1906

SANTA ROSA’S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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This 1906 birth announcement for the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce finds that town boosters were egged on by Petaluma (sorry) and an upcoming regional meeting to organize a local Chamber. See the following post for more about that meeting and another reason why Santa Rosa may have been motivated to move swiftly.

The only newsworthy tidbit in the items below came from Allen Lemmon, editor and publisher of the Republican newspaper, who remarked that there had been a housing shortage in Santa Rosa since the earthquake and it was expected to worsen.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR GREATER SANTA ROSA
Enthusiastic Meeting Held Here on Friday Night
Vigorous Addresses Made and Common Acclaim Predicts Greater Prosperity and Progress Than Ever Before

The meeting called for last night brought together a large audience of enthusiastic citizens anxious to promote the best interests of Santa Rosa, and uphold her importance as the county seat of a county that is second to none in the diversity and scope of its products, and also to “boost” the entire county and section.

A number of interesting hearty addresses were heard, and it was decided to form a Chamber of Commerce upon a solid basis, increase its commercial interests, foster industries already here, and encourage the introduction of others, and promote the general welfare of the city.

Captain Houts called the meeting to order and stated the purposes of the gathering. An occasion arose, he said, as the result of the forward movement inaugurated at the meeting under the auspices of the Petaluma Chamber of Commerce the other day. The idea was, he said, to have the counties of Sonoma, Marin, Mendocino, and Napa work together through their commercial bodies to advertise the general interests of this and adjoining counties in this section of the state. He told of the advantages to be gained by the lectures and advertising in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other places in bringing to the attention of the eastern home-seekers. To many eastern people, the Captain said, this section of the state with its diversity of interest was an “unexplored region.”

At the meeting held in Petaluma, Captain Houts said, it was decided to hold a session of the representative of the various commercial bodies of the counties named in Santa Rosa and perfect the joint organization to promote the interest of the proposed county organizations. He told of a need of a Chamber of Commerce or similar body here.

He then threw the topic open for discussion…

[Judge Seawell, Judge Crawford, Colonel Julliard, and other notables spoke and agreed that starting a Chamber of Commerce was an excellent idea, and a committee was elected to organize it.]

…Allen B. Lemmon said his heart was thoroughly in the work suggested. He touched on the value of co-operation and organization, and predicted that with a good, live Chamber of Commerce, the results attained would be far in excess of the blow dealt on April 18. He urged proceeding deliberately and carefully in the adoption of by-laws and general procedure of business. He mentioned the fact that there are “no empty houses in Santa Rosa now,” and predicted that by September 15 there would be 150 more houses needed than could be had for rent…

– Press Democrat, August 18, 1906

NEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Committee Makes Appeal for 600 Names

“Don’t Be Pushed–Push
Don’t Knock–Boost.”

Such is the motto the membership committee of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce has adopted in its efforts to enlist the business men and property owners of this city. The committee consists of Captain O. L. Houts, A. T. Crane and Dr. S. S. Bogle and hundreds of letters have been sent out to the “loyal citizens desirous of advancing not only your own interests, but those of your home town,” to secure the enrollment as members so as to be able to take part in the organization Friday evening when officers are to be elected.

In the letter the committee says: That you and other representative citizens of this city may become alive to the objects of this organization, and be ready to act intelligently upon same, the committee respectfully solicits your careful consideration of the Constitution and By-Laws as adopted…

…Let us all join in the common effort. It will cost you at the rate of but $12 per year, that is, $1 per month. So fall in line and help swell the procession for a town whose citizens are united and progressive.

– Santa Rosa Republican, August 23, 1906

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A STREET WITH THREE OR SO NAMES

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Let it be known: Healdsburg Avenue is no more, but not, really. It is now Mendocino Avenue because Healdsburg Avenue was too confusing. But the residents of old Josiah Davis street are pissed because a few years ago they agreed to change their street name to Healdsburg Avenue and now they’re stuck with just a two-block stub that doesn’t even go to Healdsburg anymore but to Mendocino. Got all that? There WILL be a test.

The Santa Rosa City Council had lots on its plate in the months following the 1906 earthquake, so it’s a bit odd that they chose that moment to start renaming streets, but so they did. The changes did make sense, however. Before, a traveler heading north from downtown Fourth Street turned onto Mendocino Street. Six (or so) blocks later, there was the intersection of College Avenue; after that, the journey north jogged slightly to the right to join a street called Healdsburg Avenue (an 1877 map simply called it “the road to Healdsburg”). Wasn’t it better to name the whole route Mendocino-something or Healdsburg-something? They did, and chose the former, probably because the Mendocino Street end of it was best known in the downtown business district. Thus after October, 1906, the home that would be known as Comstock House was on Mendocino Avenue, not Healdsburg Avenue.

It’s also understandable that the people living on “Joe Davis” were upset. After the 1880 Josias Davis addition to the town (see map at right, courtesy City of Santa Rosa), the western side of the two-block triangle leading to College Ave. was mostly known as Josiah Davis Street (also referred to as “Jos.” or “Jo.” Davis on maps and documents). Sometime before 1900, residents petitioned the town to make their little street part of the great Healdsburg Avenue. It must have seemed a sensible idea at the time, but after the 1906 name changes they found their street was now an odd little historical archipelago, not part of an avenue but more of a dinky side road for an intersection. And so it remains today; identifying Healdsburg Ave. on a map of modern Santa Rosa should be worth bonus points in a game of Trivial Pursuit.

PROTEST AGAINST CHANGING NAME

Residents of what has been generally known for years as Joe Davis street, running in a direct line with Healdsburg avenue from Tenth street to Lincoln and College avenue, protest against the changing of the name of Healdsburg avenue to “Mendocino avenue.” A number of property owners on the short street asserted Wednesday that some years ago they petitioned the council to change the name of “Joe Davis” to [“]Healdsburg avenue,” and aver that they have since been receiving their mail addressed to “Healdsburg avenue,” and that the streets proclaim that thoroughfare to be “Healdsburg avenue.” They are displeased that Mendocino street should absorb the name of the continuation of their street, and point out that while mail addressed to Healdsburg avenue may have been missent to Healdsburg, when addressed to Mendocino avenue may be missent to Mendocino county. In the petition the name of “Joe Davis” street was still mentioned for the street between Tenth and College avenue, at one time known by that name.

– Santa Rosa Republican, July 25, 1906
HEALDSBURG AVENUE A MATTER OF HISTORY

At the meeting of the council Tuesday evening the new ordinance passed changing the name of Mendocino street and Healdsburg avenue to Mendocino avenue, and the name “Healdsburg avenue” passed into history in the city of Santa Rosa. The matter has been before the council for several weeks and there have been petitions pro and con on the matter.

– Santa Rosa Republican, October 3, 1906

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SAY, AREN’T YOU…

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It could be a scene from an E. L. Doctorow novel: you encounter someone in need of help on a remote country road, offer assistance and have a nice hour-long chat before everyone goes on their way, you none the wiser that you’d just met one of the most famous and powerful people in the world, William Randolph Hearst.

In 1906, probably no man in America except President Teddy Roosevelt had a more well-known face than Hearst. Two years before, Hearst almost became the Democratic nominee for president, then almost became mayor of New York City, then almost became governor of that state. His large and oddly rectangular head appeared regularly in newspaper and magazine photos, engravings, and editorial page caricatures. Simply put, it was more likely that someone should have recognized Mr. Hearst that year than had experience changing an automobile tire. Except in Sonoma County, apparently.

(RIGHT: William Randolph Hearst in 1906)

HELPED HEARST WITH MACHINE
Don Prentiss of This City “Lends a Hand” to Automobile Party in Distress and Learns Identity Later

While in Sebastopol Sunday, Don Prentiss of this city noticed an automobile party in distress, and as he came up he was asked to “lend a hand” in the somewhat difficult task of replacing a damaged tire with a new one carried in anticipation of just such an emergency.

Mr. Prentiss willingly responded, and after the heavy work had been finished, lingered and talked an hour or more with the members of the party while the chauffeur puts the machine in readiness for resuming the journey.

After the automobilists had climbed in and waved goodbye, Mr. Prentiss learned with some surprise that he had been talking to Mr. and Mrs. William R. Hearst, who with the latter’s younger sister, have been spending several days traveling through this part of the country in Mr. Hearst’s automobile. The party passed through this city last week, going north as far as Ukiah.

– Press Democrat, August 7, 1906

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