Family ties important at Wilson School

The Native Sons of the Golden West will honor Wilson School on Sept. 19 for its long, significant service to Petaluma.

A ceremony at 1 p.m. will celebrate the influence and importance of family to the school, as well as serve as a reminder of how long it has been utilized by west Petaluma families.

Established in 1863, Wilson Elementary School has been an integral part of Petaluma’s history, providing educational opportunities to the ranch families that live outside city limits. Since then, it has expanded dramatically from the original single classroom to a more complex network of classrooms, offices and an auditorium. The school has been the recipient of various awards, such as the California State Distinguished School Award.

To coincide with the dedication ceremony, the school is being remodeled. The Cluster Building, which originally was three classrooms connected at the back of each room, is being altered so that a stage can be installed.

The front of the school will be renovated for a large plaque commemorating the school’s history, added Eric Hoppes, principal of the school and superintendent of the Wilmar Union School District. Bill Bertolucci has agreed to donate the rock on which the plaque will stand.

“Wilson School has an interesting history of attendees and staff,” says Hoppes. “In fact, Mayor (Pamela) Torliatt’s grandmother was a teacher many years back. The school has a unique tradition of family. Some of the families that began Wilson still own property out here and have descendants that go here.”

The Native Sons, a group “dedicated to preserving and promoting California history” and dating back to 1885, has dedicated other schools in west Petaluma, such as Two Rock Union School. The group’s honoring of Wilson School is meant to be both symbolic of the school’s history and a means of spreading awareness about that history.

“The Native Sons dedicate areas with historical significance, and Wilson School certainly played an important role in Petaluma’s past,” Hoppes said.

(Contact Sean Trott at argus@arguscourier.com)