Silver Penny History
General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo’s
The property was part of General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo’s 66,000 acre ranchero, “acquired” from the native Alaguala Nation in 1834. There was a huge demand in San Francisco for fresh food to feed the Gold Rush population which was growing very quickly with the discovery of gold in northern California and Vallejo helped to fill that demand. The land was cultivated to supply grain for his expanding cattle operation.
The Town of Lakeville
In 1859, William Bihler purchased the 8,000 acres, and drained Tolay Lake in order to plant potatoes and corn. The town of Lakeville grew around this farm and attracted Irish immigrants to the area who worked the farms and established a close-knit community. The town of Lakeville thrived in the late 1800’s because a steamboat stop near our property was developed into a transit hub for people headed north by stagecoach. This is evidenced by the businesses that supported the travelers including a hotel, dance hall, post office, a school, a race track and more than one saloon. (If time permits, enjoy a beer at Ernie’s Tin Bar, an historic speakeasy on the corner of Stagecoach Road and Lakeville Highway).
Edith White
Katherine Rhinehart, county historian, writes about the White Family of Lakeville:
“I first learned about the farm while researching Edith White, daughter of Josiah and Annie (Daniels) White. Edith was born on the property in 1886 and lived there full-time until 1894, when the family moved to Alameda. She was a graduate of UC Berkeley. During World War I, Edith was a captain in the Pacific Coast Woman’s Motor Corps. She brought her own Cadillac to France! Sadly Edith died in a hospital in Caumont, France, from meningitis.”
Katherine has several articles about Edith and has gathered some information on her siblings – some of whom show up as residents of the Lakeville property during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.