'Old Rockville'
Recently John W. Winkley visited the site of this "old Rockville" in order to get some pictures of an old stone church there. He found many other things of historic interest connected with the place. Rockville, he tells us lies about five miles west of Fairfield, and about that distance northeast of Cordelia. It stood in pioneer days on the old stage road between Benicia and Sacramento.American settlers began coming into this general territory as early as 1846, and the gold days of '49 and '50 brought the families that made the town. Among these settlers, were the J. M. Baldwin and Samuel Martin families, who built substantial houses and barns that stand to this day; the Martin house and Baldwin barn built of sandstone quarried on the Baldwin ranch. On land donated by J. M. Baldwin was built in 1856 the old stone Methodist Church South, and here was gathered one of the strongest churches of that communion in early California. Its visiting bishops and great preachers preached and held pastorates here. Now the old church, unused since 1918, and later deeded to the Cemetery Association, has been repaired by the Federal Government as a historic relic. About the church lies the ancient cemetery whose moss-covered headstones carry dates of the early '50's In the days of the old stage road, Rockville was a town of stores, shops, hotels, postoffice and many homes, but the later highway left it to one side and it slowly became an abandoned place. Now there are a number of new homes, and the town is growing again. Another bit of historic interest attached to this place is that it was the site of the head village of the Suisun Indians, [see also The Story of the Suisun Indians] and the home of Chief Sem Yeto, who on accepting the Christian Faith became known as Chief Solano. He was a giant of a man, 6 feet 7 inches tall and well-proportioned. General Vallejo had defeated Chief Solano in Suscol Valley, but had treated the chief with such courtesy and kindness that the Indian warrior remained a fast friend and defender for the rest of his life. Across the road from the old Martin house stands a large buckeye tree where in days gone by a pile of stones and head-board marked the grave of this famous chieftain. "I could find nothing that marked the grave today," says Mr. Winkley, "as it lies on the edge of a large orchard. On the wooded knoll back of the Martin house, I found the old spring of water and the outcropping rocks upon which the Indian tribe ground their acorns to flour. It is a sunny spot, full of loveliness, and helps one recall the life of the pre-historic tribesmen whose village stood on the plain below."
Old Rockville Sun, Jan 6, 1946 – Page 17 · Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) · Newspapers.com
Comments
Post a Comment