The climate was good, the soil was good, and the people who came to this fertile area on the Pacific Coast of America knew they had found a special place. Native American tribes came first, Europeans and their American descendants followed. With statehood and the Gold Rush, the population swelled.

The river led to Petaluma and brought pioneers who settled in the growing cities—Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Healdsburg, Cloverdale, Windsor, and many smaller hamlets.  Resilient pioneers rebuilt after the 1906 earthquake and took up the challenges of Prohibition, the Depression, and war. Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge opened the way for expansion.

Historic Photos of Sonoma County uses striking illustrations to follow life, government, education, and events in this special place. Rare scenes captured in historic, black-and-white photographs preserve the essence of Sonoma County life from the 1850s to the 1970s.