The San Francisco call., 1909-12-04
TPROSPICTSIN
NORTnfRNCOUNT|[S
'Napa, Sononla, Marin, MendO=
cino and Lake Offer Un=
bounded Opportunities
BY FRANCIS HOPE
Representing Nnpa. sonoma, Marin,
Mendocino and Lake Counties

Mendocino and Lake Counties
Immediately north of the bay of San
Francisco lies an empire of beauty and
produetiveness which is attracting con-
tinued and wide attention. Even yet
much of 1t is little known, much of 1t
undeveloped Yet such diversity of
choice is offered TO the tourist, nome
seeker or health seeker that one is be-
wildered Anything you want you can
find--rich soil. accessibility TO marker,
mineral deposits. and health giving min :
eral springs. giant trees and valuaoie
hardwoods. swiftly flowing streams ana
placid lakes. fertile valleys and vlneclao
hillsides dense forests and snowclad
peaks
Everything that is grown in California
fiourishes here. from oranges to turnlps,
and in many of the products the district
holds first place. The dairy interests
are among the largest in the state; the
poultry industry. with its center at
Petaluma. is about the largest in the
world The wines of Sonorna and Napa
compare favorably with the vintages OF
France and Italy. The Gold Ridge dis
trict near Sebastopol raises the earliest
Gravenstein apples in America
GREAT BERRY REGION
Near Santa Rosa is the grea test berry
section More than 1000 tons OF ripe
berries arc shipped to San Francisco
alone each year. Sonoma is first In the
production of hops. An average OF 3d.
O0O bales is shipped each year Thls
quantity would make enough beer TO
float the American navy.
To make their attractions known TO
the world the five counties of Sonoma'
Napa. Marin Mendocino and Lake have
promotion body. This association is a
federation of all the chambers of COM
merce in the district united in COM
mon effort to unselfshly promote the
whole region. For the last three years
the North of Bay Counties ASSOCIATION
has done active and aggressive work,
both within and without its borders.
Within it has educated and encouraged,
without it has carried on broad mind
ed and dignified work of publicity.
lecturer and representative is main
tained in Los Angeles and also at the
California state board of trade in San
Francisco to come in personal contact
with the many visitors to the state.
EXHIBITION CAR IN EAST
During the year an exhibit car has
been chartered and is now touring in
Michigan with a display of fruits and
vegetables. To thisLlther Burbank has
given unique creations which are at
tracing wide attention. The car is vis-
tied by about 1000 persons a day, and
in every town where stops are made the
papers publish interesting descriptions
of the exhibit
These activities have been the means
of directing many hundreds of persons
into the territory. Land values have
increased. Particular development has
| been seen along the banks of the Rus
,t1l, few orc
ago was held for about s25 per acre
has been sold in small building lots
for from 500 to $500 per lot for sum-
mer homes.
1t is estimated that more than 5000
persons go every year from San Fran
cisco alone TO spend their summer out
ing in fishing. boating and bathing
and camping in the redwoods on the
banks of this beautiful stream.
The resorts of Lake county have an
increasing patronage, many visitors
coming from Los Angeles and the
southern part of the state Clear lake
seems to have an irresistible charm for
the people OF the lands of little water.
and Lake county is perhaps the best
known and best advertised county in
the state. More than $4,000 tourists
visit the springs every year.
These north of bay counties cover
y
larger than some European countries.
Mendocino county is large as the
whole state of Delaware and has 100
miles of coast line. Sonoma county
is as large as Rhode Island. In all
they have a coast line of more than
200 miles In places the sea cliffs are
heavily fringed with dense redwood
forests, where sawmills are at work
and employ hundreds of men. Yet in
all this vast territory are to be found
only 125,000 persons-pot enough 70
make a good sized city. There are II
souls to each square mile on the av-
erage, one man to each so acres
1t is now realized that it is a crime to
allow such a domain to remain largely
undeveloped, when its settlement would
the state and to the happiness and
prosperity of a larger number of people
The spirit of development has taken
hold of the imaginations of the enter
prising citizens of the larger cities
such as Napa, Santa Rosa and Peta-
! luna, and they, with others, are in
forming home seekers of the desira-
bility of living in this garden, spot OF
the world, where everything grows nat
urally and spontaneously, without irri-
CATION
The counties north of the bay of San
Francisco are. at last. coming into
their own. 1t does not take much OF
prophetic vision to see a large poptI
! lation enjoying their resources and fer
tility in a few years.
]