WALL'S FORD AND BRIDGE (site)
WALL'S SPRINGS RESORT (site)
• WALL'S FORD BRIDGE
Nothing really remains of the Wall's Ford Bridge. This is an example of the bridge collapsing from high river waters.
For decades locals tried to make the bridge useful. Finally they gave up and the Red Hill (Wohler) Bridge was built in 1922.
I don't know who these people are, but they are standing in front of Wall's Ford Bridge.
This 1918 map shows the automobile crossing of Wall's Ford. At that time the bridge crossed the river with no other bridges, like Wohler Bridge, yet built.
The river is shallow at at the area where the Green Valley Creek flows into the Russian River, so horseback riders and wagons would cross through the river to get to Westside Road and on from there to Healdsburg.
In 1898, a summer bridge was built, and at last, travelers could cross and stay dry. The bridge washed away in the winter. So began a long series of bridge building and bridge repairing that lasted 24 years. The idea of a bridge at Wall's Ford was finally accepted as not working and a new all year bridge was built at Red Hill, a mile up river which we now call the Wohler Bridge.
The fording point and the bridge were named "Wall" because it was built on land owned by H.C. Wall. The Wall family had a resort several hundred feet near Black Mountain across the river named Wall's Springs.
In 1898, a summer bridge was built, and at last, travelers could cross and stay dry. The bridge washed away in the winter. So began a long series of bridge building and bridge repairing that lasted 24 years. The idea of a bridge at Wall's Ford was finally accepted as not working and a new all year bridge was built at Red Hill, a mile up river which we now call the Wohler Bridge.
The fording point and the bridge were named "Wall" because it was built on land owned by H.C. Wall. The Wall family had a resort several hundred feet near Black Mountain across the river named Wall's Springs.
These new images thanks to John Litton.
• WALL'S SPRINGS
Wall's Springs Resort 1915.
The Henry Chester Wall family and the McPeak family (Cosmo Farm) were friends and socialized together. It appears that the elder Walls were on the same wagon train from Missouri as the elder McPeaks, so Henry and Anthony were likely long time friends.
The Wall's Springs resort was about a mile upstream on Westside road from Cosmo and several hundred feet up Black Mountain. In June 1893, there were 75 guests staying there. A new hotel had been built and other accommodations had been modernized.
One of the things that set it apart from other resorts was that it had hot springs. Sulphur, iron magnesia and salts were advertised as having healing properties.
In 1903, the Healdsburg Mining Company was sinking a shaft near Wall's Springs. About 100 feet down they struck… gold. They claim there is a great deal of gold ore on the property. My on-line search of mining found nothing about gold, though the Wall's Springs site is listed as having been a producer of Cinnabar and Mercury.
The Wall's were related by marriage to the Hobsons, who owned Hobson Farm before it became Cosmo Farm.
The Wall's Springs resort was about a mile upstream on Westside road from Cosmo and several hundred feet up Black Mountain. In June 1893, there were 75 guests staying there. A new hotel had been built and other accommodations had been modernized.
One of the things that set it apart from other resorts was that it had hot springs. Sulphur, iron magnesia and salts were advertised as having healing properties.
In 1903, the Healdsburg Mining Company was sinking a shaft near Wall's Springs. About 100 feet down they struck… gold. They claim there is a great deal of gold ore on the property. My on-line search of mining found nothing about gold, though the Wall's Springs site is listed as having been a producer of Cinnabar and Mercury.
The Wall's were related by marriage to the Hobsons, who owned Hobson Farm before it became Cosmo Farm.