*** Source: Thompson, Robert A., Historical and descriptive sketch of Sonoma County, California. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts & Co., 1877, 122 pgs. Notice: This data is donated to the Public Domain by TAG, 2004, and may be copied freely by anyone to anywhere. *** ---page 103--- In 1856 Thomas Smith run his grist-mill with twelve horses and two runs of stone. Two years later a steam engine took the place of horses, and the mill soon became famous for the excellent quality of flour made there. In the fall of 1861 Daniel Hall opened a blacksmith shop. In the spring of 1861 John H. Fowler opened a general merchandise business. A bridge was built across the creek about the same time. James E. Fowler opened a lumber-yard, and E. B. & J. W. Palmer built a carpenter shop. In 1863 the Methodist church was built. J. N. Rien built the Valley Ford hotel in 1864. An express and post-office was established. There is a lodge of Good Temp- lars and a Templar hall. A Methodist society, and a Presbyterian society, with a Sunday-school. A district-school is kept in the village. In the summer of 1876 the North Pacific Coast Railroad Company extended their road through the town, and built a neat depot. The people can now reach San Francisco in about four hours’ time. Previous to the building of this road the people received their goods and hauled their produce to and from Petaluma, a distance of eighteen miles, and traveled the same route to San Francisco; hence they welcomed the railroad which brought an end to those tedious journeys. In 1876 P. E. Merritt opened a new grocery store in the place. J. Parry opened a tin shop, and John Hunter opened a meat market. With her rail- road facilities, fine climate, and rich and productive surrounding country, why should not Valley Ford continue to grow and prosper? BLOOMFIELD. This town is situated at the head of Big valley, or the valley of the Estero Americano. It was first settled by Judge Cockrill and Bill Zilhardt. A man named Lamb started the first store. Among the earliest settlers in the neigh- borhood were W. P. Hinshaw, W. H. White, L. D. Cockrill, Henry Hall, John Linebaugh, Alonzo Walker, the late John Peters, Hugh Stockton, Wm. Jones, Hon. E. C. Hinshaw, and O. P. Hoag. There is a post, express and telegraph office in the town; two stores, one hotel, three churches, (Presbyterian, Metho- dist, and Advent), one Masonic hall, and a lodge of Odd Fellows; one harness and three blacksmith shops, one cooper shop, and a flouring mill. The popu- lation is about two hundred and fifty. There is an excellent public school with over a hundred scholars. The place is surrounded by as rich a farming and dairy country as there is in the State of California. STONY POINT. This was formerly a post-office on the road from Macedonia church to Bloomfield. The Stony Point House was on the farm of P. N. Woodworth, who settled there as early as 1851. There is nothing there now, the hotel having been discontinued. The post-office has been moved to the Washoe House, about two miles off, but is still called Stony Point. At the Washoe House, (which is on one of the roads from Bloomfield to Petaluma), also on the west road from Petaluma to Santa Rosa, there is a hotel, blacksmith shop, butcher shop, and farm-implement manufactory and sale depot. *** end ***