Pictured above, left to right, are: Linda & Steve Buffo (Mr. & Mrs. E.S. Lippett, Susan Coolidge (Clara McNear), Homer Johnstone (Capt. Thomas Baylis), Sherri Ortegren (Addie Adwater), Marshall West (Isaac Wickersham), Bill Hammerman (William Howard Pepper).
Just in case you missed the announcement about the Historic Downtown Walking Tour schedule for 2015, and the fact that several of the volunteer guides are members of “The Petalumans of Yesteryear,” I wanted to share the following information.
The Petalumans of Yesteryear evolved from the original group of volunteers who spent three months studying the history of Petaluma and its downtown area, using the Research Library of the Petaluma Historical Museum at 4th & B Streets. Gradually, several members of the group adopted the persona of an early Petaluma, who contributed to the development of our favorite river town in the late 1880s, with whom they identified. In my case, since I had been a professional educators for 40 years, I identified with William Howard Pepper, a local nursery and orchard owner who eventually founded the first Kindergarten in 1894. Although some of the original Petalumans of Yesteryear have died or moved away, they have been replaced and currently lead the free downtown walking tours on Saturday mornings, from the Museum’s front steps at 10:30 a.m., May to October.