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Sonoma County, California Genealogy Trails

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Hotel Chauvet
Glen Ellen, Sonoma Co.
ca. 1912

***********

Sonoma County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood.

Originally the home of the Native American Coast Miwok and Pomo tribes, Sonoma County has a history of seven distinct, governmental claims from 1579 to the present.
Sometimes referred to as "Seven Flags over Sonoma County",
these periods are itemized as follows:

* St. George Cross of England, June 1579, voyage of the Golden Hind under Captain Francis Drake at Bodega Bay (exact location disputed)
* Spanish Empire, 1602, by sea, voyage of the San Agustin under Vizcaino. October 1775, the Sonora at Bodega Bay, under Lt. Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra until 1821, when Mexico gained Independence from Spain
* Russian-American Company, by Ivan Alexandrovich Kuskov, the founder of Fort Ross and, from 1812 to 1821, its colonial administrator. Note: There is an overlap of rule with the Mexican Empire (next item), until the Russians sold Fort Ross in 1841 to John Sutter, and subsequent left the area in 1842
* Mexican Empire, 24 August 1821, Mexico under Emperor Agustin Iturbide (October 1822, probable time new flag raised in California) until 1823
* Mexican Republic, 1823 until June 1846 at Sonoma
* Bear Flag of the California Republic, June 1846, at Sonoma until 9 July 1846
* United States of America/California, 9 July 1846

Sonoma was the location of Mission San Francisco Solano, founded in 1823 as the last and northernmost of 21 California missions, built on the end of El Camino Real. The El Presidio de Sonoma, or Sonoma Barracks (part of Spain's Fourth Military District), was established in 1836 by Comandante General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo whose duties included keeping an eye on the Russian traders at Fort Ross, secularizing the Mission, maintaining cooperation with the Native Americans of the entire region, and doling out the lands in large estates and ranches. Among the most notable events, the Bear Flag Revolt took place in this County in 1846, and it is the site of many historical monuments.[source wikipedia]

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES

Marin Co., CA - Lake Co., CA - Mendocino Co., CA
Napa Co., CA - Solano Co., CA