*** 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 5--- valley, east of Healdsburg, is one of the most fertile and beautiful of the valleys of Sonoma county. It borders on the great bend made by Russian river before turning toward the sea. The land on the river, like all its bottom-land, is of unsurpassed fertility. The valley is settled by an intelligent and cultivated class of farmers, and takes it name from the first settler, Cyrus Alexander, who, in 1845 was superintendent of the Sotoyomi grant, and acquired title to the valley which now bears his name--once a portion of the grant. This val- ley is a part of the great Russian River valley, an arm of it extending to the eastward. Knight's valley lies on the extreme eastern boundary of Sonoma county, at the foot of St. Helena mountain, one of the tallest and most beautiful peaks of the Mayacmas range. The valley includes about thirteen thousand acres, and was covered by a Spanish grant. It is now partly owned by a company, who keep a place of summer resort, and partly by Calvin Holmes, one of our oldest and most respected citizens. The scenery in Knight's valley embraces all the features characteristic of the county--groves of oaks in picturesque irregular- ity on the plain and in the foot-hills, walks and drives of natural beauty, far excelling anything that could be achieved by artificial means, no matter how lavishly money might be expended. One of the main roads leading to the Geyser springs passes through this valley. It was built by the celebrated Clark Foss, and his stages still run the road. He has made his home in the valley, in which every comfort has been provided for himself and guests, that good taste and a liberal expenditure of money can command. No one should leave this coast without making a trip to the Geysers with Foss, which includes a stop at his elegant caravansary. Dry Creek valley lies west of Russian River and north of Healdsburg. Its location may be seen on the map. The valley is about sixteen miles long, with an average width of two miles. The soil is all alluvial bottom, and is of matchless fertility--for wheat, corn, and staple products it is not equaled on the coast: and the hill-land on the border of the valley produces all kinds of fruit, being especially adapted to grape culture. The fine fruit farm of D. D. Phillips is situated in the centre of the valley. Bennett valley, another of the smaller valleys of Sonoma, worthy of men- tion, lies south of the town of Santa Rosa, and east of the Santa Rosa valley. It has a length of eight miles, and an average width of four miles. It pos- sesses all the features peculiar to the other parts of the county we have descri- bed. If it has any specialty it is for fruit and grape culture. The fine farm of James Adams, in Santa Rosa township, lies just in the mouth of Bennett valley, and also the beautiful home of Nelson Carr, who lives at the head of the valley. Near the centre is the celebrated vineyard of Isaac DeTurk, where he has lived for many years, and been extensively engaged in the manufacture of wine. The Guillicos valley is in fact the upper part of Sonoma valley proper. It is one of the most beautiful places in California. It was originally granted to the wife of Don Juan Wilson, a famous sea-captain on this coast under the Mexican regime. He is married into one of the native California families, and, though an Englishman by birth, he became a Mexican citizen, and was granted *** end ***