A CAGenWeb Project 

Sonoma County Genealogy

El Verano

(Paul's Resort)

  • Genealogy
  • About The Town
  • People & Other Entities
  • Maps
  • Photos
  • Citations
Table of Contents

El Verano's name is Spanish and means "The Summer." Resorts in El Verano, and the other nearby communities of Boyes Hot Springs, Fetters Hot Springs, and Agua Caliente were popular health retreats for tourists from San Francisco and points beyond until the middle of the 20th century because of the geothermic hot springs found in the area. El Verano is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States. The population was 4,123 as of the 2010 census, falling to 3,867 at the 2020 Census. El Verano is a western suburb of the City of Sonoma. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), all of it land.  [1]



Genealogy


El Verano Historical Society [EVHS]: Its People . . . Link


GenealogyOnline:  About the Town El Verano . . . Link

Surnames: Levy


Roadside Thoughts: El Verano California . . . Link


Sonoma County Genealogical Society . . . Link




About The Town


El Verano has a Sonoma city address but is a distinctly defined area of Sonoma County. The land used to be owned by General Vallejo, and eventually it became a popular vacation area for residents of San Francisco due to its hot springs. Today, the hot springs are no longer in use and El Verano is mainly residential. El Verano is a popular shopping area for Sonoma residents and has a selection of local restaurants that are affordable. [5]


El Verano
The community of El Verano was born in 1888, when a new depot was built two miles west of Sonoma. Train passengers soon helped put El Verano on the map as a popular destination, with hotels such as Parente's, Paul's Resort, and El Verano Villa. El Verano was named by developer George H. Maxwell who sold lots for $80. A post office was established in 1889 with Henry Kleefer as postmaster. The town had a short lived newspaper called the Whistle which ran for two years. The center of social activity was the Bellevue Hotel. The town closed down when Maxwell was unable to guarantee property titles. . . . [Archived Website. Link ]


El Verano, CA was named after the Spanish term for "Summer" by developer George H. Maxwell. The town was established in 1888 when a new depot was built two miles west of Sonoma and Maxwell sold lots for $80 a piece. The town closed down when Maxwell was unable to guarantee property titles. Train passengers soon helped put El Verano on the map as a popular destination with hotels such as Parente's, Paul's Resort, and El Verano Villa. The center of social activity was the Bellevue Hotel. A post office was established in 1889 with Henry Kleefer as postmaster. The town had a short-lived newspaper called The Whistle which ran for two years. [2 Link ]



American Towns . . . Link


El Verano Historical Society [EVHS] . . . Link . . . Town History . . . Its People . . . Maps . . . And More!


El Verano Today [Niche] (has a map of location) . . . Link


El Verano Wikipedia Page . . . Link . . .


Great Fire of 1923 . . . Link

. . . .the great fire of 1923 as it burned over the side of the Mountain. The blaze destroyed many homes in the Valley, and burned right up to the edge of El Verano stopping, Basileu recalls, just short of where Derrington's service station is today.


LocalWiki: El Verano . . . Link


Permit Sonoma: Paul's Resort (El Verano) . . . Link


Sonoma Valley Historical Society . . . Link . . . About


Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce . . . Link . . . FaceBook 

WikiVoyage: El Verano . . . Link


Check Sonoma Historian (SCHS) for articles about the towns. . . .  LINK



People & Other Entities


Art Baines [came to El Verano in 1907] . . . Link


Bellevue Hotel . . . Link . . . Pics . . . Pic 

The site of the Sonoma County Maintenance Yard was home to the largest of the El Verano's largest of El Verano's resort, the Bellvue Hotel. Although constructed in the late 1800's it was dilapidated by 1897 when it was purchased by Emil Lounibos, who brought it to a modicum of success. But John Serres, who leased the  building from Lounibos in 1903, added a dance hall which sent profits from the resort skyrocketing. The hotel was demoslished in 1937 by the owner, Mrs. Fetters, and made into the maintenance yard.


Bill Basilue [ran a barber shop] . . . Link


Cranes Resort . . . Pics


Danieli Family . . . Link

The Danieli family opened the town market and post office (which they took over from the Mullens') in 1907 and which was operated by the family untl 1978.


El Verano Villa [See also Parente's Villa] . . . Pics

The El Verano Cilla, opened in 1887 by Mr. A & Mrs. Mary Nevaraumont, catered primarily to French tourists.


Family Hotel . . Pics


Floyd Oliver Barnes . . . Pic


F. P. Bacon . . . Link

Faith in the fledgling town was so great that a Mr. F. P. Bacon, the founder of Pasadena, became one of its earliest supporters. [Link]


French Cottage [Verdier's] . . . Pics [French Cottage] . . . Pics [Verdier's]

In 1902 the El Verano French Cottage opened under the ownership of J. Dutil, later the name was changed to Verdier's.


George H. Maxwell  . . . Link

El Verano, CA was named after the Spanish term for "Summer" by developer George H. Maxwell. The town was established in 1888 when a new depot was built two miles west of Sonoma and Maxwell sold lots for $80 a piece. The town closed down when Maxwell was unable to guarantee property titles.


Geysers Hotel . . . Pics


Harvey School . . . A one room school house


Henry Kleefer . . . Link . . .  A post office was established in 1889 with Henry Kleefer as postmaster.


Joaquin Hansen [Resident in 1900 when town failed] . . . Link


Joe Cruz [Resident in 1900 when town failed] . . . Link


Swiss American Hotel [Little Switzerland Resort] . . . Pics

One resort most everyone is familiar with is the Swiss American Hotel, now known as Little Switzerland, which was opened in 1904.


M. F. Mullen & sons Emmett, Mike & Tom . . . Link

The grocery store was reopened by M. F. Mullen who with his sons Emmett, Mike & Tom, ran the store until the late 50's when Emmett, the last of the family members died.


Michael Brocco . . . Link

Another former chicken rancher . . is Michael Brocco, senior owner of Brocco's Trucking in El Verano. He originally came to the area in 1922 and opened his ranch in addition to a few dairy cattle he maintained. Today [1985], the entire Brocco clan lives within one block of one another. . .  In 1947 he opened Brocco's Trucking which he is now managed by his sons. Adjacent to this is Brocco's Old Barn, a feed store, operated by his grandsons.


Oak Grove Villa. . . Pics


Parente's Villa [Paul's Resort] . . . Pics

Louie Parente, the owner, operated a training camp for professional boxers at the resort . . . Parente's later became a popular dining spot and inn know as Rozario's - operated successfully by Al and Delpha Rozario for a dozen years, before it became know as El Verano Inn, and finally FAHA Manor.


Ralph & Walter Murphy . . . Link

Two young carpenters began (the latter was to become the co-publisher of the Index Tribune,) began a construction boom.


Rozario's Palm Hotel [See also Parente's Villa]. . . Pics


Urton Family: Clarence Urton, Ethel Mea Urton, Eva Urton . . . Pics


Vincente Carrillo [Resident in 1900 when town failed] . . . Link


Whistle [Newspaper] . . . Link . . . The town had a short lived newspaper called the Whistle which ran for two years. Ran its first issue on Feb. 22, 1889.



List of Early Families: Bonseys, Broccos, Burrys, Currottos, Danieles, DeJongs, Dowdalls, Kearneys, Morenzonis, Poncias, Smircichs, Stocktons, Stokes, Weavers, and Yarnells. . . . Link



Maps


Original Town Maps [EVHS] . . . Link



Photos


El Verano Resorts [EVHS] . . . Link


Various Images of old El Verano [EVHS] . . . Link







Citations:


[1]   Wikipedia contributors. "El Verano, California." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 27 Jul. 2022. Web. Viewed on 1 Oct. 2022.. . . . Link


[2]   Historical and Descriptive Sketch Book of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino: Comprising Sketches of Their Topography, Productions, History, Scenery, and Peculiar Attractions, C.A. Menefee, 1873 . . . Link


[3]  "Historical and Descriptive Sketch of Sonoma County, California" Robert Allan Thompson. L.H. Everts, 1877 - Sonoma County (Calif.) - 104 pages. [Bodega pp 100-101]  . . . Link


[4]   An Illustrated History of Sonoma County, California: Containing a History of the County of Sonoma from the Earliest Period of Its Occupancy to the Present Time, Lewis Publishing, 1889  . . . Link


[5]  "El Verano." Wikivoyage, The FREE worldwide travel guide that anyone can edit. 6 Sep 2022, 20:26 UTC. 3 Oct 2022, 19:05 <https://en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?title=El_Verano&oldid=4514337>.


"The Springs: Resort Towns of Sonoma Valley (Images of America)".  Michael Acker.  27 March 2017; Arcadia Publishing. . . . Link