Petaluma Adobe

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=474 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rancho_Petaluma_Adobe Rancho Petaluma Adobe is the name of a historic ranch house built from adobe bricks by order of Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. It was the largest privately owned adobe structure built in California and is the largest example of the Monterey Colonial style of architecture in the United States. A section of the Adobe has been preserved by the Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park and is both a California Historic Landmark and a National Historic Landmark. The Rancho Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park is located on Adobe Road on the east side of the present-day town of Petaluma, California.

Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park Our Mission The mission of California State Parks is to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. When the heavy ranch work was done in the fall, rancheros, their workers, and their families celebrated with a fandango  —  a lively gathering with music and dancing. California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at (707) 762-4871. If you need this publication in an alternate format, contact interp@parks.ca.gov. CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 For information call: (800) 777-0369 (916) 653-6995, outside the U.S. 711, TTY relay service www.parks.ca.gov Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park 3325 Adobe Road Petaluma, California 94954 (707) 762-4871 © 2008 California State Parks (Rev. 2015) O n a hill overlooking Petaluma Valley stands the Petaluma Adobe, an impressive two-story adobe building encircled by a veranda. This structure is all that remains of Commandant General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo’s vast Rancho de Petaluma, once the largest and most prosperous private rancho in Mexican northern California. PARK HISTORY Native People The Coast Miwok lived in the resource-rich Petaluma River Valley centuries before European incursions. Village communities sheltered in places near fresh water. The abundant tule rushes along waterways provided ample materials for constructing dwellings and boats. Wildlife, including rabbits, quail, and deer, kept the Coast Miwok supplied with meat, fur, and tools. Seasonally, the women harvested acorns, Some hides were used for saddles. buckeye, fruits, and kelp. The ocean provided the Coast Miwok with a yearround food supply. They used nets, hooks, and traps to catch freshwater and marine fish, and the women gathered crabs, clams, oysters, abalone, and mussels in the tidal zones. Craftsmen transformed the cleaned shells into beautiful ornaments and into strings of beads (dentalium) used as major trade items. European Contact The establishment of missions San Francisco de Asís in 1776, San José in 1797, San Rafael in 1817, and San Francisco Solano in 1823 quickly disrupted the traditional lives of the Coast Miwok. Villages emptied as native people were brought to missions as laborers and craftspeople. Following its separation from Spain, the Mexican government began to secularize the missions into parish churches. The vast mission holdings were divided and sold as land grants. In 1834 Governor José Figueroa ordered Lieutenant Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, commandant of the San Francisco presidio, to secularize Mission San Francisco Solano and to start a pueblo at Sonoma north of San Francisco Bay. Mexico increased its presence in northern California to address the threat posed by the Russian outpost at Fort Ross. Vallejo was promoted to Commandant General and was granted 44,000 acres (later supplemented with another 22,000 acres) of land, which he named Rancho de Petaluma. Rancho de Petaluma Vallejo selected a site on a knoll adjacent to Adobe Creek, with an excellent water supply, gentle climate, and rich soil. In April 1836 building construction began, using adobe bricks and hand-hewn redwood planks. Some walls were plastered and West face of historic adobe whitewashed; the wide, covered second-story veranda protected the adobe walls from the weather. The eastern wing of the complex was never fully completed. The portion of the building remaining today was part of a larger complex forming a quadrangle around a central courtyard. The adobe complex housed a variety of processing and manufacturing operations, with storage and living space for visiting members of the Vallejo family. Ranch managers lived on the second floor. General Vallejo relied on goods and crops produced at the rancho to help support his military command. The rancho’s main income came from the hide and tallow (rendered fat) trade. Cowhides were so common an exchange item that they were called “California bank notes.” Hides were a valuable source for leather goods and machinery belting, while tallow was used to make soap, candles, leather dressing, and lubricants. Rancheros traded the tallow and hides with merchant ships plying the coast of California in exchange for manufactured goods not locally available. Rancho de Petaluma needed a large workforce to tend the vast herds of livestock, to labor in the fields, and to manufacture goods. Vallejo employed hundreds of Indian laborers who lived on the rancho and worked at the trades learned at Mission San Francisco Solano. Harvested crops of grains and vegetables were stockpiled in large storerooms for food and trade. Blankets and carpets were loomed out of coarse wool. The blacksmit

Important Information • Chaperones must stay with students at all times. • No food, beverages or gum inside any of the sites. • Park staff reserves the right to cancel groups arriving more than 10 minutes after the scheduled arrival time. • Groups without reservations are admitted on a space available basis. Payments for admission by check or cash only. Holding capacities strictly enforced. Our Mission The Mission of the California Department of Parks and Recreation is to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the states’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high quality outdoor recreation. California State Parks Historic Sites Visitor Information Guide • Commercial tour companies will be charged regular admission price at the park where applicable. • School groups with reservations will be admitted free of charge at all venues unless otherwise noted. • Requests for special assistance for persons with disabilities should be identified when making reservations with Reserve America. • Due to the number of no-shows at the Historic Sites venues, groups that fail to show for a reserved venue will be invoiced $25.00 per no show. • Fees subject to change. School group reservations call toll free: (866) 2404655 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., 7 days a week Pacific Standard Time. Commercial group reservations call toll free:(866) 361-5111 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. M-F. For additional site information, maps and teacher background materials, Visit the California State Parks Website at: www.parks.ca.gov. HISTORIC STATE PARK SITES STATE CAPITOL MUSEUM 10th and L Street Guided tours provide an understanding of California’s complex and dynamic legislature. In addition, the guides interpret the Capitol’s history, architecture and symbols. Historic offices offer a glimpse into the Capitol’s past and museum rooms convey a perspective on current issues. Maximum 35 people. Wheelchair accessible. Listening devices upon request. (1 hr - Guided Tour) LELAND STANFORD MANSION 4th – 12th grades only. Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park, a National Historic Landmark, was the 19th century home of Leland and Jane Stanford. Today the Mansion welcomes leaders from around the world as the State’s official reception center and public museum. Allow 30 minutes for this guided tour. There are adult and youth fees; children five and under are free. For more information, call (916) 3246088 or (916) 324-0575 and press 03. THE CALIFORNIA MUSEUM FOR HISTORY, WOMEN AND THE ARTS The California Museum offers fun and educational programs and tours. Students have the opportunity to learn about California and the nation through the gallery-based programs. Developed by an experienced educator with specific reference to California’s curriculum standards, the Museum offers a range of resources California State Parks does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To receive this publication in an alternate format contact the California State Parks Concessions & Reservations Division at (916) 653-7733. CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS P.O. BOX 942896 SACRAMENTO, CA 94296-0001 For Information Call: (800) 777-0369 (916) 653-6995, Outside the U.S. (888) 877-5738, TTY (888) 877-5379, Without TTY www.parks.ca.gov Cover photo: Marshall Gold Discovery SHP © 2009 California State Parks for discovery and learning to classroom teachers. These resources are provided in a ready format that encourages and supports the efforts of teachers in addressing the natural and cultural diversity of California, the growth of the world-class economy, and the workings of our democracy. The Museum features exhibits on pioneering families, California Mission art, and the Remarkable Women Series with Latinas: the Spirit of California. For more information on our current exhibits, check our website at www. californiamuseum.org. CALIFORNIA STATE INDIAN MUSEUM 26th & K Street The museum displays a comprehensive collection of artifacts relating to California Indian culture. Wheelchair accessible. Groups without reservations are admitted on a space available basis. Carrying capacity enforced. (30 min Self-guided Tour) for 2nd floor of Central Building. (1 hr - Sound-Assisted, Self-guided Tour) GOVERNOR’S MANSION SHP 16th & H Street Elegant Victorian mansion built in 1877. Former home to California’s governors from John Pardee through Ronald Reagan. No strollers allowed. Due to limited holding capacity, large drop-in groups not advised. Wheelchair lift available. For information regarding this site, call (916) 323-3047. (40 min - Guided Tour) MARSHALL GOLD DISCOVERY SHP Highway 49 in Coloma This is the site of the discovery at Sutter’s MiII that triggered the California Gold Rush. Groups with a valid reservation must check in at the park entrance within an hour before or after their scheduled arrival time. For Bekeart’s gold California