*** 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 84--- mill is run by an engine of fifty horse power, and the capacity of the mills about fifty barrels in twelve hours. Five men are generally employed. Empire Mills are located on the railroad between Sixth and Seventh streets. The mill proper is a three story brick building, and adjoining is the ware house a one story brick building, having a storage capacity of thirty thousand tons of wheat. This building was erected some years ago, at a cost of thirty- seven thousand dollars. It was built by Dr. Dobbins, and sold by him to Mr. John McIlmoil, and a half interest afterwards bought by Mr. Stoddard. S. S. Nowlin bought the interest of Mr. McIlmoil. These mills have three runs of stone for wheat,and one for corn, barley, etc.,and have all the latest and best improved machinery for making "A. No. 1" flour. Their capacity is one hun- dred barrels in twelve hours, and six men are generally employed about them. The Golden Eagle Foundry and Machine Shops, owned by M. E. Shulte, situated on fifth street, west of the railroad, were established in December 1874. The buildings are plain but substantial, and suitable to the business. Here are cast all sorts of agricultural implements, irons for bridge work, and iron and brass castings; iron fronts for buildings, and stoves. In connection with the foundry and machine shop, there is also a shop in which patterns are made, and another in which general blacksmithing is done. An engine of forty horse power is used in these works. Mr. H. F. Shulte is foreman, and generally has employed about six men. Besides the manufacturing establishments we have enumerated, there is a furniture factory, candy factories, a soda water factory, a glove factory, cigar factory, a box factory, a tannery, a pork packing house, etc.,etc. The machin- ery for a woolen mill is already here, a lot has been secured, and before this notice is put to press the mill will most likely be in operation,or at all events well under way. There is a also an old established and successfully worked pottery, which we neglected to mention in the proper place. WATER WORKS. The Santa Rosa Water Works were incorporated in January, 1873, with $100,000 capital. On the 1st of May active operations were commenced. The water is taken from the Santa Rosa creek, about five miles from Santa Rosa. It is led in seven-inch pipe one and a quarter miles to a reservoir. In the fall of the year of organization the water was brought to the city and distributed through the town. In 1875 a majority of the stock of the company was purchased by Mark L. McDonald, of San Francisco. In the latter part of 1876, Jackson R. Myers purchased an interest in the company, and became the manager. It was determined to erect a new reservoir about half a mile below the old one. The work was completed in the spring of 1877, and it is one of the best constructed and arranged reservoirs in the State. It is about eighteen hundred feet long, and is six hundred feet wide, and when full will have a depth of twenty-four feet, affording an abundant supply of pure mountain water for the people of the city, and also a safeguard against conflagration. To the capital and enterprise of Mark McDonald, and *** end ***