Last April I was fortunate enough to visit some Sonoma County Ghost Towns. My friend Bruno and I went to visit Mercuryville and Daniel’s School. We captured the last video footage of Daniel’s School before it was destroyed. Daniel’s School in Venado, just outside of Healdsburg burned during the Walbridge Fire a few months after we shot this vlog.
Sonoma County has many ghost towns that have been forgotten. Sometimes you can still find some of the remains of these old towns although even the oldest remains have been destroyed by fires in recent years. Many old relics and remains are surviving on public and private property.
Daniel’s School in Venado, CA
Daniel’s School was one of the last landmarks in Venado, CA. The small school was built in 1883 and closed in 1951. A group of volunteers put time, energy and work to restore and preserve the old school in recent years. Unfortunately the Walbridge Fire reversed all their efforts.
Sonoma County Ghost Town, Mercuryville
Mercuryville was founded in 1874 after mercury was discovered there. During this time Sonoma County was going through a “mercury rush”. Once mercury was found in other places, the price dropped and Mercuryville’s eight bars and church were abandoned.
In the 1960’s all that was left of Mercuryville was a gas station. Almost everything remaining in Mercuryville was destroyed by fires in the 1970s.
Mercuryville Population 2
There is still a sign of where Mercuryville used to be located. The sign now says “population 2”. There is a home up the way from the sign however, there is also a “No Trespassing” sign. Bruno and I weren’t feeling risky so we did not go up to the home. If you own the home and you’re reading this I would love to have you on vlog at some point.
Some Stills from the Vlog
Take a look at some of the stills from our Sonoma County Ghost Towns Vlog.
The Railroads, Mining & Pomos
I am not a historian but looking at the older towns that used to exist in Sonoma County, most abandoned towns used to be towns next to the railroad tracks. At one point railroads were the main form of transportation in Sonoma County. If you browse through old maps, you will see many towns that no longer exist.
There are exceptions to these railroad towns which are usually found in the mountains or in the valleys. Mercuryville, CA is a perfect example of a mountain town that was established due to mining. Almost every other town that doesn’t fit those two categories were originally settled my Native Americans (mostly Pomo Natives).
Sonoma County Ghost Towns
I am looking forward to bringing you more vlogs featuring Sonoma County Ghost Towns. A lot of the relics are on private property but if you know of any landmarks, let me know and I’ll try my best to capture it.
Sonoma County Ghost Town Wingo, CA
If you enjoyed this vlog you might also enjoy our Wingo, California Blog & Vlog.
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