sarah’s silvermesh evening bag and tiny operaglasses are all that survived from thisera. For a time her gowns were usedas costumes in great-granddaughterGrace Rich’s drama classes atPetaluma High School.

The Children’s Weddingsand One Funeral

Sarah’s daughter Emeline met ElliotCofer during their stay in SanFrancisco. Emeline and Elliot’swedding took place at Glen ValleySprings Ranch in 1873. They madetheir home in San Francisco whereElliot later became vice-president incharge of foreign accounts at WellsFargo Bank. Sarah’s other threechildren took spouses from Sonoma

County. Henry married Mary EllenCurtis in 1879; Florence wedFrederick Utley in 1875 and a secondmarriage to Frank Sweet took place;William married Ella Faught in 1883.

Judge Latimer’s sons also favoredSonoma County brides. Hugh Latimermarried Selma Kingsbury in 1890 andLorenzo P. Latimer (a renowned artist)wed Jenny Phelps in 1893.

A period of deep mourningoccurred with the passing of Sarah’seldest son Henry on October 8, 1888.

Glen Valley Springs ResortIt is not known when Sarah returned toSonoma County to stay while JudgeLatimer remained in San Francisco,keeping his office in the NevadaBuilding. They decided to turn GlenValley Springs into a summer resort.Since they were entertaining SanFrancisco acquaintances at theircountry residence, it seemed a goodidea to turn the endeavor into acommercial project.

A seven–room guest house wasbuilt to provide additional lodging. Thenew bath house offered soothing watersfrom hot sulphur springs. To promotethe resort accommodations William B.Rich prepared a brochure illustratedwith photographs:

Have you thought where you aregoing to take your summer’s outing?Perhaps we have just the place inGLENN VALLEY SPRINGS. Thisbeautiful homelike retreat is situatedin the rolling hills, ten miles north ofSanta Rosa and three miles east ofWindsor, its nearest station on theSan Francisco & North Pacific R.

R., sixty miles from San Francisco.While it is practically the first

year this charming spot has beenopened to the public, this fact willcommend it to many. Thepicturesque setting of the housesurrounded on all sides by manyvarieties of shade and fruit trees,offers at once an attractive welcometo all. In fact the place looks justwhat it has been for many years,the summer home of Judge L. D.Latimer and family.

Within a stone’s throw of thehouse is the lake. This body of wateris fed by fourteen large Iron Springs,and by its location and size affords,at once, every opportunity forboating and swimming.

A large Sulphur Spring furnishesan abundant supply of water for hotand cold baths. In season there isgood hunting and fishing.

A special feature will be anumber of teams, with carefuldrivers, who will take guests to allpoints of interest, such as theGeysers, Russian River, PetrifiedForests, etc., at reasonable rates.Hotel rates, $8.00 to $10.00 perweek.

Railroad fare from San Franciscoto Windsor $1.95, single.Saturday to Monday, $2.95,excursion round trip.Sunday only, $1.95, round trip.A stage meets the trains atWindsor.Hot Sulphur Baths free.For further information andspecial rates, addressW. B. RICHWindsor, Sonoma Co., Cal.

Glen Valley Springs thrived for ashort while under the management ofSarah with the entire family of Rich andLatimer offspring working to make it asuccess. I have been told that the resorthosted many San Francisco families,and the National Guard held anencampment near the lake at one time.Sarah’s 1893 journal makes no mention


Continued from page 7, Rich

Glen Valley Springs


Continued from page 8, Richof resort activity. By this time GlenValley Springs had become a workingranch with daily chores managed bySarah, her children and grandchildren.Judge Latimer’s occasional arrival bytrain from San Francisco is mentionedin Sarah’s diary with notations of afamily member or a hired hand drivinghorse and carriage down to the village(Windsor) to meet Mr. Latimer.

Judge Latimer’s DeathMakes Headlines

Many newspapers carried the 1901obituary of Judge Lorenzo Latimer, whowas renowned in California’s judicialand political circles.

A PIONEER AT RESTJUDGE L. D. LATIMER HAS LAID

DOWN LIFE’S BURDEN

One of Oldest Settlers in SantaRosa Died at His Late Residence

Near Windsor

The lengthy laudatory accountconcludes: Surviving the pioneer,besides his wife, are two sons, L. P.Latimer, the renowned California artist,whose wife is a daughter of AmosPhelps of Healdsburg Avenue; JusticeHugh Latimer of Windsor, and a marrieddaughter [probably Sarah’s daughterEmeline] residing in San Francisco.There are also several stepchildren.The funeral will take place tomorrowmorning at 10 o’clock from theresidence. The cortege will arrive atRural Cemetery, Santa Rosa, at 1o’clock in the afternoon.

Dividing the EstateMr. Latimer’s will does not mention hiswife by name—only a notation of her rightin legal community property interest. Mr.Latimer’s two sons, Lorenzo P. Latimerand Hugh N. Latimer, were designatedheirs to his community property interestand all other property that might lawfullybe disposed of by will.

Division of Glen Valley Springsproperty gave each of the heirs enoughland to provide sufficient livable income.Sonoma County Atlas of maps for theyear 1898 outlines L. D. Latimer’s 993-acre holdings. In addition, Sarah’sdaughter Florence Sweet owned 90acres and her son William B. Richowned 140 acres. Latimer, Rich andSweet combined properties included theoriginal 1862 homestead of 480 acres,plus Abraham and Dillon Myers’approximate 300 acres.

Sarah’s son William Burr Rich andgrandsons Clarence and Stuart Richtook over the operation of her remaininginterest in Glen Valley Springs Ranch.My father, Edwin Rich, born in 1896—the third son of William and Ella FaughtRich—recalled only early childhoodmemories of his Grandmother Sarah. Heremembered her Chinese cook settingout a dozen pies to cool and servinggargantuan platters of food at familygatherings. He spoke of Sarah’spenchant in eating dessert at thebeginning of the meal because it wasthe best part of the menu. Edwin’srecollection of Judge Latimer reflectsthe love and respect he earned from hischildren and step children.

The Passing of a Highly EsteemedWoman — Sarah Rich Latimer

Sarah’s passing did not merit the samenotoriety as her husband. A short articlein the March 10, 1904 edition of theHealdsburg Enterprise states:

WIFE OF THE LATE JUDGELATIMER DEAD

At Windsor, Tuesday, occurred thedeath of Mrs. Sarah S. Latimer,wife of the late Judge L. D. Latimer.Mrs. Latimer was born in Maine[actually, New Jersey] seventy-eightyears ago and has been a residentof Windsor for the past forty years.She was formerly Mrs. Rich. Shewas a woman highly esteemed ofremarkable talent and strong

character and her death hasremoved one who will be greatlymissed in that section. Fourchildren survive from her firsthusband and two step sons.

Sarah rests beside her firsthusband, John Pennington Rich, in thesmall family cemetery located on theirranch, overlooking the valley she loved.

In SummaryMy observation of the obvious

concludes that a wife is considered tobe nothing more than a reflection of herhusband. Sarah’s summation of activitydetailed in her 1893 journal partiallyreveals the strength of her individualcharacter:

“This concludes my journal for 1893:

‘He giveth not to the unworthyThe weak, the feeble in deedsWho soweth chaff at seed timeShall reap bitter harvest of weeds.’

This last year I have entertainedmany friends and others. Havecooked, washed, ironed, sweptand cleaned house, entertained,visited but little, read a fewbooks. ... Raised 200 chickens.Have 14 little pigs from two sows.... A week visit from Lorenzo andJenny. Mr. Latimer still engagedwith his gate latch.”

Domestic chores listed in anobituary would not be newsworthy.However, for having been the powerbehind the throne of two eminent menwho were exalted by their peers, SarahMyers Rich Latimer contributedsubstantially to their success. Irespectfully salute her.

- Elinor Rich


More Windsor Newsmakers from the Past

January 1934

J. Hotchkiss Succumbs atWindsor Home

Joe Alexander Hotchkiss, 28, sonof Mr. and Mrs. David L. [Elizabeth/”Betty”] Hotchkiss of Windsor, diedTuesday at his home. He had beenailing for more than a month and wasconfined to his bed for three weeks.

He was born on the HotchkissWindsor ranch and had lived thereall his life. He was a nephew of Mr.M. R. Jaggers of this city[Healdsburg] and Mrs. J. Edringtonof the Sotoyome district.

Funeral rites will be held in SantaRosa Thursday afternoon, Rev. A. V.Wilkinson will officiate. Burial willbe in Shiloh Cemetery.

Surviving besides his parents aretwo brothers, Ancil J. Hotchkiss,Santa Rosa; Lewis B. Hotchkiss,Redwood City, and two sisters,Bernania Hotchkiss, San Jose, andMrs. Charles [Anna] Leslie, ofWindsor.

Healdsburg Tribune, Jan. 31, 1934

March 1934

Windsor Rebekahs HoldCard Party

Windsor Rebekah Lodge gave acard party at Windsor’s I.O.O.F. hallFriday night. Guests were presentfrom Fulton, Trenton, Windsor, andMonroe districts.

Mrs. David [Mabel] DuVander,Mrs. E.C. Erickson, and Mrs. M.E.Thompson composed the hostesscommittee.

Healdsburg Tribune, March 17, 1934, pg. 4

[According to Jim DuVander, David andMabel Ward DuVander’s residence wason River Road next to the old phonehouse. Mabel DuVander, who was bornin 1877, died in 1958.]

July 4, 1911

CRACKSMEN ESCAPE IN RUNNING FIGHT

Blow Two Safes and Get Away After Shooting at Police and Citizens

WINDSOR. Blowing in quick succession the safes of the postofftce and the merchandise store of Frank J. Pool earlytoday, a gang of cracksmen made what is believed to have been heavy hauls. The men escaped after an exchange ofshots with a policeman and several citizens.

Both safes were completely wrecked, the door of the Pool store safe being hurled through the street door.Stamps from the postofflce safe formed a considerable part of the robbers' loot, the exact amount of which has notbeen learned.

Constable Robert Shane, aroused by the explosions, proceeded with others to the Pool store. They found alookout on guard. He was joined by another of the gang and the two opened fire on the approaching men, covering upthe retreat through a rear window of the store of a third member of the gang with the loot. All three finally got away.The exchange of shots aroused the entire town.

Sheriff Jack Smith of Santa Rosa was notified by telephone and came here in an automobile at 2:30 o'clock inthe morning. Posses were formed and are searching the surrounding country for the thieves.

San Francisco Call, July 5, 1911

October 1875

School Fire in Windsor

The school house situated on Mrs.Latimer’s farm, near Windsor in theStar School District, was on Mondaynight, with its contents, including theschool library, burned to the ground.The house had just been repaired andput in good order at a cost of $500.It is supposed to have been the workof an incendiary. The loss will fallheavily on the district. Miss Linvillewas the teacher in charge.

Sacramento Daily Union, Oct. 22, 1875


You Are Invitedto Join the Windsor Historical Society

Museum Hours

Windsor’s Hembree HouseMuseum is open every Friday,Saturday and Sunday (exceptholidays) from 9:30 to 4:30.It’s a great way to experienceWindsor’s past.

Windsor Historical SocietyHembree House Museum

9225 Foxwood Dr.Windsor, California

Windsor Historical Society • P.O. Box 1544, Windsor, CA 95492

Membership Application

Name

Address

Phone

Email

Type of Membership

Please select from the following list of memberships:

• Life Member $300.00• Family Membership $ 25.00• Family of Seniors (60+) $ 20.00• Individual $ 20.00• Individual Senior (60+) $ 15.00

Area of InterestMuseum Receptionist ___

Research ___

Publicity ___

Garden Club ___

Grant Writing ___

Board Member ___

Newletter Articles ___

Fundraising ___

Other ___

Windsor Photos Wanted

If you have vintage or antique photosof Windsor people, places andevents, we would like to makecopies of them for our archives. Formore information contact BarbaraRay or Steve Lehmann.

Buy a Brick!WHS’s memorial bricks are a greatway to honor someone. For moreinformation, contact Marilou DelGreco, 707-837-9830.

“I’ll tell you what’s more fun than a watching anold tennis match — WHS’s Hop Harvest Festival.You don’t have to dress in funny clothes, you getto help with hop pickin’ if you want to, and there’slots of good stuff to eat and drink.”

One more reminder . . .

Wed., June 20, 2012Annual WHS

Membership Meetingat

Hembree House

6:00 p.m.Hot dogs will be served. Yum!

See you there!

Volunteer Opportunities

Don’t forget to volunteer! There area variety of areas in which you canhelp. For more information and tovolunteer, call Jan Lehmann, 838-6152. We really do need you!

WE NEED YOU!

Coming Up . . .

WHS’s 2nd Annual Hop Harvest Festival

&Windsor Town Reunion

Sat., September 1, 11:30 a.m.Hembree House Grounds

Plan to join us for fun, hop picking,visiting with old friends, and eatingfood ideal for our open-air event,under sun shelters. More detailswill follow later.


For Your Reading PleasureA Rich Family Saga ................................ 1

President’s Message .................................. 2

WHS Member News ............................... 3

Ella Welch’s Friendship Quilt .................. 4

Jim DuVander’s 1950s Memories,“Mail Delivery on Route 1” ............. 5

School Fire in Windsor, 1875 ............... 10

Death of Joe Hotchkiss, 1934 ............... 10

Rebekahs Hold Card Party, 1934 ......... 10

Cracksmen Escape, 1911 ...................... 10

In this issue . . .

A Rich Family Saga

Apr/May/Jun 2012

Don’t forget to visit WHS on Facebook and “Like” us,and check out our website ... www.windsorhistory.org

Archer, Mrs. H. 4Baker, Dalton 3Baker, James 3Baker, Laura 3Baker, Makenna 3Baker, Sharon Gail Rhodes 3Baker, Shalyn 3Baker, Steve 3Baker, Todd 3Baker, Victoria 3Barker, Loren 2Beedie, Bill 2Bell, Elsie 4Brock, Mrs. 4Brooks, Edna (Honsa) 2Burton, John 3Butcher, Lulu 4Cameron, Mary Catherine (Frost) 3, 4Chisolm, William 2Cofer, Emeline P. Rich 6, 8Collier, Deon 3Collier, Donna Rueb 3Collier, Kristi 3Collier, Ron 3Collier, Troy 3Collier, Theresa (Warner) 3Coppedge, Edna 4Craven, Bill 5Craven, Dorothy 5Craven, Wayne 5Crosby, James 2Cunningham, Isabella 4Cunningham, Mary Jane (McClelland) 4Cunningham, Robert 2, 4Cunningham, W. L. 2Curtis, Mary Ellen (Rich) 8Del Greco, Ken 2Del Greco, Marilou 2, 12Dillon, Mary (Myers) 1DuVander, David 10DuVander, Jim 5

SURNAME INDEX

DuVander, Mabel 10Eagan, Clara 4Edrington, Mrs. J. 10Erickson, Mrs. E. C. 10Erickson, R. 4Eweifel, Mrs. C. 4Faught, Ella (Rich) 7, 8Frost, Mary Catherine Cameron 3, 4Fuller, Mrs. A. S. 4Fuller, Jennie 4Gillingham, James 1Gillingham, Martha Preston (Myers) 1Gillingham, Yeamans 1Henley, Mrs. 4Hill, Robert 6Hinkle, Edith 4Honsa, Edna Brooks 2Hotchkiss, Anna (Leslie) 10Hotchkiss, Ancil J. 10Hotchkiss, Bernania 10Hotchkiss, David L. 10Hotchkiss, Elizabeth/Betty 10Hotchkiss, Joe A. 10Hotchkiss, Lewis B. 10Jagger, M.R. 10Jessup, C. W. 2Johnson, Nancy Sargent 3Jones, Barbara 3Jones, Raford 2Kingsbury, Selma (Latimer) 8Latimer, H. M. [probably Hugh N.] 2Latimer, Hugh N. 8, 9Latimer, Jennie Phelps 8Latimer, Lorenzo Dow 7-9Latimer, Lorenzo Palmer 8, 9Latimer, Sarah Myers, (Rich) 1, 6-9Latimer, Selma Kingsburg 8Lehmann, Jan 11Lehmann, Stephen 2, 11Leslie, Anna Hotchkiss 4, 10Leslie, Charles 10

Leubberke, Mrs. 4Linville, Miss 10Luce, May 4Martin, Rena 4McClelland, Clara (Hembree) 4McClelland, Ella (Welch) 4McClelland, James 4Misener, Al 2Monti, Flora 4Morton, Ella 4Myers, Abraham Dillon 1, 9Myers, Clarice 4Myers, Dillon 6, 7, 9Myers, John 1Myers, Martha Preston Gillingham 1Myers, Mary Dillon 1Myers, Michael 1Myers, Sarah Ann Sophia (Rich,

Latimer) 1, 6-9Peterson, Sheridan 2Phelps, Jennie (Latimer) 8Pool, Frank J. 10Pratt, Patty (Stevens) 3Price, Joy Rhodes 3Ray, Barbara 2, 11Rebich, Josephine 2Reimann, H. G. 2Rhodes, Joy (Price) 3Rhodes, Phyllis 3Rhodes, Sharon Gail (Baker) 3Rich, Clarence 7, 9Rich, Edmund 6, 7Rich, Edwin 9Rich, Elinor 1, 3, 9Rich, Ella Faught 7, 8, 9Rich, Emeline P. (Cofer), 6, 8, 9Rich, Florence Rae (Utley) (Sweet) 6Rich, Grace 8Rich, Henry Jackson 6, 8Rich, John Pennington 1, 6-7, 9Rich, Mary Ellen Curtis 8

Note: Marriage surnames are in parenthesesRich, Sarah Ann Sophia 1, 6-9, 10Rich, Stuart 7, 9Rich, William Burr 6, 7, 8, 9Richards, Bess 4Robbins, Pearl 4Rueb, Donna (Collier) 3Rueb, Helen 3Rueb, Ted 3Sanderson, Julie 3Shane, Emma 4Shane, Robert 10Silk, Edith 4Small, Cora 4Small, Minnie 4Smith, Alice 4Smith, Jack, Sheriff 10Stevens, Don 3Stevens, Patty Pratt 3Strong, Cheryl 2, 3Sweet, Florence Rae Rich (Utley) 8Sweet, Frank 8Thompson, Edward 2Thompson, Mrs. M. E. 10Turnes, David 2Utley, Florence Rae Rich 8Utley, Frederick 8Van Winkle, L. 4Vought, Ella 4Walker, Lena 4Warner, Dan 3Warner, Brittney 3Warner, Kayla 3Warner, Therea Collier 3Welch, Ella McClelland 4Welch, Frank T. 4Welch, James Raymond 4Welch, Lois Lavinia 4Welch, Lura Isabella 4Welch, Mary Clarita 4Wilkinson, Rev. A.V. 10

Sarah Rich Latimer1826-1904

Windsor Historical SocietyP.O. Box 15449225 Foxwood Dr.Windsor, CA 95492

Documents

Windsor Historical Society Windsor Walk€¦ · The oil portrait portrays a petite, pretty lady with an air of tranquility. Her 1893 journal narrates weather patterns, farm chores,