Local History

The area just south west of Healdsburg has long been known by locals as “The Peninsula”. It is the area now bordered by The Redwood Highway, The Russian River, Dry Creek and Mill Street. The area has a rich local history filled with stories of great ranches, exclusive resorts and well-known local names like J.H.Curtis, J. M. Curtis, Hotchkiss, F. Flack, G. W. Harmon. I love the history of this area. I look at the old houses there and can just imagine way back when.

Way back then J. H. Curtis had a ranch that was fifty plus acres on the west bank of the Russian River there. It was “The Homestead, Riverdale Prune Ranch”. Curtis had two sons, Edson and George. George lived in a small cottage on the farm. Curtis leased extra land from the neighbors and developed orchards on that leased land. That is a tradition that continues today with the Massoni family owning but also leasing quite a bit of the land there today.  

Another prominent peninsula rancher, G. W. Harmon was born in Indiana in 1842 and moved to Washington State to raise hops prior to relocating to Healdsburg in 1881. He started Healdsburg Nursery on the peninsula. Harmon’s Healdsburg Nursery was known for documenting the sources of their plant material which was huge at the time. By the way, George Curtis was married to Miss Mabel Harmon, g. w.’s daughter on December, 29^th, 1897. I guess even back then CPA’s were setting marriage dates for tax reasons.

G. W. Harmon’s Healdsburg Nursery was established at the site of 1389 Magnolia drive in 1888 and excellently portrays the most exclusive use of the area known as “The Peninsula” for orchard farming from 1870 – about 1940. The stick-style cottage was built by Harmon in 1895, which was called at the time “The Handsomest in the Township” still stands there today. In 1889, Harmon moved his nursery to Matheson Street in Healdsburg and sold the entire site to George Brown in 1899.

Brown farmed the area and family members are still there today on part of the original ranch. The bulk of the ranch was sold to F. A. Schwab, a prominent and pioneer merchant of Healdsburg. Schwab was one of the original founders of Schwab Brothers Shoes in Healdsburg. Schwab was born in Germany in June of 1856. Schwab came to the United States when he was 16 years old with his brother F. J. Schwab. They were employed at custom boot and shoe shops in California. They later started Schwab Brother Shoes on what is now Plaza Street in Healdsburg, California.

Also of note on the peninsula was the Magnolia Farm, a resort that was owned and operated John Flack. There were several “Health Oriented” resorts in the Healdsburg area, Lytton Springs, Warm Springs and The Magnolia Farm. In an article about The Magnolia Farm it was said; The Magnolia is indeed an Elysian Bower- a place where the denizens of the smoke-begrimed and noisy metropolis are surrounded by the rejuvenating influences of this amazing area.

The area still known as “The Peninsula” is still rich farm land. There is twenty four feet of top soil in many areas. Not a lot has changed there in the past hundred years. It is home to a few folks still farming the area. Today I would bet that there are more bicycles than cars that use the roadways there. It is clearly one of the most picturesque areas of Sonoma County.

I hope that you have enjoyed this little tidbit of local information. I currently have 1389 Magnolia Drive listed for sale. I think that it will soon be the most exclusive area of Healdsburg. It has all the ear markings of an exclusivity.