News curated from back issues of the Healdsburg Tribune of 125, 75 and 50 years ago
125 years ago – September 12, 1901
Talented Actress Appearing in Healdsburg This Week.
The Manhattan Stock Company, which is playing an engagement at the theater this week, is a very meritorious company and worthy of patronage. Miss Virginia Calhoun is an actress of considerable renown. She is the sister of Eleanor Calhoun, the famous actress, who is now in England, where she is a popular favorite. Miss Virginia Calhoun is a native daughter of California. She is a highly educated young lady, endowed with much literary talent, and is a fine conversationalist. She often contributes to the public press, and while visiting with her company in the Hawaiian Islands she was correspondent for the San Jose Mercury, furnishing many interesting articles to that journal. Miss Calhoun visited all of the Islands and the great volcano at Kahului, a very interesting description of which she furnished for the columns of the Mercury. Miss Calhoun visited England, making quite a bit in London, and also played through the provinces. She has spent most of the past few years in Europe and the Eastern States following her chosen profession. There are some first-class people in Miss Calhoun’s company, and they are worthy of patronage. The play for to-night is “A Happy Marriage.” The low prices asked for admission will enable anyone to attend the performances.
75 years ago – September 13, 1951
Civil Defense Office Moved to New Location
On Tuesday the local office of Civil Defense was moved from its location in the City Hall to an office in the Luciani Pump and Metal Company building, Redwood Highway North. The temporary phone number for the new location is 615-W. Reason for the move to the new location was the need for easier accessibility to the Defense office by Luciani, who is the local Civil Defense coordinator.
The Civil Defense Office, this week, issued the following message to the people of the Healdsburg Township: Civil Defense is your assurance that a proper plan and organized group of teams will be ready to operate in the event of an extreme emergency. This emergency may arise from fire, earthquake or any other natural cause, or yet from the ever-present danger of attack by enemy action against our cities and homes in this Region 3 of the nine Bay Area counties. Your part in this insurance program is your willingness to serve by registering with the Civil Defense and Disaster Council so that your services may be utilized in the event of an extreme emergency.
50 years ago – September 9, 1976
City Says ‘No Way’ to Peninsula Housing
It took the City Council only 12 minutes to dump any plans to convert prime agricultural land in the city’s Peninsula into housing Tuesday night. Led by Councilman Robert Sauers, who said frankly that he was “unalterably opposed,” the council rejected a housing development on the 560-acre area which lies west of the Hwy 101 freeway between Westside Road, the Russian River and Dry Creek.
John W. Ronayne, president of Ronayne Sales and Development Inc., of Walnut Creek, told the council, “Tell me if you don’t want me now, so I’ll know,’’ when he appeared to explain his proposal. Ronayne proposed 20 acres in single family residential development, and another seven acres for duplexes, although the duplexes had to be dropped from the start because they were to be built on land now in an agricultural preserve.
The homes were to sell for $27,500 to $32,000. Sauers said development of the Peninsula is “not right in terms of soil or in terms of urban sprawl.” He said use of land north of the city is much better. He said he liked the idea of development of lower cost housing, but not on the Peninsula. “It’s the wrong place and I think it only fair to tell you that in the beginning,” he said. The council voted not to turn the Ronayne proposal over to the Planning Commission for study, thereby killing it.
The Healdsburg Museum is open 11am to 4pm Wednesday-Sunday, and located at 211 Matheson St. healdsburgmuseum.org
