Graton is an unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in west Sonoma County, California, United States. The population was 1,707 at the 2010 census. Graton's ZIP code is 95444. The town also has a culinary reputation attributed to two restaurants in the area. The town of Graton is roughly 20 miles from the California coastline. Graton's agriculture was historically concentrated on apple farming, but like most of rural Sonoma County it now focuses on wine production. [1]
Gedcom Index for Graton, CA. . . . Link
Surnames: Finley, Head,
GenealogyOnline: About
the Town Graton .
. . Link
Surnames: Brouwer, Johnson, Smart
Roadside Thoughts: Graton
California . . . Link
Sonoma County Genealogical Society . . . Link
Graton is noted as lying at the approximate furthest southern and eastern extent of Russian colonization of the Americas. Research on Fort Ross has indicated that several farms were developed inland from the coastal fur trading fort in northwestern Sonoma County. These farms or ranches were used for producing additional food and for agricultural projects conducted by Fort Ross's agronomist Yegor Chernykh. In 1836, a farm was established along Purrington Creek, between what are now the towns of Occidental and Graton. There Chernykh erected barracks and five other structures, and grew vegetables, fruit, wheat, and other grains. Chernykh also developed a large vineyard, introducing what has since become a major crop in the area. [1]
Located just west of Highway 116 on Graton Road, the small town of Graton was founded in 1905 by James Gray and James Brush when the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad came to the area. Early settlers sought their fortune in the Gold Rush and found it instead in the lush and fertile Green Valley of Sonoma County. Once home to a thriving apple industry, Graton is now part of a premiere wine growing region and has two Zagat rated restaurants. Graton’s block long merchant row also includes art galleries, antique stores and unique shops. [5]
Graton
Graton began as a small rural town, with apple processing plants, north of Sebastopol. A tiny hamlet in Green Valley, it boasted a private school, Jones Academy, before public schools existed in the area. The town was founded in 1904 by James Gray and J. H. Brush. Before it became Graton, it was Gray Town, as well as Grayton. The first dwelling in Graton was owned by Alfred Neep. John Robertson was the first postmaster when the Graton Post Office opened in 1906. T. J. Jones opened the first grocery store and also ran a lumberyard. . . . [Archived Website. Link]
American Towns . . . Link
"Birth of Graton" [SCHS] . . . Link
"Explore Graton: West County town offers rich history, tasty restaurants and wines" [Article] . . . Link
Graton History [Book & Audio Book Review] . . . Link . . . Book [Lesa Tanner's "Graton (Images of America)"]
Graton Today [Niche] (has a map of location) . . . Link
Graton Wikipedia Page . . . Link
La Crema: Russian River History Part 2: From Fog To Sun . . . Link
Overview of the Community of Graton [Notes & Pics] . . . Link
Russian
American Company (1836-1841) . . . Link
Between 1833 and 1841, the Russians [at Fort Ross] maintained three such ranches. The farthest ranch from Ross was that founded by the agronomist Yegor Chernykh. Chernykh had been sent by the Company to California to improve crop production on the Sonoma Coast and, soon after his arrival in 1836, he recommended extending the colony’s farming activities farther inland. He established his ranch about ten miles from the coast, in a small valley watered by a wooded stream (Purrington Creek, between Occidental and Graton). There he erected barracks and five other structures, and grew vegetables, fruit, wheat, and other grains. Chernykh also developed a large vineyard, introducing what has since become a major crop in the area.
Sonoma County Life Opens Up: Graton. . . Link
Visit Sonoma County: Forestville-Graton . . . Link
Western Sonoma County Historical Society . . . Link
Western Sonoma County Historical Society: Voices From The Past [Audio Interviews] . . . Full List
From Graton: Grace Abbott Link . . . Hazel Singmaster-Jens Link . . . Geoffrey Skinner Link
WikiVoyage: Sebastopol (only mentions Graton) . . . Link
Check Sonoma Historian (SCHS) for articles about the towns. . . . Link
Alfred Neep . . . Link . . .The first dwelling in Graton was owned by Alfred Neep.
C E Hallet building materials store. . . Link
Clara Keithly Tarwater [Family History mentions living in Graton, p. 10] . . . Link [1963 Pub.] . . . Link [1983 pub.]
Graton Community Club History (established 1914) . . . Link . . . History [SCHS]
Graton Rancheria Community is a federation of Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo . . . Historical Background . . . Article
Green Valley School . . . Article
Greg Sarris, Oral History Interview [Audio & Transcript] . . . Link
Hallet & Gray General Merchandize store
Handy's Grove . . . Audio Reference . . .
Hicks and Bower farms . . . Link (Ref. Only)
James Clyman: Sonoma County's First Assessor [SCHS, pgs. 4-6 & 13] . . . Article
James Gray . . . Link . . . The town was founded in 1904 by James Gray and J. H. Brush.
J. H. Brush . . . Link . . . The town was founded in 1904 by James Gray and J. H. Brush.
Joel P. & Mary Young Walker's Descendants [SCHS] . . . Genealogy
John Robertson . . . Link . . . John Robertson was the first postmaster when the Graton Post Office opened in 1906.
Karl Oehlman [Interview transcript] . . . Link
Karl Oehlman was born in 1932 at Santa Rosa General Hospital to Elizabeth and Walter Oehlman, he lived on the property located on Vine Hill Road near Graton, California, that was settled by his grandparents in 1894.
Louise Hallberg (Butterfly Lady) . . . Link . . . Article [SCHS]
O. A. Halberg cannery
. . . [SCHS] Article (Ref.
Only)
Oak Grove schoolhouse . . . Link (Ref. Only)
Paul's Market in the 1930s . . . Link
Pelletti Fruit Co. in Graton . . . Link
Sturgeon's Saw Mill [Ralph Sturgeon, Wade Sturgeon]. . . Link . . . [SCHS] Ref only
T. J. Jones . . . Link . . . T. J. Jones opened the first grocery store and also ran a lumberyard.
Union Block building . . . Link
"Walker Apples: 107 Years of Family Farming Tradition" [Article] . . . Link
Maps
Map of Graton, with boundaries [BingMaps] . . . Link
Map of Graton[MapQuest] . . . Link
Aerial photo of Graton, California . . . Link
Main Street, Graton, California, 1913 . . . Link
Postcard--black and white, photo: Main Street Graton 1913. Buildings on either side of road. Fish market on left. Candy store in far right. Livery stable, meat market and candy store. Horse drawn buggy and railroad cars in background. Handwritten note on back and dated Aug 21, 1913 to Earl Metz from Mary Guilser of Graton.
Panorama of two photos of downtown Graton, California, about 1914 . . . Link
Photo--black and white: Panorama of two photos of downtown Graton California circa 1914 .Left to right: the Graton hotel, Bakery, Hallet & Gray General Merchandize store, the C E Hallet building materials store and at the far right is the two-storey Union Block building. Charles Hallet operated his general merchandise store which also sold building materials and lumber from John Robertson's mill. These buildings, except for the Union Block, burned down in the 1915 Graton fire.
[1] Wikipedia contributors. "Graton, California." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 Oct. 2022. Viewed on Web. 15 Oct. 2022.. . . . Link
[2] "Historical and Descriptive Sketch Book of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino: Comprising Sketches of Their Topography, Productions, History, Scenery, and Peculiar Attractions", C.A. Menefee, 1873 . . . Link
[3] "Historical and Descriptive Sketch of Sonoma County, California" Robert Allan Thompson. L.H. Everts, 1877 - Sonoma County (Calif.) - 104 pages. [Bodega pp 100-101] . . . Link
[4]
"An Illustrated
History of Sonoma County, California: Containing a
History of the County of Sonoma from the Earliest
Period of Its Occupancy to the Present Time",
Lewis Publishing, 1889
. . . Link
[5] 101 Things To Do Sonoma County. Website. http://101things.com/winecountry/profile-of-graton-ca/ . Viewed 13 October 2022.