100 years ago – May 1, 1924
Geysers Pictures Sent Broadcast
Theaters in all sections of the United States — in fact, throughout the world — are now showing motion pictures of The Geysers. The reels recently taken by news reel photographers of San Francisco have been released and sent all over the circuits controlled by the various film corporations.
In San Francisco last week the Cameo and The Golden Gate theaters showed the pictures. The F. and A. news picture company has sent ‘‘stills” taken at The Geysers to newspapers throughout North America, and the pictures already have been prominently published in many papers. The Los Angeles Times recently ran a four column “spread” of The Geysers, well-illustrated with photographs.
Besides the direct great benefit to be reaped by northern Sonoma County as a result of this publicity, every photograph and every news reel is bringing direct publicity to Healdsburg, for the scenes are described as “From Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California,” and The Geysers are referred to as “The Healdsburg Geysers.”
75 years ago – May 6, 1949
Welcome Signs for City Sponsored by Service Clubs
Two “welcome signs” are scheduled to be erected, one at each approach to Healdsburg, within the next two weeks, according to releases from the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce. Sponsors of the signs are the four Healdsburg service clubs: the Business and Professional Women’s Club, Kiwanis Club, 20-30 Club and the Rotary Club.
Construction will be of natural redwood timbers with service club plaques suspended from the upper cross brace by heavy chains. Across the top will be lettered a big “welcome” and art work depicting grapes, prunes and a recreation scene. Louis Galeazzi began work on the project this week and expects the project to take two weeks to complete.
50 years ago – May 2, 1974
Historic Marker Sought for Pomo Grounds at Dam
Nomination of a 6,000-acre one-time Pomo Indian site near Warm Springs Dam to the National Register of Historic Places will be considered this morning by the California Historical Landmarks Advisory Committee. If finally accepted on the registry the Dry Creek Archeological District, as the large area is officially known, could stop construction of the dam at least until mitigation of some sort is reached with the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Nomination is sought by Thomas F. King, an archeologist affiliated with Sonoma State College, and a Pomo expert. King is one of the experts used by the Warm Springs Dam Task Force, principal opponents of the dam. He has prepared information which the Task Force has used in its current court challenge of the dam.
King asserts the large site is important as a scientific resource because it appears to contain the relatively intact remains of a Pomo settlement system. He also says it is a cultural resource because numerous Pomos still live in the county.
The Healdsburg Museum is open Thursday through Sunday, 11am to 4pm. Free admission, 221 Matheson St.
RE: Geysers Photo; 1924
Great photo! Good to learn where the smoke comes from that the Powers That Be are blowing up my ass. That valve has been full-on lately.
My late parents were directly involved with the initial development of the “next generation steam drilling” in the late 1950s and very early 1960s as investors. As were many others locally. I was also fortunate in that we became next door neighbors, and lifelong friends, of 2 Electrical Generation Engineers that PGE relocated to Healdsburg. One was from the Humboldt Bay Nuclear Plant and the other from the San Bruno Natural Gas Generation Plant. As a very small boy, I was with them all as the Generator at Unit 1 was first activated. 1960 or 61 – I estimate. The sound was deafening.