Mankas Corner is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in the Suisun Valley AVA, is an American Viticulture Area in Solano County, California.

Description

The area around Mankas Corner is primarily agricultural, with the main crops being wine grapes and olives. However, row crops such as wheat, sorghum, sunflowers and soy beans are important also. The area has a semi-coastal

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

, and sits at a relatively low elevation of . The

terrain Terrain or relief (also topographical relief) involves the vertical and horizontal dimensions of land surface. The term bathymetry is used to describe underwater relief, while hypsometry studies terrain relative to sea level. The Latin word ...

is flat, but there are mountains on three sides. Prominent landmarks visible from Mankas Corner are

Mt. Diablo Mount Diablo is a mountain of the Diablo Range, in Contra Costa County of the eastern San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California. It is south of Clayton and northeast of Danville. It is an isolated upthrust peak of , visible from most o ...

, which is visible to the south across the

Suisun Bay Suisun Bay ( ; Wintun for "where the west wind blows") is a shallow tidal estuary (a northeastern extension of the San Francisco Bay) in Northern California. It lies at the confluence of the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River, forming the ent ...

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

, the

twin summit A double summit, double peak, twin summit, or twin peak refers to a mountain or hill that has two summits, separated by a col or saddle. One well-known double summit is Austria’s highest mountain, the Großglockner, where the main summit of ...

of Twin Sisters, which is the high point in the Howell Mountains to the west, and the Blue Ridge of the Vaca Mountains, a prominent escarpment visible to the east.

History

Mankas Corner is named after Christley Manka (1814–1888), who in 1855 bought from John Barton an interest in a store and tavern at that location. It was then the intersection of the

Benicia Benicia ( , ) is a waterside city in Solano County, California, located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. It served as the capital of California for nearly thirteen months from 1853 to 1854. The population was 26,997 at the ...

-to-

Suisun City Suisun City ( ; Wintun for "where the west wind blows") is a city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 29,518 at the 2020 census. The city takes its name from the adjacent Suisun Bay, which in turn is named for the Su ...

stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

route and the main road running between Suisun and the

Berryessa Valley Rancho Las Putas was a Mexican land grant in present-day Napa County, California given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to José de Jesús Berreyesa and Sexto "Sisto" Berreyesa. The name ''Las Putas'' came from Putah Creek, which ran thro ...

. Wheat from Berryessa Valley farms supplied grain to much of the state, and each harvest massive wagons drawn by multi-horse teams used the Suisun-Berryessa road to haul this wheat to the Suisun City port. The Suisun-Berryessa road was also part of the main route from San Francisco to the Sulphur Bank quicksilver mine in Knoxville, which meant that Barton and Manka's store sat at a major crossroads. Manka by 1859 had bought out Barton's interest in the store, and over the next forty years his store became a popular community center with an adjacent post office,

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

shop and Masonic Hall. Today a restaurant occupies the original site of the old store, with other establishments and a few residences nearby.

Notes and references

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in California Unincorporated communities in Solano County, California

Description

History

See also

Notes and references