100 years ago: August 7, 1924
‘SMUGGLED BOOZE CAPTURED HERE BY POLICE’
One hundred bottles of Scotch whisky, supposedly smuggled from Vancouver, British Columbia, for California thirsts and apparently destined for dusty throats in Healdsburg, fell into police hands here Friday morning, together with J. J. Taxeira of San Rafael. Taxeira is believed to have made frequent visits to this vicinity, and, acting on a “tip” from undisclosed sources, Marshal James V. Mason made plans to capture the man and his cargo of contraband when he learned Taxeira had spent the night in this vicinity.
Early Friday, when Taxeira came to his car to drive away, he was met by Officer William Navas, who invited him to drive over to the police station. Opening the rear end of the sedan, Mason found eight gunny sacks loaded with bottles of the imported stuff, one of the richest hauls made by the local police since prohibition became effective. In bootleg markets imported Scotch retails at around $15 a bottle, making the seizure worth about $1,500.
According to the marshal, the liquor was brought from Sausalito, where smuggled booze is handled in quantities when rum ships make their frequent appearances off the coast. Taxeria told the police that his liquor was the “real stuff,” imported from British Columbia, and put ashore in the bay region by rum runners. Taxeira appeared in court, pleaded guilty to the charge, and was fined $400.
75 years ago – August 5, 1949
‘MOTOR TROUBLE FORCES PILOT DOWN HERE’
Because he said, “Discretion is the better part of valor,” Glen Engle, Sausalito, landed his pontooned Luscombe on the most southerly Basalt Rock Company pond on the Russian River about one mile south of here when his machine developed motor trouble while instructing his student pilot, Miss Dorothy Shipman, San Francisco.
The pair were flying east of here when the motor began cutting out. Engle immediately flew to an altitude of 7,000 feet with intentions of “sneaking” over to Clear Lake, but continuing motor trouble, he said, caused him to change his mind and land on the Russian River.
The motor of the plane was repaired by mechanics at the Sonoma County Airport and took off about four hours after landing. Engle is an instructor at the Commodore Air Service in Sausalito. Miss Shipman has been flying for about three months, she said.
50 years ago – August 8, 1974
‘TENNIS HAS ITS DAY: COUNCIL APPROVES NEW REC PARK COURTS’
Approval of two championship size tennis courts at Recreation Park was given by the City Council Monday night. The unanimous decision to apply for $24,000 in State Park Bond funds came after Recreation Director Peter Waller testified that months of discussion by the Recreation Commission about the need for more city tennis facilities led to its recommendation for the courts. The courts will be built to the north of the present football grandstands at the park. They will be fenced and will allow for more play area than the present Healdsburg High School courts. Councilman Doug Badger wondered if the two courts wouldn’t best be placed at the high school, so Recreation Park could be kept as a possible site for a future city swimming pool. Waller said the high school site had been rejected by the Recreation Commission because any courts built there would be virtually unusable by the general public during the day for over ten months a year, emphasizing that tennis is both a popular youth and adult activity.
The Healdsburg Museum, at 221 Matheson St., opens its new exhibit this week. Open Thursday-Sunday, 11am-4-pm, no admission but donations welcome.
Marshall James V. Mason saves the day. I wonder if Mason Street is named after him. Mason Street was the home of a famous bordello in the 1920s and 1930s. The building still stands. It’s a nice two-story house on the north side of Mason Street. I wonder if Marshall Mason frequented the establishment.