Guernewood Park 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 western
Sonoma County
Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, on the
Russian River, west of
Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose.
Santa Rosa may also refer to:
Places Argentina
* Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city
* Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca
* Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca
*Santa Rosa, La Pampa
* S ...
, and west of
Guerneville, just off
State Route 116.
Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve
Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve is a state park of California in the United States established to preserve of coast redwoods (''Sequoia sempervirens''). The reserve is located in Sonoma County, just north of Guerneville.
The reserv ...
and
Austin Creek State Recreation Area
Austin Creek State Recreation Area is a state park unit of California, United States, encompassing an isolated wilderness area. It is located in Sonoma County, California, adjacent to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, with which it sha ...
are to the north.
History
In 1867, George E. Guerne, a young Swiss immigrant arrived in Stumptown. He purchased land and established a subdivision which became Guernewood Park. He constructed and operated a saw mill in Stumptown (later renamed Guerneville).
After the introduction of the railroad into the Russian River valley in the late 1800s, thousands of
San Franciscans flocked to the region each summer. Soon, many of the famous big bands started to provide dance music at packed outdoor venues along the river even into the 1950s.
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...
,
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...
and other famous names were frequent performers during the
Big Band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...
era.
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywoo ...
stars were also frequent visitors.
Content references
Unincorporated Areas in CaliforniaRRROC Draft Design GuidelinesHistory of Armstrong Redwoods SRHistory of Russian River Recreation Area
External links
Armstrong Redwoods SRAustin Creek SRARussian River Chamber of Commerce & Visitor CenterRussian River Historical SocietyHistoric Maps of Guernewood ParkTopographic map from TopoQuest
Area business
Fern Grove
{{authority control
Unincorporated communities in California
Unincorporated communities in Sonoma County, California