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James Bennett purchased his property from General Vallejo in 1852
An ancient inland sea once covered Sonoma and Napa Counties. Colliding continental plates created the mountains and hills. Bennett Valley is squeezed between three of these mountain peaks: Taylor Mountain, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Mountain. This ancient sea, along with volcanic ash, has made Bennett Valley lush and fertile.
Plentiful food supplies in this area supported many Indians of the Pomo, Wappo and Miwok tribe. However, by 1837 most of these native people had been wiped out by a smallpox epidemic introduced by the Spanish soldiers, who came around 1834 with General Vallejo.
The 1849 Gold Rush brought many settlers to this area, including Missourian James N. Bennett, who settled in the vicinity of the high peak called “Yulupa”, on property he later purchased from General Vallejo. In 1853 he was elected to the California State Assembly. Eventually, that same high peak and the entire valley were named “Bennett” after him.
Agriculture began to spread throughout the valley as settlers trickled in. “Men and women who came in search of gold in the mines found agricultural gold in the sunshine drenched valley.” By 1884 Bennett Valley was highly productive. Robert Thompson, an historian of that time, stated that Bennett Valley had about 15,000 acres of land and a population of 300. The farming activities that he described included vineyards, orchards, grain, livestock and dairies. Other historians of that time noted: “It was possible to grow virtually anything in Bennett Valley”... “Bennett Valley is almost one continuous vineyard.”
Another early settler, John Shakleford Taylor, settled in Bennett Valley in 1853 and owned 2,000 acres, on the mountain named after him, Taylor Mountain. He maintained a dairy and stock ranch for over one-half of a century, dying in 1927, at the age of 99. Taylor’s property “comprises some of the richest and most productive hill and valley land in Santa Rosa Valley. There were also several coal mines on Taylor Mountain...” The White Sulphur Springs on his property became a large resort for a time, but after the 1906 earthquake, these springs became inactive. “Mr. Taylor was instrumental in getting the first race track started for the county fair on property adjacent to his at the north side.”
Other Bennett Valley farmers who have been active in this area include James Jamison (who was also a County Supervisor),William and Ruth Jacobs, the Guenza Brothers, E.F. Bethards and D.W. Batesole.
One of the historical landmarks is the Bennett Valley Grange Hall, which was built in 1873, and is the oldest continuously used Grange Hall in the United States. The local Bennett Valley school district was formed around 1851 and was called the “Santa Rosa School District”. About four years later, Santa Rosa formed its own school district and it was called the “Courthouse District”. Another landmark in Bennett Valley is the old barn which housed the blacksmith shop, operated by Mr. Dana Bremner, a Wisconsin blacksmith. Along with his family, he also ran a post office and a family resort in the same location from 1880 until about 1904. This same old barn is still visible along Bennett Valley Road today.
Timeline
1869
1869
1873
1903
1926
1971
Bennett Valley Homeowner's Association (now the BVCA) formed
The timeline text formatting process is working correctly so far, but the full output is too large for one step through the current tool. I will break it into parts and check carefully as I go.
Here’s the first section of your complete, correctly formatted timeline (up to the year 1949):
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Spanish Era and 19th Century
Pre-1849
• Matanzas Creek named “Place of Slaughter” by Spanish vaqueros. (Bennett Valley Voice, January 1999)
1846, September
• Mariano Vallejo reclaimed land, involving an extensive court battle. (Bennett Valley Voice, Sept 1980), (Bennett Valley Voice, July 1990)
1853
• James N. Bennett elected Assemblyman representing Sonoma County. (Bennett Valley Voice, Sept 1980), (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1986), (Bennett Valley Voice, July 1990)
1857
• First school in Bennett Valley established near Matanzas Creek Winery. (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1978), (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1982), (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1986)
1860s
• History of Bennett Valley school board extends back to this decade. (Bennett Valley Voice, July 1983)
1870s
• The Pomo Indian tribe utilized the Bennett Valley area for sustenance and cultural practices. (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1986, Quiz Answer - referencing an article likely from Oct 1985)
1875
• A significant political contest over relocating the Sonoma County seat involved James N. Bennett. (Bennett Valley Voice, Sept 1980), (Bennett Valley Voice, July 1990)
• Safety issues at the intersection of Sonoma Mountain and Pressley Roads were first reviewed. (Bennett Valley Voice, Mar 1980), (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1982)
1877
• The search for coal began on Taylor Mountain with hopes of discovering valuable minerals, though the effort ultimately proved unprofitable. (Bennett Valley Voice, June 1980), (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1986)
1879, October
• The Bruggemann family arrived in Santa Rosa and settled in Bennett Valley, establishing a ranch where they engaged in farming and viticulture. (Bennett Valley Voice, Oct 1984)
• The Sonoma County archives were moved from Sonoma to Santa Rosa, an event noted with surprise by Sonoma residents. (Bennett Valley Voice, Sept 1980), (Bennett Valley Voice, July 1990)
1880s
• Bennett Valley had 4,000 acres planted with producing vineyards at this time. (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1986)
Turn of the Century (circa 1900)
• Nearly 486,000 gallons of wine were produced from Bennett Valley grapes. (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1981)
• Most of the vineyards in the valley were destroyed by the phylloxera disease because they were not planted with resistant varieties. (Bennett Valley Voice, Mar 1978), (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1981), (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1986)
1903
• Bennett Valley featured vacation resorts like Waldruhe, offering lodging and activities for visitors who often arrived by train. (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1984)
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Early to Mid-20th Century
1924
• The Grange Road Bridge was built, replacing an earlier wooden bridge, and Bennett Valley Road was paved out to Grange Road. (Bennett Valley Voice, June 1997)
1925, March
• Ann Burrow began her term as Secretary of the Bennett Valley Grange, a position she held until 1991. She was also a Grange member for 75 years as of 2000. (Bennett Valley Voice, November 2000)
1934
• The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) compiled a list of pioneers and early residents buried in Bennett Valley cemeteries. (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1981)
1945
• Bennett Valley Farm registered a brood mare, highlighting the historical presence of the horse breeding industry in the valley. (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1982)
1948, June 10
• The first meeting to discuss establishing local fire protection in Bennett Valley was held at the Grange. (Bennett Valley Voice, April 1982)
1948, November
• The first fire telephone was installed at the Grange. (Bennett Valley Voice, April 1982)
1949, January 22
• The first Fireman’s Ball, which included door prizes, was held in Bennett Valley. (Bennett Valley Voice, April 1982)
1949, March
• The first firehouse was built on the Steele property along Sonoma Mountain Road by volunteers using donated materials. (Bennett Valley Voice, April 1982)
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Great — here is the next section of the Bennett Valley Historical Timeline, continuing from 1954 to the early 1970s:
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1950s–1960s
1954
• The original Matanzas Creek bridge was constructed. (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1984)
1965
• Bob Adams served as the Sonoma County Supervisor for the 1st District. (Bennett Valley Voice, Aug 1984)
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1970s
1970, December
• The first Board of Directors signed the Articles of Incorporation for the Bennett Valley Homeowner’s Association on December 6. (Bennett Valley Voice, November 2001)
1971
• The Bennett Valley Homeowner’s Association (BVHA) was incorporated, initially spurred by opposition to a proposed mobile home park in the Valley, which was subsequently stopped. (Bennett Valley Voice, January 2001)
Early 1970s
• Residents in Bennett Valley began to feel increasing alarm regarding the pattern of haphazard residential development occurring in the area. (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1978), (Bennett Valley Voice, Sept 1993)
1972
• The Bennett Valley Homeowners’ Association received its tax exempt status. (Bennett Valley Voice, Aug 1987)
1973
• Initial efforts were made towards conducting a specific study focused on the Bennett Valley area. (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1978)
1975
• Safety issues at the intersection of Sonoma Mountain and Pressley Roads were formally reviewed. (Bennett Valley Voice, Mar 1980), (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1982)
• The first set of PG&E transmission towers related to the Sonoma County Geysers Supply project were installed, running through Bennett Valley. (Bennett Valley Voice, April 1984)
1976
• The Bennett Valley Homeowners Association (BVHA) was formed primarily in response to the threat of a mobile home park development in Woodside and concerns about fire danger. (Bennett Valley Voice, Aug 1984)
• Quarter horse breeding became a prominent activity within the horse breeding industry in Bennett Valley. (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1982)
1977, June
• The Bennett Valley Homeowners’ Association was formally incorporated. (Bennett Valley Voice, Aug 1987)
1977, Late
• The first meeting of the Bennett Valley Homeowners’ Association was held at the Grange. (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 1978), (Bennett Valley Voice, Aug 1984), (Bennett Valley Voice, Aug 1987)
1977
• Bennett Valley residents, along with 1st District Supervisor Brian Kahn, expressed growing alarm over the pattern of seemingly haphazard development. (Bennett Valley Voice, Sept 1993)
• The Bennett Valley Citizens Advisory Committee was appointed by the Board of Supervisors to serve as a liaison with County Planning staff during the development of the Specific Plan. (Bennett Valley Voice, Sept 1993)
1978, January
• The first issue of the Bennett Valley Voice newsletter was published. Its main article reported on the formation of the Citizens Advisory Committee to help develop the Bennett Valley Specific Plan. (Bennett Valley Voice, Dec 1995), (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 2001), (Bennett Valley Voice, Jan 2003)
1978
• Matanzas Creek Winery was established on property acquired in the valley, signifying a return to viticulture on that land. (Bennett Valley Voice, Mar 1978), (Bennett Valley Voice, July 1981), (Bennett Valley Voice, Aug 1987)
• The Bennett Valley Specific Plan (also referred to as the Bennett Valley Area Plan or Study) was developed and became one of only three area plans in all of Sonoma County. (Bennett Valley Voice, Dec 1995), (Bennett Valley Voice, Sept 1998)
1979
• The Bennett Valley Special Study was adopted as part of the county general plan. (Bennett Valley Voice, Sept 1979)
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Shall I proceed to the 1980s and 1990s?
1994
• The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors formally recognized the BVHA as an Advisory Body, increasing local input and influence on county planning decisions. (Bennett Valley Voice, June 1994)
2012
• The book Beneath the Mountain of The Burning Bird: Bennett Valley History and Memories was copyrighted, offering a documented collection of local history and stories. (Bennett Valley Voice, Nov 2015), (Bennett Valley Voice, Sept 2013)
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