*** 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 55--- The first house in the city limits proper was a warehouse built by James McReynolds, of Analy township, and his partner James Hudspeth, for stor- ing potatoes. It stood on the bank of the creek, just below the bridge, at the foot of Washington street. The warehouse was filled that fall with potatoes, and Mr. Hudspeth cut and baled on the flat above town, one hundred tons of hay, which he shipped to Sacramento. These were the first large shipments of produce from Sonoma county to San Francisco via Petaluma. Soon after this, a man named Keller took up a claim which included the town site, and built a house on the creek, above the bridge, where the stone warehouse now stands. On the 3d day January, 1852, the town was first surveyed by J. A. Brewster for Mr. Keller. The survey commenced at a point on Petaluma creek, between Prospect and Oak streets, running thence west to the westerly line of Liberty street, near Kent, then southerly along Liberty street to A, then on the north- erly line of A and a continuaton of that line northeasterly to Petaluma creek, including about forty acres. Tom Lockwood and Major Singley car- ried the chain for this survey. The first merchants of Petaluma were Kent & Smith; they opened a first-rate country store, in 1852. It stood on the east side of Main street, opposite the American Hotel lot, where Ross' photograph gallery now stands. The late F. H. Coe bought in the business, and the firm changed to Kent, Smith & Coe. The first families who came to the town were old man Douglas and the Hathaways. The first hotel was started by Robert Douglas and a man named Adams. It was a board shanty, and stood on the lot now occupied by the American hotel. The first school was kept by A. B. Bowers, and the school-house stood on the site of the present brick one. A. A. Guerny was probably the first Protestant preacher in this valley. He seems to have officiated at most of the weddings of that day, to have preached, lec- tured or delivered a Fourth of July oration, as the time served--a sort of clerical Bohemian, if we may use the expression without disrespect to the cloth. We know not where Rev. Mr. Guerny now is, but we wish him well where- ever he may be, for he has left his foot-print on the pioneer history of Sonoma county. The first postmaster in Petaluma county, was a W. D. Kent. He was suc- ceeded by Dr. Brown, and Dr. Brown by S. N. Terrell. The mail was carried once a week, on horse-back, from Benicia via Sonoma, Santa Rosa, Miller & Walker's store, near Sebastapol, to Petaluma, and from there to San Rafael, --a round-about way of receiving late news from a city but thirty-five miles distant. The first justice of the peace was M. G. Lewis. J. Chandler, Judge Jackson Temple and Judge J. B. Southard were the first lawyers in the town. The pioneers Zartman & Fritch started business in January, 1852, with James F. Reed, as blacksmith. They were told they would not make enough to get nails for shoes, but from the start they did a good business. The first general excitement in the infant city was caused by an enterprise which had for its object the starting of a rival town at a point on the east side of the creek, a mile and a-half below in an air line, but a much greater dis- tance by water, owing to the many crooks and bends in the creek. *** end ***