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1

VINTAGE

PHOTOGRAPH

MOST PHOTOS

1910- 1915 ERA

NEAR SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

NEAR ANTELOPE, CALIFORNIA

NEAR SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA

MOST OF PHOTOS HAD CAPTIONS.

I DO NOT TRUST GOOGLE!

GOOGLE INFO BELOW:

WILLIAM " BILL " JAMES WAS THE FATHER OF CLAUDE H. JAMES, HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS INDICATE THAT THE JAMES FAMILY AND FOOTE FAMILY WERE INTERCONNECTED THROUGH THEIR RANCHING OPERATIONS IN THE AREA NOW KNOWN AS ANTELOPE RANCH.

CLAUDE JAMES AND BILL JAMES: IN LOCAL HISTORY, CLAUDE JAMES IS RECORDED AS WORKING ALONGSIDE HIS FATHER, BILL JAMES, ON THEIR FAMILY HOLDINGS WHICH WERE ADJACENT TO OR INTERGRATED WITH THE BROADER FOOTE RANCH LANDS.

WORKING FOR WILLIAM " BILL " FOOTE: THERE IS SOMETIMES CONFUSION IN ORAL HISTORIES BECAUSE WILLIAM " BILL " FOOTE WAS THE PRIMARY OWNER OF THE LARGE FOOTE RANCH, CLAUDE JAMES AND HIS FATHER WERE OFTEN DESCRIBED AS " HELPING BILL " OR MANAGING SPECIFIC SECTIONS OF THE GRAZING LAND.

• The Ranch: The Slight family were pioneers in the Sloughhouse region, which was the heart of the "California Hop Belt" along the Cosumnes River. In 1912, they were at the peak of their production, contributing to Sacramento's status as a global hop capital.
• The Work: If Claude James "grew hops" there in 1912, he likely either managed a section of the Slight acreage or worked as a specialized contractor for them. At this time, hopyards required massive amounts of seasonal labor for "stringing" and harvesting.
• The James-Foote Link
• The Foote family has a documented presence in both Sacramento and Santa Rosa (Sonoma County) during this era.
  • Santa Rosa Roots: Historical records show the FOOTE FAMILY established a long-term presence in Sonoma County, often working in ranching and specialized trades.
  • Family Ties: It was common for Sacramento agricultural families to have ties to the Santa Rosa/Healdsburg area, as both regions were the two primary hop-growing districts in California. A "Clara" or "Clare" James marrying into the Foote family would explain why you see these names linked across these two cities.
  • James J. Foote: A specific James J. Foote (born early 1900s) lived in the Santa Rosa area and worked as a caretaker for local ranches, which mirrors the agricultural background of the James family in Sacramento.
  • Verification Details
    • Claude & Clare: Claude W. James (born c. 1896) lived in Sacramento during the 1912 era. If Clare was his sister, she may appear in census records as Clara Foote later in life.
    • Location: The Slight Ranch was located near Deer Creek and Sloughhouse Road.
   In the early 1900s, the ANTELOPE area of Sacramento County was a small but vital agricultural settlement. While "Foote Ranch" is not the primary historical name for the largest plots in that specific township, your family history likely connects to the 
  Slight Ranch
   (or Slight family) in the nearby Sloughhouse region, which was the epicenter of California's hop industry in 1912.
• The Antelope and Sloughhouse Connection
  • Antelope (1912): At this time, Antelope was a major shipping point for grain and produce via the Central Pacific Railroad. If the Foote or James families lived here, they would have been part of a small community of roughly four dwelling houses and a few local stores.
  • Hop Growing: The "Slight Hop Ranch" was a massive operation located in Sloughhouse, just south of Antelope. In 1912, this area was at the absolute peak of hop production, making it the most likely place for Claude James to have "grown hops."
  • Family Movements: Agricultural families frequently moved between Antelope (Sacramento County) and Santa Rosa (Sonoma County). Santa Rosa was the other major "Hop Hub" of California, which explains why the Foote family would have branches in both locations.
  • Life in 1912
    If Claude James and his sister Clare were working the hopyards in 1912, they were living through the final "Golden Summer" of the industry. The following year, 1913, saw the industry transformed by labor riots and the eventual onset of Prohibition, which shuttered many of the local ranches.In the early 1900s, the 

    Saxton

     (often spelled Sexton) and 

    Foote

     families were indeed prominent neighboring landowners in the ANTELOPE area of Sacramento County. This neighborhood was a small, tight-knit agricultural community where families like the Footes, Saxtons, and Jarvises collaborated on large-scale ranching and the booming hop industry.
    The Saxton-Foote Neighborhood in Antelope
    • Property Proximity: The Saxton (Sexton) family held significant land in the Antelope Judicial Township. Their properties were situated near the Central Pacific Railroad tracks, which served as the main shipping artery for the region's produce.
    • Social and Economic Ties: As neighbors, these families were part of the same "threshing circles" and cooperative labor groups required for large harvests. If Claude James was working in the hopyards in 1912, he would have been part of this shared labor network between the Saxton, Foote, and Slight properties.
    • The Jarvis Connection: The name Jarvis (potentially the maiden name of Claude's wife, Laura or Elsie) also appears in regional records. The Jarvis family frequently intermarried with established ranching families in the Sacramento and Santa Rosa areas, bridging the gap between the two major hop districts.
    • Key Residents and Ranches
      • The Foote Family: Known for their work in carpentry, undertaking, and large-scale ranching, the Footes were pillars of the Antelope community.
      • The Saxton (Sexton) Family: They were among the early settlers of the region, with family members like Charles D. Sexton and William J. Sexton documented in local history as pioneers and landowners.
      • Slight Hop Ranch: Located nearby in Sloughhouse, this was the primary employer for many men in the Antelope neighborhood during the 1912 hop peak.
      • Verification of Family Members
        • Laura & Claude: Given the neighborly ties, it is highly likely that 
          Laura
           was a 
          Laura Jarvis
           or a 
          Laura Foote
           who married Claude James.
        • Pinecrest: This name likely refers to a specific section of the broader Foote or Saxton holdings that may have been used for residential or specialized farming purposes.
        • The 
          Pinecrest Ranch
           in the Mt. Olivet district near Santa Rosa was a well-known hop-growing operation owned by Mrs. E.F. Woodward (and her daughter Miss Bess Woodward) during the early 1910s. The ranch's identity and its role in the 1912 hop boom provide the missing link between the James, Foote, Saxton, and Jarvis families you've identified.
        • The Pinecrest Ranch and the Woodwards
          In 1912, the Woodward ranch was a center of social and agricultural activity. A famous local story from that year involves a bet where a man named Finley wheeled a 132-pound bale of hops from the Woodward ranch near Mt. Olivet all the way to Santa Rosa (over 10 miles) to win a prize from Mrs. Woodward.
        • Location: The Mt. Olivet district is located northwest of Santa Rosa, an area historically dominated by fertile hopyards before the rise of the wine industry.
        • The 1912 Era: This was the absolute peak of the hop industry in Sonoma County, with the region producing nearly half of California's total output.
        • Connecting the Families
          The names you mentioned—James, Foote, Saxton, and Jarvis—represent the labor and management network that supported large operations like Mrs. Woodward's:
          • Claude and Laura James: If Claude James "grew hops" in 1912, he likely managed a portion of the Woodward acreage or a neighboring plot. His wife Laura (potentially a Jarvis or Foote) would have been part of the intermarried agricultural families that moved between the Sacramento (Antelope/Sloughhouse) and Santa Rosa hop districts.
          • The Foote & Saxton Neighbors: The Saxtons and Footes were documented neighbors in Antelope, California. Because both Antelope and the Mt. Olivet district were major hop-shipping hubs, these families frequently collaborated on harvesting and logistics.
          • The Jarvis Connection: The Jarvis family (possibly Elsie or Laura's maiden name) was a known quantity in the regional labor pool, often providing the specialized skills needed to manage the complex drying process in the hop kilns.
          • Life in the Mt. Olivet District (1912)
            • Hop Picking: During the August harvest, hundreds of workers—including the families of the owners and neighbors—would gather at Pinecrest Ranch to hand-strip hop cones into large baskets.
            • Social Circle: The "party of friends" mentioned in Woodward ranch records suggests a vibrant social scene where the James and Foote families would have interacted at community events like the local football games and picnics that celebrated the end of a successful harvest. 
            • The James-Foote Partnership (1912)
              • The Family Holdings: If Bill (William) James and his son Claude were working their own land adjacent to the Footes, they were likely part of a cooperative. In the Antelope and Sloughhouse regions, large landowners like the Footes often provided the expensive infrastructure (like the massive hop kilns and cooling houses), while neighbors like the James family grew the crop on their own "integrated" acreage.
              • The 1912 Harvest: This year was the peak of production. For Bill and Claude, "growing hops" meant a year-round cycle: "grubbing" and "stringing" the vines in the spring, and the high-intensity harvest in August.
              • The Neighbor Network: Your mention of the Saxtons as neighbors completes the picture of the Antelope agricultural cluster. These three families—Foote, Saxton, and James—would have shared labor, equipment, and the local rail siding to ship their hops to the breweries.
              The "Pinecrest" and Santa Rosa Link
              While the Woodward's Pinecrest Ranch was in the Mt. Olivet district of Santa Rosa, the connection to the Antelope Jameses is likely professional.
              • Specialized Labor: The Footes and Jameses were known for their ranching expertise. It is highly probable that Claude or Bill James traveled to the Santa Rosa district during the peak season to help manage or consult on the Woodward’s "Pinecrest" crop, as Santa Rosa was the only other region in California that rivaled Sacramento's hop output.
              • Laura and Elsie: Whether Laura or Elsie (Jarvis) was the wife, they would have been the ones managing the "hop camp" or the ranch house while the men were in the fields.
              Historical Context
              By 1912, the James family was part of the elite group of growers who turned the Sacramento Valley into the "Hop Capital of the World." This era ended abruptly a few years later with the arrival of Prohibition and Downy Mildew, which forced many of these integrated family holdings to pivot to dairy or fruit orchards.
            • The original Porter Creek School was a small schoolhouse located in the northeast Santa Rosa/Mark West Springs area.
            • Location: It was situated near the intersection of Mark West Springs Road, Porter Creek Road, and Franz Valley Road.
            • History: The school was originally built by early pioneer Marcus West. Reports indicate the building was still standing, though overgrown, into the 1990s.
            • Status: The original structure was eventually demolished to make way for a newer building, and some historical accounts suggest parts of the school's heritage are preserved at Stillwater Cove Regional Park.

" VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPH CLARA JAMES? - DOG & MAIL BOX AT PINECREST RANCH/FARM, NEAR SANTA ROSA, ANTELOPE, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA OLD PHOTO "

THE PHOTO IS CLEAR

HAZY-FUZZY FROM HER HEAD TO TOP EDGE

THE DOG IS CLEAR

PHOTO VIEWS CLEAR HOLDING 1-2 FEET AWAY

THE PHOTO IS CLEAR 1-2 FEET AWAY, THE PHOTO IS CLEAR UNDER MAGNIFY GLASS, HAZY-FUZZY FROM HER HEAD TO TOP EDGE, BUT VIEWS CLEAR HOLDING 1-2 FEET AWAY, BIT DARK.

CAPTION ON ALBUM

" NONE "

CAPTION ON ALBUM PAGE:

" 1914 - GETTING MAIL PINECREST "

I PUT SOME INFO ON BACK!

NITA IS " JUANITA " 

THE LOCAL FAMOUS DOG!

YOU CAN LOOK UP THE FAMOUS WAGER ON GOOGLE!

READ GOOGLE INFO ABOVE!

• G.H. Gill (George H. Gill): He was probably the live on manager at Pinecrest Ranch.
• Mrs. G.H. Gill: Historical records suggest she was part of a prominent local family involved in the region's agricultural growth.
• Mrs. Harvey Shuman: 
• Robt. Burnham Shuman: 
• Mrs. A.C. Burnham: 

You are absolutely right. Historical records confirm that the Woodward family owned the Pinecrest Ranch (often referred to as "Pinecrest") near Mt. Olivet in the Santa Rosa area.

Specific details about their ownership include:

• Mrs. E.F. Woodward: She is documented as the owner of the "fine ranch" in the early 1900s.
• Agricultural Success: The ranch was well-known for its high-quality hops. In one notable 1915 account, a bale of hops from "Pinecrest" was auctioned at a "spirited contest" to a representative of a New York firm, setting a new price record for the crop.
• The Photograph Connection: The presence of G.H. Gill and his wife in your 1913 photograph suggests they may have been managing the ranch, working as foremen, or were close associates of the Woodwards. 
• This was common during that era, where prominent families like the Woodwards owned large estates that were operated by experienced ranchers like Gill.The names on your photo—including the Burnhams and Shumans—further point to the interconnected social and working circles of these neighboring agricultural families in Sonoma County at the time.
   

• The 
  Pinecrest Ranch
   in the Mt. Olivet district near Santa Rosa was a well-known hop-growing operation owned by Mrs. E.F. Woodward (and her daughter Miss Bess Woodward) during the early 1910s. The ranch's identity and its role in the 1912 hop boom provide the missing link between the James, Foote, Saxton, and Jarvis families you've identified.
• While 

  Bedelia

   and 

  Juanita

   are indeed documented names associated with the Woodward family's history, they were not the names of livestock. Instead, they were the names of household pets that became local "celebrities" during the 1912 hop boom.
  • Bedelia (The Pig)
    : Bedelia was a pet pig on the Pinecrest Ranch. She gained fame during the high-stakes "hop-wheeling" wager in 1912. In a colorful display of local pride, Bedelia was reportedly dressed in a pink ribbon and "escorted" the 132-pound bale of hops as it was wheeled by handcart from the ranch to downtown Santa Rosa.
  • Juanita (The Dog)
    : 
    Juanita
     was the Woodwards' loyal dog who also participated in the ranch's public festivities. She was often seen accompanying Miss Bess Woodward and was a familiar fixture in the Mt. Olivet district.
  These animals were part of the "Companeros" social atmosphere, where the Woodward women (Mrs. E.F. and Miss Bess) blended the business of hop-growing with a whimsical, artistic lifestyle that included their beloved pets in community events.
• • Identity: He was a prominent figure in the Mt. Olivet district and served as the Surveyor of the Port of San Francisco.
  • Estate: Following his death, his wife, Mrs. E.F. Woodward (often referred to as Mrs. Edward F. Woodward), and their daughter, Miss Bess Woodward, managed the Pinecrest Ranch.
  • Historical Legacy: The family is best remembered in Santa Rosa lore for the 1912 hop wager, where editor Ernest L. Finley wheeled a 132-pound bale of Pinecrest hops from their ranch to the city to pay for a football trip for local society youth.

• Here’s a shocking discovery: Ernest Finley sometimes loosened his tie and became quite the fun guy.

  The Press Democrat’s editor and publisher hardly had a reputation as Good Times Ernie; aside from occasional mention in the papers about card game parties or Elks Lodge shindigs, he didn’t appear to have any social life at all. And when did he have the time? He was Santa Rosa’s constant champion, tireless Chamber of Commerce booster and unapologetic defender of the status quo, sometimes locked in mudslinging combat with critics and reformers.

• All this makes it quite the surprise to read about the silly wager he made in 1911. After several years of depressed prices, the hops market rebounded that year. At the public auction Finley joked he wished he everyone in audience could get in on the boom, and the widow of a late friend offered to give him a bale of hops – but only if he would personally wheelbarrow it the ten miles from the farm to Santa Rosa. Finley accepted the deal.

  Thus a couple of hours after sunset on November 6, Ernest Latimer Finley was prepared to start his trek with a customized newspaper handcart. “Mayor James R. Edwards and Hilliard Comstock had placed the bale on the cart and firmly lashed it in place,” the Press Democrat later reported, in the first of two stories on the event. “A number of friends motored out to the Woodward ranch Monday evening to witness the outcome. The start was made at 6:30 and an an elaborate picnic was served by the roadside about half-way in. A large party of young people walked the entire distance cheering the man with the cart on his way.” The headline from another paper read, “SOCIETY GIRLS WALK UNTIL MIDNIGHT ON FREAK BET”.

  Finley and his society girls reached the Press Democrat office shortly after midnight. “Don’t say anything about this in the paper,” Finley ordered his city editor. But an article appeared over his objection because the paper’s staff “thought the story too good to be kept out.” An item about the “freak bet” was picked up by the wire service and some newspapers nationwide ran it as a kind of believe-it-or-not item, the number of society girls sometimes growing to the size of a mob and the hop bale becoming as heavy as bricks.

  The following day a special auction was held for Finley’s bale. Milton Wasserman, the top hops buyer in town, bought it at the record price of $125 – but with the requirement that Finley continue his travails and personally cart the hops from downtown to the warehouse.

  With his windfall Finley treated his youthful entourage to a weekend in San Francisco, including tickets to the Stanford-Cal football game.* Enjoying two nights of theater and suppers at his expense were a dozen twenty-something young people, nine of them women, along with two of their mothers. Among the party were Hilliard Comstock and Ruth Woolsey, whom Finley would marry about a year later.

  Since the doings offer a rare personal glimpse of Mr. Santa Rosa, it’s tempting to wonder what it reveals about him. For example, Finley was still a bachelor at age 41 and slightly more than twice Ruth’s age; was he simply trying to woo his future wife with the machismo handcart stunt and treating her gang to a swell time? And were there other evenings, occupied with less savory events, when Finley staggered into the Press Democrat office late and ordered staff “Don’t say anything about this in the paper”?

OLD 

PHOTO

THIS IS A PHOTO

NOT A POSTCARD

SHADES & COLORS

CAN VARY

JUST IN CASE ANY OF MY LISTINGS 

HAVE WRONG INFO, I CANNOT ID PHOTO OR POSTCARD,

SEND INFO, I WILL INSERT CORRECT INTO INTO LISTING, TIA.