History of Franz ValleyPublic page: anyone can see it, even without signing in.

A beginning for our community history, with room for the memories, photographs and local knowledge that only members can contribute.

The Franz Family

Franz Valley, in the Mayacamas mountains northeast of Santa Rosa, takes its name from the Franz family. According to a 2017 history feature in The Press Democrat, Frederick Franz and Sarah Silbert Franz married in San Francisco in 1856 and made their home in the valley the following year.

After a flood devastated the family’s cattle herd in 1868, Frederick returned to San Francisco. Sarah, her daughters Edith and Minnie, her mother Mary and her aunt Caroline stayed. They sustained the ranch through livestock, butter-making and wheat farming, carrying grain to Bale’s mill in Napa Valley. Their work is an important part of the valley’s story.

A Valley Schoolhouse

The Franz Valley District School was built in 1884 on Franz Valley School Road. The schoolhouse, with its belfry and gable roof, is listed as Sonoma County Landmark No. 71. Its later uses included a residence and meeting hall.

Help Tell the Fuller Story

This short account is not a complete history. In particular, the valley’s Indigenous history predates the Franz family and deserves careful research with appropriate community and historical sources. We also hope to document farming, schools, roads, community life and members’ experiences through changing times.

Would you like to help research or edit this page? Contact admin@franzvalley.org. Share a memory below, noting approximate dates and whether you experienced it yourself or heard it from someone else. Comments are reviewed before publication. Please obtain permission before sharing someone else’s story or photographs.

Sources

• The Press Democrat: Franz women thrived in what is now Franz Valley (July 21, 2017).
• NoeHill: Sonoma County Landmark 71, Franz Valley District School.