The following snippets of history are drawn from the pages of the Healdsburg Tribune, the Healdsburg Enterprise and the Sotoyome Scimitar, and are prepared by the volunteers at the Healdsburg Museum & Historical Society. Admission is always free at the museum, open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
100 years ago – April 22, 1920
Lytton Home Is Rebuilding Quarters after Monday fire
Work of rehabilitation at the Lytton Home of the Salvation Army is on in full force. 15 carpenters, who were luckily on the job on repair work at the time of the fire, have been put to work constructing a floor over which tents are being pitched to house the commissary department, dormitories and sewing room. Yesterday while the embers of the fire of Monday were still smoldering, several of these floors had been constructed and were awaiting the tents which were on their way by auto truck from San Francisco. Response to the needs of the situation at the home, caused by the total destruction of the food supply and most of the clothing stores, as well as the bedding of the girls’ dormitories, was immediate and ample on the part of the people. Healdsburg was first to respond with wood Monday night, and on Tuesday the local members of the Elks and the Red Cross canvassed the town and two truckloads of bedding, dishes, clothing and supplies were taken out to the Home. H. W. Kerrigan, secretary of the Petaluma Chamber of Commerce, arrived and brought up with him an auto truck from the Petaluma people, containing approximately a ton of flour, potatoes, eggs, bacon, chocolate and $165 in cash. Ira U. Pyle, of the Santa Rosa Elks, escorted a big truck containing a thousand dollars worth of supplies of canned goods, flour, etc. the gift of the lodge and of the people of Santa Rosa. The spirit of the people in this emergency is splendid, and the immediate relief of the situation is sincerely appreciated by the men at the home, who are so rushed in caring for the children and providing for their sustenance under extreme difficulties that they have little time to draw an idle breath. Colonel Smeeton, in charge of the home, was in San Francisco when the fire occurred, hurried home just as soon as he learned of the catastrophe, and took charge of the work. Captain Isaacs, former head of the institution, who had been ill in the hospital for some time, immediately drove to Healdsburg from the city in his weakened condition in order to lend what assistance he could to the home.
25 years ago – April 26, 1995
FMS reading game is hit with children
Without having to compete against each other, local youngsters enjoyed reading more books during their school’s month-long reading program, according to the school librarian. The program, “Read an Apple A Day,” ended earlier this month at Fitch Mountain School and turned out to be more of a fun activity than a competition. “The enthusiasm was constant,” said Librarian Donna Rowe. Throughout the month of March, the children were encouraged to read books to themselves, siblings and have parents read books to them. Then, according to the number of books they read, they would get to add a paper apple to a giant paper tree in the library. The school cumulatively read nearly 300 books. It only took 250 books for the parents to throw an apple pie party which was held this month. Making reading more fun and yummy for the youngster, parents donated about 35 apple pies.
