*** 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 71--- The adobe house, on Santa Rosa Creek, a mile and a half above town, was the first house built in this valley, or anywhere north of Sonoma, with the exception of the houses at Ross. The land upon which the house stood, and two leagues around it, was granted to Mrs. Carrillo, a sister of the wife of General Vallejo. The house was built in 1838-39; it still stands, and is owned by F. G. Hahman, of Santa Rosa. A graphic writer gives the annexed picture of the "old adobe" in July, 1850, and its then occupant, Ramon Carrillo; the description will be recog- nized and relished by all old Californians. We cannot forbear quoting it: "In front of the house was a court-yard of considerable extent, and part of this was sheltered by a porch; here, when the vaccaros have nothing to call them to the field, they pass the day looking like retainers of a rude court; a dozen wild, vicious little horses with wooden saddles on their backs stand ever ready for work; while lounging about, the vaccaros smoke, play the guitar or twist a new riatta of hide or horse hair. When the sun gets lower they go to sleep in the shade, while the little horses who remain in the sunshine do the same ap- parently, for they shut their eyes and never stir. Presently a vaccaro, judging the time by the sun, gets up and yawns, staggering lazily towards his horse, gathers up his riatta and twists it around the horn of his saddle--the others awakening, rise and do the same, all yawning with eyes half open, looking as lazy a set as were ever seen, as indeed they were on foot; 'Huppa! Anda!' and away they go in a cloud of dust, splashing through the river, waving their lassos around their heads with a wild shout, and disappearing from sight almost as soon as mounted. The 'vaccaro' wants at all times to ride furiously, and the little horses' eyes are opened wide enough before they receive the second dig of their riders' iron spurs." The writer, though he knew it not, saw and described the last of this kind of life at the "old adobe" on Santa Rosa creek; it was, as it were, the very close of the old and the opening of a new area. Don Ramon went south, and in 1851 the buildings came into the possession of David Mallagh, who had married one of Mrs. Carrillo's daughters. Julio Carrillo owned all on the north side of the creek; the daughters fell heir to that portion lying between Santa Rosa and Bennett Valley creeks. In the fall of 1851, Mallagh and Donald McDonald were keeping a public house at the "old adobe," and had also a small stock of goods and groceries; it was the first attempt at merchandizing in Santa Rosa Valley. In June of 1852, Alonzo Meacham came up from San Francisco. He and his partner, Barney Hoen, had been burned out in the great May fire that year. He bought out Mallagh & McDonald, and established a general store and trad- ing post. Shortly after he sent a petition for a post office, which was established. Mr. Meacham was made postmaster and gave the office the name of Santa Rosa, to which the town of Santa Rosa succeeded. At that time the mail was carried once a week from Benicia to Napa, to Sonoma, Santa Rosa, Miller & Walker's store and thence to San Rafael. Mr. Meacham's commission was signed by James Buchanan, and Mr. M is entitled to the gratitude of pos- terity that he did not call the post office Mallaghsville, Buchannansburg or some other stupid name or like derivation. Barney Hoen, who had gone to Oregon after the May fire of 1852, returned in the fall, and hearing that his *** end ***