History Talks in the Plaza
-Summer 2024-

Each summer, the Healdsburg Museum’s docents present History Talks in the Plaza on Saturday mornings at the gazebo. In 2024, programs run from June 1st to August 31st. Each Saturday there will be two presentations:

10:00 – 10:30
The Healdsburg Story                           
This quick overview of the town’s past is perfect for newcomers and visitors. You’ll learn the town’s history from Pomo Village to Destination Healdsburg.

10:30 – 11:30
Healdsburg In Depth                       
Each Saturday the docents will present a one-hour exploration of a special topic. Topics for 2024 are below.

Summer 2024 History Talks Schedule

June 1

10:00-10:30                     
The Healdsburg Story
New to town? Learn our history from Pomo Village to Destination Healdsburg.

10:30 – 11:30             
2024 Family History Essay Winners (Organized by Phyllis Chiosso Liu)
The winners of the Museum’s annual Family History Essay contest will read their essays about their interviews with a family member.

June 8

10:00– 10:30                  
The Healdsburg Story
New to town? Learn our history from Pomo Village to Destination Healdsburg.

10:30 – 11:30 
Stories Behind the Buildings: Our Architectural Gems
Don Anderson and Joanne Taeuffer
Don Anderson and Joanne Taeuffer will tell the stories of some of the historic buildings in town and share self-guided walking tours you can take to see even more. Don will focus on older institutional and commercial buildings that have been adapted to new uses while retaining their architectural beauty. Joanne will talk about some of her favorite Healdsburg houses that represent local styles popular between 1850 and 1935.

June 15

No History Talks, Juneteenth Celebration in the Plaza

June 22

10:00 – 10:30                  
The Healdsburg Story
New to town? Learn our history from Pomo Village to Destination Healdsburg.

10:30 – 11:30 
A Stroll Around the Plaza
Steve Deas and Fred Leoni
In this stroll, Steve Deas will introduce visitors to the Plaza’s history, its trees and the war memorial. Fred Leoni will tell the stories of our athlete heroes who are commemorated in monuments here.

June 29

10:00 – 10:30                  
The Healdsburg Story
New to town? Learn our history from Pomo Village to Destination Healdsburg.

10:30 – 11:30             
Healdsburg Life In the 1950s and 60s
Jim Dreisback and Ted Calvert

This look back to an earlier version of Healdsburg will include Jim Dreisback’s tales of our small agricultural town and Ted Calvert’s recounting of the story of Smith Robinson, who led the city to adopt an army battalion of solders during the Korean War and put us on the map as an honoree of “This Is Your Life.”

July 6

10:00 – 10:30                  
The Healdsburg Story
New to town? Learn our history from Pomo Village to Destination Healdsburg.

10:30 – 11:30             
The Healdsburg Home Front during World War II
Jerry Haag and Meredith Dreisback.
Life on the home front during WWII included dealing with labor shortages, women stepping up to support the war effort, treatment of Japanese citizens and many stories of sacrifice by solders from our hometown. Jerry Haag and Meredith Dreisback will talk about everything from the German POWs in Windsor working on our farms to Healdsburg’s own P-47.  Jim Dreisback will be in full WWII army regalia and driving his WWII era Jeep.

July 13

10:00 – 10:30                  
The Healdsburg Story
New to town? Learn our history from Pomo Village to Destination Healdsburg.

10:30 – 11:30             
Lost and Found Buildings
Eric Drew and Fran Schierenbeck
Eric Drew will discuss the lost buildings of Healdsburg – the old city hall, high school and many others. Then Architectural Historian Frances Schierenbeck will lead a walk around the Plaza to tell the stories of the historic buildings that remain.

July 20

10:00 – 10:30                  
The Healdsburg Story
New to town? Learn our history from Pomo Village to Destination Healdsburg.

10:30 – 11:30             
Healdsburg Matriarchs: Josefa Carrillo Fitch and Isabelle Simi Haigh  
Claire O’Neill and Tina Ius
Josefa Carrillo Fitch and Isabelle Simi Haigh were both young women forced to take responsibility for their family’s business interests after the deaths of the men in the family --  Josefa in the years right after the Gold Rush and Isabelle at the dawn of the 20th century. Josefa inherited the Sotoyome Land Grant and arrived in Healdsburg to find that squatters had taken over large swaths of her land. Isabelle found herself going from Queen of Healdsburg Rose Carnival to running Simi winery in a matter of a few months in 1904. She managed the winery until the early 1970s, through many ups and downs, not the least of which was the prohibition years. Hear all about the lives of these two strong women who were matriarchs of Healdsburg families. 

July 27

10:00 – 10:30                  
The Healdsburg Story
New to town? Learn our history from Pomo Village to Destination Healdsburg.

10:30 – 11:30             
Early Transportation: Pomo Paths to Autos
Kay Robinson and Don Anderson
Kay Robinson and Don Anderson will explore the history of transportation technology in Healdsburg, from the days of horse and buggy to how streets were laid out to the introduction of autos and finally the building of the 101 freeway. Don will focus on the time around the turn of the 20th century, when the railroad was still important but was soon overshadowed by the new-fangled automobile.

August 3

10:00 – 10:30                  
The Healdsburg Story
New to town? Learn our history from Pomo Village to Destination Healdsburg.

10:30 – 11:30             
Two Views of Early-Days Healdsburg Life
Don Anderson and Claire O’Neill
Here are two views of life in Healdsburg in the years between its founding and the first World War. Don Anderson will talk about what was happening here in 1908, based on observations from the diary by his great-grandmother. Claire O’Neill will tell the story of Polly Keeler, who lived in a house on Fitch Street that Claire later inhabited. Polly’s story captured Claire’s imagination and it’s sure to pique your interest too.

August 10

10:00 – 10:30                  
The Healdsburg Story
New to town? Learn our history from Pomo Village to Destination Healdsburg.

10:30 – 11:30 
Healdsburg’s Great Outdoors
Ted Calvert
Learn about Healdsburg’s Forever Wild Preserves: Fitch Mountain Park and Preserve, Healdsburg Ridge Preserve, and Riddell Preserve. Ted Calvert will share information about their trails, their plants and wildlife, and how to forage their bounty. You'll also learn about land stewardship and why we want to preserve our agricultural roots. Plus, of course, he'll remind you of all the health benefits you get from hanging out in our great outdoors.

August 17

10:00 – 10:30                  
The Healdsburg Story
New to town? Learn our history from Pomo Village to Destination Healdsburg.

10:30 – 11:30             
Hops, Prunes, Grapes  & Early Wineries
Don Mitchell and Dennis Hill
Healdsburg life has always revolved around agriculture, although the crops have evolved over time. You’ll learn about the arc of that history – hops, prunes, grapes and more -- from Don Mitchell. Then Dennis Hill will talk about wineries, vineyards and the family ownerships that were important in pre-prohibition and prohibition times.

August 24

10:00 – 10:30                  
The Healdsburg Story
New to town? Learn our history from Pomo Village to Destination Healdsburg.

10:30 – 11:30             
For the Common Good: Medicine and One-Room School Houses
Kay Robinson and Steve Deas
Two critical aspects of the social net are medicine and education. Steve Deas will talk about the history of Healdsburg medicine, from Traditional Healers to Modern Doctors. Kay Robinson will talk about how children were educated in a plethora of small country school houses that dotted the Dry Creek Valley in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

August 31

10:00 – 10:30                  
The Healdsburg Story
New to town? Learn our history from Pomo Village to Destination Healdsburg.

10:30 – 11:30             
From Mayberry to Beverly Healdsburg
Joanne Taeuffer
Joanne Taeuffer will talk about the downtown area when she was young, the deterioration of the area with the coming of the freeway, the city’s decision to become a destination wine resort area in the early 1980s, and the subsequent redevelopment agency’s quest to bring an upscale hotel to the plaza area. She’ll finish with a walk around the Plaza to look at what has taken the place of her childhood Plaza memories.