Petaluma’s Past: Remembering the big Centennial Bash of 1958

Sixty years ago, Petaluma’s 100-year celebration lasted a week|

Petaluma turned 100 years old in 1958, and the celebration was a big one.

In fact, it lasted one entire week.

Everyone in town took part, including such “names” as Bill Soberanes, John Cavanagh, Ed Fratini, Olive Simoni, Bob Brunner, Ev Matzen, Fred Mateii, Merv McCoy, Helen Putnam, Silvio Gambonini, Bud Popp, Bill Maestretti and Art Parent.

It was an enthusiastic “Who’s Who” of our town.

Celebrating our first 100 years - and the coming ones too - Argus-Courier Editor Duncan Olmsted reminisced, “Here, I know the man who fixes my car and I call him a personal friend. I know the lady in the bakery, in the laundry and in the grocery. If I die here, I’ll know the man who buries me.”

Regarding our river, he stated, “Call it what you will, if it wasn’t for that salty arm of the Bay, Petaluma wouldn’t be here today. For now … suffice to say, Happy Birthday, Old Girl.”

On April 12, 1858, Petaluma had been officially recognized as a city, by charter from the State. We had a population, then, of just 1,275.

A new draw-bridge on Washington Street had been built, our first flour-feed mill had opened and our Baptist Church had installed the infamous San Francisco Vigilante Bell in its steeple. We also got a hook and ladder company and could brag that our mail came in on time, once a week … by horseback.

So, that first 100 years just flew by, and by 1958, the “New Petaluma” was ready to kick up its heels and party.

A big parade was planned, and there was to be held a Pioneer Day, a Youth Day, a Fraternal Day, a Veteran’s Day, a Religious Day, an Ag and River Day, and … oh yeah … a Neighbor Day, inviting ALL Northern California communities to the party in Petaluma. The entertainment was to run from Aug. 24-30, every day and night.

And each evening would feature a “Petaluma Pageant” at the fairgrounds.

Sixty years ago, in ’58, our country was in the midst of a recession caused by a very high cost of living (mostly because of high food costs), plus incredible unemployment. But in California, Gov. Goodwin Knight boasted that we had the best state economy in the nation, and merchants here said we were ready for “unprecedented industrial growth,” because of our excellent transportation via highway, railroad and the Golden Gate Bridge, granting access to the San Francisco markets. Our city fathers were reaching out to electronics, research and manufacturing companies to relocate here, and a general plan was underway to facilitate that strategy, by nailing-down new ordinances and codes.

As we now know, it worked.

Another event in our City that anticipated growth that year was the name change of Main Street to Petaluma Boulevard. Since the construction of Highway 101, Petaluma merchants were moving away from Main, to other streets - such as Kentucky - because of too much thru-traffic congestion. Editor Olmsted forecast, “Petaluma Boulevard is an augury of our future.”

In other ’58 headlines, the New York Giants baseball team moved to San Franciso. As the new San Francisco Giants, they played their first game in S.F.’s Seal Stadium.

Alaska was voted a state that year, both the Hula Hoop and Super Glue were invented, Bank of America tested out something they called a “Visa Card,” France’s Charles de Gaulle was Time Magazine’s “Man Of The Year,” and Robert Welch formed the ultra-conservative John Birch Society, which was to develop an active branch here in Petaluma … for a while, anyway.

As our 1958 Centennial show in Petaluma was drawing to a close, the busy week ended with a bang of a Teriyaki barbecue for 2,500 residents in the Fairgrounds. (It was chicken, of course). There was packed-out dancing on Kentucky Street until Taps was sounded at 11 p.m.

Our future mayor, Helen Putnam, was president of our Board of Education that year, and Helen declared, “What a wonderful week! So many memories!”

Editor Olmsted mused, “We close the door on the past 100 years and stand on the threshold of our second century,” and columnist Bill Soberanes heralded the week as, “The most exciting seven days in the history of modern Petaluma!”

(I miss Bill).

But there was bad news here that year as well, as the huge Petaluma Hatchery - owned by brothers, Herb and Paul Bundeson - was destroyed by fire. It was also a loss of over 400,000 hatching eggs. Located at 937 North Main, a block above Magnolia, it was then just outside the city limits. That, by law, excluded our fire department from responding, and by the time the State Division of Forestry called for help from here, it was too late.

The Bundesons promised to make their next hatchery even bigger, with their famous “Babcock Bessie” chicks back in egg production, as usual.

A Petaluma crusade of 1958 was the effort to acquire a boat harbor on our River. County supervisors had devised a Master Plan which included said harbor with 334 berths, a restaurant and a clubhouse. Columnist Bob Wells had complained, “Our waterfront is not so hot. It’s just a hodge-podge of rotting pilings. Actually, it’s shabby!”

(I miss good ol’ Bob, too).

Our marina finally came to fruition in 1990, with 192 berths.

Movie entertainment here in ’58, included “Dr. Zhivago” and “South Pacific,” the top TV show was “Gunsmoke,” the big names in pop music were Elvis and Pat Boone, and three of the hot film stars were Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot and Jayne Mansfield, whom, they said, all featured “outstanding charisma.”

(Uh huh).

So you may ask, how was it, living here in 1958?

Well, one could buy a three-bedroom two-bath, 1.5 year-old home (at 1516 Madison St.) with a G.I. loan for $11,000. Or, if renting was your speed, a three-room furnished apartment (at 514 Oak St.) for $43 a month. If a used car was what you wanted, Sanderson Motors at 320 S. Main St. (Now Peet’s Coffee) would sell you a ’57 Chevrolet Bel Aire Sedan, “Like new and loaded,” for $2,195.

Our “Small Town in The West” was a fun and prosperous place to live and work in both of those centuries. It was also an ever-changing landscape. 1858 and 1958 were both important years here, each one a significant stepping stone into the future of our community.

And it didn’t just “happen” that way.

Our town was crafted by a lot of good people, for a lot of good reasons.

(Skip Sommer is an honorary lifetime member of the Petaluma Historical Museum and Heritage Homes. He can be reached at skipsommer@hotmail.com)

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