Historic Sonoma

In the heart of Sonoma Valley, is the small town of Sonoma with its charming Plaza. The site for many festivals and specials events, the Plaza beckons you to picnic, take a short stroll by the pond and eucalyptus trees, or simply relax and people watch! If you happen to be there on a Tuesday evening in the summer, you will discover the Farmers Market. All kinds of fresh produce, flowers and Sonoma treats will delight your senses. Surrounding the Plaza are excellent restaurants, boutiques, bookstores and galleries.

To enlighten you about California's history, several historical landmarks also surround the Plaza. The Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma, which was the last of California's 21 Missions, is the oldest structure in Sonoma, dating back to 1825.

  
 

The Plaza itself was originally surveyed in 1835 by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, who was the commandant who held controlling influence in the Sonoma area when Mexico owned California. He built barracks for his troops in 1836, and they have been restored and dedicated as a State Historical Landmark. Along Spain Street is the site of Vallejo's first home, La Casa Grande.

It was here that the General was taken prisoner during the Bear Flag Revolt. American frontiersmen stormed Sonoma in 1846 and announced the establishment of a free and independent Republic of California by flying a crude, homemade flag, the Bear Flag. The site of the original flag raising, designated by the Bear Flag Monument, is located close to the Plaza's northeast corner.

  
 

Charmian London's "The House of Happy Walls". Inside this museum are relics of Jack's full and varied life, including his South Pacific Adventures.

Jack London's Wolf House was built to last a 1000 years but it burned down a few days before he and Charmian moved in. It was to be their dream home.

  

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