Sonoma Barracks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sonoma Barracks |
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Sonoma Barracks in 2018
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| Location | Spain Street & First Street East, Sonoma, California |
| Built | 1836 |
| Reference no. | 316 |
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The Sonoma Barracks (in Spanish: Cuartel de Sonoma) is an old, two-story building in Sonoma, California. It has a wide balcony and is made of adobe, which is a type of sun-dried brick. The building faces the main plaza in Sonoma.
It was built by order of Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo to house Mexican soldiers. These soldiers had moved from the Presidio of San Francisco in 1835. Their job was to help control the Native Americans living in the northern part of Mexican California.
On June 14, 1846, a group of American settlers took over Sonoma. They wanted to create their own country, called the California Republic. The barracks became the main building for this short-lived rebellion. It is now known as the Bear Flag Revolt.
Later, U.S. ships took over Monterey and San Francisco. This happened because they thought war with Mexico had started. On July 9, 1846, the U.S. flag was raised at the barracks. This ended the California Republic and the Bear Flag Revolt. U.S. forces then used the barracks until 1852. During the Mexican–American War and the California Gold Rush, these forces continued to deal with Native Americans who were unhappy with new settlers.
After the military left, the building was used for different things by regular people. The State of California bought it in 1957. Today, the Sonoma Barracks is part of Sonoma State Historic Park.
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Mexican Soldiers in Sonoma
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In 1835, Mexican soldiers moved to the area near the old Mission San Francisco Solano. California's Governor, Jose Figueroa, wanted a strong military base in northern California. This was to protect the area from outsiders. One big worry was the Russian America Company moving further east from their settlements on the coast.
Building the barracks took a few years. They started digging the foundation in 1837. The adobe walls were built in 1839. The building was mostly finished by 1840 or 1841. Before it was ready, the soldiers lived in the old Mission buildings. Even though the barracks was built for soldiers, most of the space was used as a headquarters. It also stored supplies, equipment, and weapons.
The commander of the soldiers was Lieutenant Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. He was put in charge of the northern border. This meant he was responsible for keeping peace with the Native American groups in the area. Vallejo used a mix of military actions and treaties. He also made friends with Native American leaders like Chief Marin and Chief Solano. Chief Solano even provided extra men when Vallejo's company fought other Native groups.
While based in Sonoma, Vallejo's company took part in over 100 actions. These actions helped keep control over the Native peoples in the area. Historians say that Vallejo's way of dealing with Native Americans was very good and worked well.
The Mexican and California governments did send some money and supplies. But Vallejo often used his own money to cover costs. By the time the San Francisco company moved to Sonoma, other military companies in California had been replaced by groups of regular citizens.
Lieutenant Colonel Vallejo ended the military company on November 28, 1844. He said he could no longer afford to pay them. He also might have wanted to avoid getting involved in a rebellion. This rebellion was against Governor Micheltorena. Vallejo's nephew Juan Alvarado and friend José Castro were part of it. After letting the soldiers go, Vallejo kept the weapons and supplies. These were stored in the barracks for use by the local citizen groups.
For a short time, the Sonoma Barracks was also home to another Mexican infantry company. This group was made up of young men from California who were drafted into service.
The Bear Flag Revolt
On June 10, 1846, a group of American settlers were worried and unhappy. They had captured some horses belonging to the Californian government. They feared these horses would be used against them. Next, they decided to take over the town of Sonoma. This would stop the Californians from gathering their forces north of San Francisco Bay. Capturing the weapons and supplies in the barracks, and taking Lieutenant Colonel Vallejo, would slow down any Californian military response.
Before sunrise on Sunday, June 14, 1846, thirty-three American rebels arrived in Sonoma. They achieved their goals without firing a single shot by 11:00 AM. Vallejo and three of his friends were put on horses. They were taken to John Charles Frémont near Sacramento. Eight or nine of the rebels who did not want a new republic went with them.
The barracks became the headquarters for the remaining twenty-five rebels. They started the new California Republic and created its famous Bear Flag. This rebellion later became known as the Bear Flag Revolt.
Other American settlers and their families began moving into Sonoma. They wanted the protection of the muskets and cannons taken from the barracks. Some families lived in the barracks. Others stayed in the homes of the Californians.
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Captain John Charles Frémont and his mapping group arrived in Sonoma on June 24. This showed he was no longer neutral. On July 5, Frémont suggested that the "Bears" (the rebels) join his group. They would form one military group under his command. A deal was made, and all the volunteers of the California Battalion signed it. The next day, Frémont left with most of the Battalion for Sutter's Fort. He left fifty men of Company B at the barracks. They took two captured cannons, muskets, ammunition, blankets, horses, and cattle with them.
The United States Takes Over
Seven weeks after the war with Mexico officially began in Washington, D.C., Commodore John D. Sloat acted. He was the commander of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Squadron. After confirming that war had been declared, he ordered his ships to take over Monterey on July 7. Then, they took Yerba Buena (now San Francisco) on July 9.
Early on July 9, Navy Lieutenant Joseph Revere was sent to Sonoma. He carried two 27-star United States flags. One was for the Sonoma Barracks and one for Sutter's Fort. The squadron had run out of new flags that included Texas, which had recently joined the U.S.
Raising the Stars and Stripes in front of the barracks marked the end of the Bear Flag Revolt and the California Republic.
Most of the California Battalion was sent to San Diego by the U.S. Navy. They helped secure California for the United States. The barracks provided housing for some former "Bears" and their families. Most of these "Bears" eventually went back to their homes. The local leader in Sonoma, called the Alcalde, complained to the U.S. Navy. He said the town needed more protection. So, a group of U.S. Marines was sent to the Sonoma Barracks. The Navy also improved the building. They added planks to the second floor, raised the roof, and replaced the roof tiles with shingles.
In March 1847, the Marines were replaced. A company from "Stevenson's New York Volunteers" moved in. When the war ended, these New York Volunteers finished their service. In May 1849, they were replaced by 37 U.S. dragoons (soldiers on horseback). These dragoons moved into the barracks and set up "Camp Sonoma." Sonoma lost its military presence in January 1852. The troops moved to Benicia and other places in California and Oregon. The Army continued to use part of the barracks as a supply storage area until August 1853.
Civilian Uses of the Barracks
After the military left, the building was used by regular people. Alexander J. Cox rented two rooms on the first floor from Vallejo. He published a newspaper called the Sonoma Bulletin from 1852 to 1855. Soon after Cox left, Vallejo started a winery in the building.
In 1862, Vallejo leased winemaking equipment in the building to Dr. Victor Faure. Vallejo still had the right to use the equipment and store wine in the cellar. In 1865, other parts of the building were rented to the Aguillon family as a home. Vallejo's two sons, Uladislao and Napoleon, rented part of the building in 1872-73. They used it for their own winemaking business. In 1877, a Mr. Newman rented part of the building to try growing silk worms.
Vallejo sold the barracks building to Solomon Shocken on June 15, 1879. Shocken changed the outside of the building. He added a Victorian style front. He used the building to sell farm tools and groceries. The building kept this Victorian look until the 1930s. Walter and Celeste Murphy bought and fixed up the building then. They lived there until 1957. After that, the State of California bought it. They restored it to look like it did during the Bear Flag Revolt. It then became part of the Sonoma State Historic Park.
A California Landmark
On May 19, 1937, a group called the Native Sons of the Golden West placed a bronze plaque on the barracks wall. This plaque marks the building, built in 1836, as the place where the Bear Flag was designed and made.
The Presidio Of Sonoma (Sonoma Barracks) is listed as California Historical Landmark No. 316.
See also
