*** 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 60--- much to the appearance of the building and its surroundings. The salaries of the teachers vary from sixty to one hundred and fifty dollars per month. The value of school property is as follows: High school-building.....................$15,000 Grammar school-building and lot...........30,000 Outside school-houses and lots, about......8,000 _______ Total value..............................$53,000 The number of pupils is from six hundred and eighty to seven hundred and twenty, and the cost of maintaining the schools is thirteen thousand dollars per annum. The school department has been governed by a board of education since 1870, composed of five members. The present board is Messrs. James Singley, G. W. Edelman, W. H. Dalton, N. M. Hedges and F. T. Maynard. The people of Petaluma respond always to the needs of the public schools, and no complaining is heard in regard to any tax to support them. CHURCHES. Of the religious denominations in Petaluma, the Methodist is the oldest, and had the first church-building; the Rev. S. B. Clifford is the minister in charge. The Baptist Church is in charge of Rev. A. Hitchcock. Rev. Geo. A. Allen is rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church. The Rev. Father Cleary of St. Vincent’s Church. Rev. C. J. Hutchins has the Congregational Church, and the Rev. T. B. Page the Methodist Church South. Some of these congregations have handsome church-buildings, which are well filled every Sunday. For each church there is a Sunday-school, which is patronized by bright-faced boys and girls, and here we will say that there is no sweeter melody than that of the mingled voices of many children singing praises to Him who, in the words of the Psalmist, “covereth the heavens with a cloud, and prepareth rain for the earth; and maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, and herbs for the use of man; who giveth fodder to the cattle, and feedeth the young ravens when they call on him.” SOCIETIES. The benevolent societies are well represented in Petaluma. There are two Masonic lodges, one of which (Petaluma Lodge, No. 57) was chartered May 3, 1854. There is also a chapter of Royal Arch Masons, organized in 1858, known as Petaluma Chapter, No. 22. Petaluma Lodge, I. O.O.F., No. 30, was instituted September 30, 1854. There is also an encampment, of which we have not the date of organization. The Turn Verein have a very prosperous organization. There is also a Hibernian Society, and a Society of Caledonians, and several temperance organizations. The Mutual Relief Association of Petaluma have been very successful and well managed. The oldest is the “Mutual Relief Association;” has a membership of 1,096. It is a life-insur- ance society simplified: upon the death of any member an assessment of three dollars is levied on each member of the association, and the aggregate sum is paid to the heirs of the deceased member. It has distributed many thousands *** end ***