*** 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 24--- grain. This was the product of the small tract they occupied around the mission in Sonoma valley. Up to 1851 the few Americans who were in this county raised only what grain they needed for their own consumption, depending mainly on cattle- raising for a support. The earliest trading here was for stock, and nine out of every ten of the civil suits before the first alcalde of Sonoma, ex-Governor Boggs, originated in disputes about cattle or horses. There was a wonderful craving on the part of the Mexicanized-American farmer to own a "manada," a band of worthless mustang mares and colts which run ad libitum over the plains. As late as January, 1853, there were but four or five farmers on the plain opposite to Petaluma. There was quite a settlement in Green valley, and there was also a few stock-raisers on the Russian river, around the "old adobe." On Santa Rosa creek, and at Bodega. The first considerable export of agricultural products from this county, under the American regime, was in 1850 and 1851, from the port of Bodega. The potatoes raised in that region became famous in the early history of San Francisco, and they have maintained their standing in the market to this day. Uncle Jimmy Watson, in 1850, with his partner, raised a big crop on land rented from Joseph O'Farrell, and realized enormous prices,--in short, he struck that year a potato "bonanza." The potatoes raised in Green valley were shipped, some by Bodega and others by way of the town of Sonoma. In the spring of 1851, William McReynolds paid two hundred and fifty dollars for a ton of potatoes, and planted them on his Green Valley farm. In the spring of that year he built a potato warehouse on Bodega bay for Jasper O'Farrell. In August of the same summer he hauled lumber to the present site of the city of Petaluma, and, in partnership with James M. Hudspeth, put up a warehouse on the bank of the creek. It had been discovered that the produce of Green valley could be shipped cheaper from Petaluma than Bodega. Two small vessels were trading at that point; up to this time they carried only game, of which there was an enormous quantity in this section. Baylis & Flogsdel run one vessel, Linus & Wyatt another. Some hay was cut that fall, baled, and stored for shipment. Game, potatoes and hay were the first articles of export via Petaluma; the former item was perhaps of greater value than both the latter, for a fat buck was worth from an ounce to twenty dollars. Fruit culture was started very early in the history of the county. Among the very first to engage in this now large and important interest were Mitchell Gillem and Major Sullivan, of Green Valley. They came together to the county in 1850, and thought that it appeared to be a good fruit country. In 1851 they heard that a man named Weeks had brought out a lot of trees from the East, and had them buried in the sand where the old Zine House stood, about three and a-half miles north of Petaluma. They purchased about one hundred and fifty trees at one dollar and fifty cents to two dollars a-piece, with Mr. Churchman, of Green Valley, and they were the first orchards planted. For many years after, the profit on these trees was enormous, and fruit culture soon grew into a trade of the first importance, and so continues to *** end ***