Guerneville (/ˈɡɜːrnvɪl/ GURN-vil, incorrectly /ˈɡɜːrnivɪl/) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California, United States. Guerneville is located in western Sonoma County, along the Russian River on State Route 116, between Monte Rio to the west and Forestville to the east. Guerneville includes a plaza in the town center with permanent chess tables, and small shops. A public beach area along the Russian River is used for fishing, swimming, boating, and sunbathing. The town is historically known for the logging community, formed in the late 1800s. Guerneville is also known for its natural environment, liberal atmosphere, and proximity to wine-tasting and redwood forests. It was founded by the Guerne family in the 1850s.
Guerneville is an LGBTQ+ vacation destination and hosts an annual Sonoma County Pride Parade and Celebration the first Sunday in June. Guerneville also hosts a Women's Weekend in the summer and hosts gay bear charity events for the LGBTQ+ community, including Lazy Bear Weekend in late July or early August, and Polar Bear Weekend in mid-January. Guerneville is also home to the Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, which holds entertaining events in various venues along the Russian River, including monthly bingo games. [1]
Gedcom Index for Guerneville, CA. . . . Link
Surnames: Finley, Koenig, Southerland, Worthington
GenealogyOnline: About
the Town Guerneville.
. . Link
Surnames: Berg,
Burge, Duncan, Faylor, Bryant, Day, Dee, Denise, Emory,
Gegan, Griffin, Hazelwood, Lark, Walsh, Welborn
LDS genealogy.com: Guerneville . . . Link
Roadside Thoughts: Guerneville
California . . . Link
Sonoma County Genealogical Society . . . Link
The web site "The Cockrill
Family of Sonoma County" [Link] has a wonderful collection
of local genealogy including the following with ties to this
town: John H.
Fowler, Ernest E. Trosper, John Washington Robertson
Guerneville is built adjacent to the Russian River. Redwoods grew in the riverbed with such vigor that just a few centuries ago, the valley had the greatest biomass density on the planet, according to local lore. The local Pomo Indians used the area as a summer camp and called it "Ceola" (/ˈsiːoʊleɪ/ or cee-oh-lay) which meant "shady place." Except for a large stand of ancient trees preserved in the Fife Creek watershed, now the centerpiece of Armstrong Woods Park, many of the trees were logged in the late 19th century and the early 20th century, giving rise to the first English name for the place – "Stumptown." Logging in the area boomed after vast amounts of lumber were needed for rebuilding after the 1906 earthquake. The annual town parade still commemorates the old place name by calling itself "Stumptown Days." The present name Guerneville was introduced to honor Swiss immigrant George Guerne, a local businessman of the 19th century who owned the town's sawmill. By 1870, there was a U.S. Post Office in Guerneville; it was listed by the name "Guerneville". Although locals may be found selling T-shirts that say "Don't call it Guerneyville" (alluding to the "GURN-vil" pronunciation), many have called the town "Guerneyville" in spelling and pronunciation since the 1800s. The extensive redwood forests on the surrounding mountains are less than 200 years old, having been replacement plantings for much of the logging done in the 19th century. [1]
The area became popular with wealthy vacationers from San Francisco and surrounding communities in the late 19th century. The San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad linked the town to the Ferries of San Francisco Bay in 1877. Even with the demise of train service in the late 1930s, the area's resorts remained popular with vacationers who came by automobile through the 1950s. A local movie theater, the River, was built near the beach and showed double features throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The coming of jet airplane travel in the 1960s marked a period of decline for many of the older resorts. Winter floods in 1964 caused a further decline in business conditions. A renaissance took place in the late 1970s as large numbers of gay entrepreneurs from San Francisco identified the area as a prime recreational destination for weekends. Many older resorts benefited from increased tourism, and the town's businesses began to thrive. [1]
Guerneville
Guerneville was settled on May 1,
1860, by Robert Barton Lunsford and his claim was filed
the following year, on Mar 28, 1861. Two weeks following
Lunsford's official claim, Richard E. Lewis entered his on
Apr 11, 1861. Lewis later became the proprietor of the
Great Eastern Quicksilver Mine. The first claim on record
for the area was filed on Feb 24, 1859, by W. H. Willits.
He later entered the first claim upon the site of the
Great Eastern Quicksilver Mine in 1863. The next land
claim in what would become Guerneville was filed by Shelby
Helm in 1861, followed by Henry Hulbert. The largest mill
in the area known as Big Bottom, later to be known as
Guerneville had four partners. They were John W. Bagley,
Thomas Heald, W. H. Willis and George Emil Guerne. Both
Bagley and Willits soon dropped out of the partnership. In
1879, Heald sold his interest to Thomas J. Ludwig. In
march of 1880, Rufus Murphy bought into the partnership,
which was dissolved in September to become Guerne and
Murphy. In 1892, the Sonoma Lumber Company of Westover
brothers and Robert Dollar bought it and George Guerne
retired. D. L. Westover became an important citizen of the
town. John Washington Bagley became the first postmaster,
when that office was created in 1870. That year the town's
common name of Stumptown was officially changed to
Guerneville. Bagley operated a general store. He was the
community bone setter, tooth puller and first aid
authority, as well as undertaker and sexton. For thirteen
years he was a school trustee. Somehow he qualified
himself as a civil engineer and his local land surveys
were never questioned. In 1874, there was a recorded
population of 205 persons, only 62 of whom were female.
Yet, the town boasted a good hotel, two general stores and
a saloon in 1874. .
. . [Archived
Website. Link]
American Towns . . . Link
Early Guerneville [John McCarty Books] . . . Link
Flooding along Russian River, Guerneville, California, March 1940 [ArchiveGrid] . . . Link
"Guerneville’s El Barrio offers mezcal margaritas in the redwoods in this changing Northern California town" [Article] . . . Link
"Guerneville floods more than anywhere in the Bay Area. Why can’t it be fixed?" . . . Article
Guerneville Rollin On The River By Yvette Bidegain [Current articles] . . . Link
"Guerneville: A River Runs Through It. And Sometimes Over It." . . . Article
Guerneville School District . . . History
Guerneville Today [Niche] (has a map of location) . . . Link
Guerneville Wikipedia Page . . . Link
History of Armstrong Redwoods . . . Link
The grove was operated by Sonoma County until 1934 when the State took ownership of it as part of the financial arrangement whereby Sonoma Coast State Park was purchased. The grove was opened to the public as Armstrong Redwoods State Park in 1936. In 1964 the grove's status was changed when a greater understanding of its ecological significance prompted a more protective management of the resource. Since 1964 Armstrong Redwoods has enjoyed the status of State Reserve.
History of the Russian River [Local Tasting Rooms] . . . Link
Insider’s Guide to Guerneville . . . Link
Permit Sonoma: Russian River Corridor . . . Link
Russian River Historical Society . . . Link . . . Area history . . Blog
Russian River History [Russian River Getaways] . . . Link
Russian River.com: Memorires . . . Link
RussianRiverTravel: Guerneville . . . Link
Santa Rosa HS: Guerneville . . . Link
Sonoma County Life Opens Up: Guerneville . . . Link . . . 48 Hours in Guerneville
Visit California: Guerneville . . . Link
Western Mining History: Guerneville . . . Link
WikiTravel: Guerneville . . . Link
WikiVoyage: Guerneville . . . Link
Check Sonoma Historian (SCHS) for articles about the towns. . . . Link
Bank of Sonoma County, Guerneville Branch (c. 1970) . . . History
Big Bottom Mill [or Guerneville Mill] . . . Link
The largest mill in the area known as Big Bottom, later to be known as Guerneville had four partners.
They were John W. Bagley, Thomas Heald, W. H. Willis and George Emil Guerne. Both Bagley and Willits soon dropped out of the partnership. In 1879, Heald sold his interest to Thomas J. Ludwig. In march of 1880, Rufus Murphy bought into the partnership, which was dissolved in September to become Guerne and Murphy. In 1892, the Sonoma Lumber Company of Westover brothers and Robert Dollar bought it and George Guerne retired.
Colonel James Boydston Armstrong . . . Link
. . . These 240 acres are the heart of what is now Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve. This property and 200 adjoining acres were eventually consolidated under the ownership of one person in 1875. This owner was Colonel James Boydston Armstrong.
Dawn Ranch . . . Link . . . Article . . . History
The property dates back to 1905, when the Murphy family opened a resort with tent cabins and a dining hall here, catering to wealthy San Franciscans wanting to spend summers on the Russian River. The Murphy family sold the property in 1978 and it became Fife’s Resort, one of the first gay destination resorts in Sonoma County.
D. L. Westover . . . Link
George E. Guerne . . . Link [a] . . . Link [b]
Guerneville was introduced to honor Swiss immigrant George Guerne, a local businessman of the 19th century who owned the town's sawmill. [a] In 1867 a 25 year old Swiss immigrant arrived in Stumptown. His name was George E. Guerne. Guerne purchased land in the area and laid out a subdivision which became known as "Guernewood Park"'. Guerne also built and operated a sawmill in Stumptown. [b]
The Guerneville Bank Club . . . Link . . . About Building . . . History
Guerneville Bridge (Historic Bridge) . . . Link
Harrison M. LeBaron . . . Link
190 of Kate [Armstrong's] 440 acres was deeded to her brother, Walter. This parcel was later purchased by Armstrong family friend, Harrison M. LeBaron.
Henry Hulbert . . . Link . . .The next land claim in what would become Guerneville was filed by Shelby Helm in 1861, followed by Henry Hulbert.
Highlands Resort . . . History
Highlands Resort has been around since the early 1920s when it was known as Highland Park Lodge. Like many of the resorts in the area, it began by offering platform tent camping and began adding cabins during the 1930s and 1940s.
Hiram Epperly's Saloon in Guerneville, 1875 . . . Pic
Johnson’s Beach . . . Link
John Washington Bagley . . . Link
John Washington Bagley became the first postmaster, when that office was created in 1870. That year the town's common name of Stumptown was officially changed to Guerneville. Bagley operated a general store. He was the community bone setter, tooth puller and first aid authority, as well as undertaker and sexton. For thirteen years he was a school trustee. Somehow he qualified himself as a civil engineer and his local land surveys were never questioned.
Korbel Champagne Cellars. . . Link
Pond Farm (Constructed: c.
1947) . . . Link
Pond Farm was the site of Pond Farm Workshops, an artist colony conceived during World War II by San Francisco couple Gordon and Jane Herr as a “sustainable sanctuary for artists away from a world gone amuck.” Among the European artists invited to teach was Marguerite Wildenhain, an early Bauhaus graduate who fled Jewish persecution in Nazi Germany and Holland to start a new life in this remote Northern California outpost. While the artist colony was short lived, Marguerite stayed until her death in 1985, teaching at the nationally-renowned summer school at Pond Farm for three decades.
Richard E. Lewis (Great Eastern Quicksilver Mine) . . . Link
Two weeks following Lunsford's official claim, Richard E. Lewis entered his on Apr 11, 1861. Lewis later became the proprietor of the Great Eastern Quicksilver Mine.
Robert Barton Lunsford . . . Link
In 1860 R. B. Lunsford established a lumber camp on the north bank of the Russian River which grew with success and was later known as "Stumptown".
Shelby Helm . . . Link . . . The next land claim in what would become Guerneville was filed by Shelby Helm in 1861.
Thomas H. Stone and A. E. Laud . . . Link
In 1867 Thomas H. Stone and A. E. Laud established claims on 240 acres of valley property 3 miles north of Guerneville. These 240 acres are the heart of what is now Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve.
W. H. Willits . . . Link
The first claim on record for the area was filed on Feb 24, 1859, by W. H. Willits. He later entered the first claim upon the site of the Great Eastern Quicksilver Mine in 1863.
Early
Guerneville:
Across Main Street in early Guerneville was the Mercantile
and Owl Drug Store. As you head down the block you
would run into Buchanan’s
Cafe, Food Center, and Ferenz’s
Sport Shop. The Rendezvous
Bar (where Trio’s is now) was owned by Bob
Evangelistic. He tells the story that during the eighty-six
flood, actor Fred MacMurray rowed a canoe into the saloon
and had a drink. The Grove
Theater showed two films/day, not to mention
newsreels, cartoons and sneak previews. The
Grove Dance Hall (where Bull Pen is today) was a
hot spot for the Big Bands, open every night except Sunday
during the summer. It burned down around 1964. Gori’s
Tavern came close by and then a barber shop, the Bank Club (another
saloon–it was said that one could drown in this neck of the
woods without ever stepping foot into the river) and Associated Gas Station
(there were six gas stations during the early 1960’s). And
that was just half the town. Busy place. Do any of these
places spark a memory??? . . Link
Maps
Map of Guerneville, with boundaries [BingMaps] . . . Link
Map of Guerneville [MapQuest] . . . Link
Guerneville Bridge #20C-91/20C-0522z . . . Pic & Info
Guerneville, Calif., looking east down Main St . . . Pic
Guerneville, Calif., 1919. Shows: I.O.O.F. Hall, Grocery store, Warne and Lark Drug Store, Buchanan's Ice Cream Parlor, Hetzel's Tobacco Store, Drake Brothers Meat Market, Tunstall Livery Stable. Small pointed structure in foreground is a water fountain.
Guerneville Photo Collection [Russian River Historical Society] . . . Link
Photograph of Garibaldi Hotel, Guerneville, Calif., 1938 . . . Link
Family members of owner Zefferino Buchignani include Pia Buchignani, Ann Buchignani and Ida Buchignani.
Citations:
[1] Wikipedia contributors. "Guerneville, California." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 6 Oct. 2022. Web. Viewed on 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
Book: Guerneville Early Days: A History of the Lower Russian River – Pub. December 1, 2016; by John C Schubert (Author) . . Link