Gary Johnson and I met again at his mother Eva’s house’s back yard to fill in the “rest of the Johnson Ranch story.” I asked Gary about his first memories which took him to recollections…
Posts published by “Brad Wiley”
Late last month, I spent an afternoon at the Johnson home in Boonville with Gary, Wanda and Gary’s mother Eva, age 89, exploring the history of the Floyd Johnson Ranch, once 4,000 acres at the…
During a three hour mid-day meal at the Bewildered Pig last month Floriane and Arnaud Weyrich told me the tale of how they migrated to our Valley, raised a family, and upon retrospect found very…
In 1942 Donald finished seventh grade at Navarro’s Laurel School, and began middle school, 7th to 9th grades, at Boonville’s Con Creek School, today the Anderson Valley Historical Society museum. The bus ride from Navarro up to…
One drizzly afternoon last week I sat around his dining room table with Donald Pardini and son Ernie and listened to Don’s recollections of his early childhood in post-milltown Navarro. What stories and what power…
This “last ride” actually occurred a couple of weeks ago during our voyage from Josie Brusa’s home on the old Deadmeades winery property back to Boonville via the Walter Prather home visit and stop by…
A sunny warmish early afternoon day last week, and retired logging industry truckdriver Morgan Baynham, New Jersey suburbanite “city person” friend visiting me, Suzanne Glatt, and I teamed up to visit the Evergreen Cemetery and…
A couple of weeks ago Wes and I drove another leg of our roadside visits to Highway 128’s historic and iconic buildings. This one was an easy jaunt from the Hamar Olsen ranch, formerly Edmeades…
Wes and my Navarro road trip recounted in last week's Advertiser continued south, stopping next at the Floodgate shopping mall Rock Stop store. The house across the street on the east side of the highway’s origins have…