{"id":807,"date":"2016-11-19T14:57:09","date_gmt":"2016-11-19T22:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sergneri.net\/wordpress\/?p=807"},"modified":"2016-11-19T14:57:09","modified_gmt":"2016-11-19T22:57:09","slug":"sonoma-on-the-derivation-and-definition-of-the-names","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sergneri.net\/wordpress\/index.php\/2016\/11\/19\/sonoma-on-the-derivation-and-definition-of-the-names\/","title":{"rendered":"SONOMA – On the Derivation and Definition of the Names …"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\tDaily Alta California, Volume 1, Number 103, 29 April 1850 <\/strong><\/p>\n

REPORT FROM THE SELECT COMMITTEE
\nOn the Derivation and Definition
\nof the Names of the several Counties
\nof the State of California, &c.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

SONOMA.\u2014 The name of this county is an Indian word, signifying “Valley of the Moon,” by which the aborigines designated the valley wherein the town of that name is situated.
\nThe tribe occupying this valley was called Chocuyen ; but in 1824, on the arrival there of the first expedition for the purpose of establishing a mission, the name of “Sonoma” having been given to their chief by the paternal minister, Jose Altimira, the Chocuyenes then adopted the same, which they still retain. This, as well as the other tribes who occupied the tract which now composes the counties of Sonoma and Marin, were dependent on a great chief who bore the heathen name of Marin de Licatiut, as mentioned in the history of the county of that name.
\nSonoma is the most beautiful and picturesque valley in Upper California, and from its topographical situation, fronting the bay of San Pablo, from its delightful climate, fertile soil, abundant timber of all kinds close by, and from its pure and sweet waters, it is destined very soon to become one of the most populous parts of that valuable section of country. There are hot springs in its vicinity, which, from their medicinal virtues, may in future rival those of Arkansas.
\nSonoma is at present the residence of the commander-in-chief of the western division of the army in California and Oregon.
\nIn the Pueblo de Sonoma, in fine, there occurred an incident which will render the town celebrated in the history of the country, to wit : On the 14th day of June (of perpetual memory) a certain personage<\/em> ordered a certain flag<\/em> to be there hoisted, on whose white surface was conspicuously to be seen a certain animal<\/em> ; and after certain personages<\/em> had taken the place by surprise, they took a second personage prisoner to a certain fort<\/em>, on the eastern bank of a certain river<\/em>, in which they locked him for two months; during which he was overtaken by a certain disease<\/em> which prevails there yearly, and from which he was set at liberty very nearly on the eve of settling accounts with a third personage<\/em>, whose emblematic figure throughout the world is that of a skeleton armed with a scythe in his right hand.
\n[The party alluded to who raised the “Bear Flag,” was commanded by Mr. Wm. B. Ide. \u2014 The prisoner captured was Gen. Vallejo, the author of the present report. Ed’s. Alta Cal.]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Daily Alta California, Volume 1, Number 103, 29 April 1850 REPORT FROM THE SELECT COMMITTEE On the Derivation and Definition of the Names of the several Counties of the State of California, &c. SONOMA.\u2014 The name of this county is an Indian word, signifying “Valley of the Moon,” by which the aborigines designated the valley … [Read more…]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[23,38,245,407,741,916,1387,1499,1594,1788,1873],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-sergneri","4":"has-excerpt","5":"post-807","7":"format-standard","8":"category-california-history","9":"category-california-newspaper-archive","10":"post_tag-14th-day-of-june","11":"post_tag-38","12":"post_tag-bear-flag","13":"post_tag-chocuyen","14":"post_tag-general-vallejo","15":"post_tag-jose-altimira","16":"post_tag-pueblo-de-sonoma","17":"post_tag-san-pablo-bay","18":"post_tag-sonoma","19":"post_tag-valley-of-the-moon","20":"post_tag-william-b-ide"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sergneri.net\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/807","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sergneri.net\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sergneri.net\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sergneri.net\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sergneri.net\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=807"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sergneri.net\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/807\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sergneri.net\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sergneri.net\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sergneri.net\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}