A Walk Down Petaluma's Main Street in 1905

In 1905, Petaluma California was truly "small town America." Sixty percent of the U.S. population lived in rural areas and Petaluma's ranching community was booming.  California had grown to 1.5 million in population, with one in every five people being foreign born. 

The local promotion for Sonoma County was: "The temperature has no extremes and it is blessed with some of the richest soil known."Another was "There is room for more. If you want in, just knock.  No stagnant water, no malaria, no diptheria and the profit from each hen exceeds $1.00!" (It was pretty much true).

The gold rush of 1849 was far past. There were very few veterans of the Civil War left and the covered wagon trains had been replaced by steam trains.  The two coasts of the country had become linked.

The town of Petaluma was becoming more civilized too, with electric lights on some streets, a few cement side walks and a public sewer. The Board of Trustees had just passed an ordinance requiring licenses for "those who would sell alcoholic beverages, sponsor boxing contests or hold card games." And there were a lot of saloons "selling alcoholic beverages."

The industrial revolution was in gear.

Just 47 years after its founding, the town had churches, schools and a thriving retail community. Steam-driven threshing machines, river boats, mill works plus even a few automobiles, making our town a busy agricultural base for Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties. 

However, the horse and wagon still dominated the street in 1905, and when people shopped or banked, they left their horses at livery stables.  Petaluma carriage makers were still doing good business.

It cost ten cents for ice cream sodas. A roast beef sandwich was a nickle and spring chicken went for seven cents a pound. The Daily Courier Newspaper advertised that: "Cascarets Fine Potion would work on your worms as you sleep, taste good, do good." (One wonders how you got those "worms" in the first place).

If you wished to be entertained, you could catch Joe Murphy, "The eminent Irish comedian" at The Hill Opera House. Or, for just 50 cents, you could board The Steamer Gold at the B Street wharf, for a trip to San Francisco and the bawdy Barbary Coast.

A local want ad requested; "a girl for general house work. Wages: $25 a month." The ad didn't say if room and board came with that wage. The Courier also carried this ad:

"Girl toilers, at work in office, factory, shop or kitchen are especially liable to female's ills, which kill beauty and youth. Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound creates the vitality that makes work easy."  The ad didn't mention that Pinkham's was 40% alcohol and that your buggy may tend to weave a bit on the road home. Apparently the products sold well because Ms. Lydia Pinkham became America's first woman millionaire.

In Petaluma of 1905, the small ranch was in great demand and one could purchase a 200 acre dairy ranch with a good solid house, barns, fencing and a well for $11,000.  It was a prosperous era in America. Teddy Roosevelt was president, the future was promising  and the San Francisco Bay area basked in happy times.

No one could have imagined that in just a few months times in April of 1906, it would all come crashing down in the great San Francisco earthquake.