Sebastopol, California
Encyclopedia
Sebastopol is a city in Sonoma County
, California
, United States
, approximately 52 mi (83.7 km) north of San Francisco. The population was 7,379 at the 2010 census, but its businesses also serve surrounding rural portions of Sonoma County, totaling about 50,000 people. It is about a 20-minute drive from the Pacific Ocean
, between Santa Rosa
and Bodega Bay
, and is known for its liberal politics and small-town charm. It was once primarily a plum and apple growing region; wine
grapes, however, are now predominant, and nearly all lands once used for orchards are now vineyards. World-famous horticulturist Luther Burbank
had gardens in this fertile region. The city hosts an annual Apple Blossom Festival
and Gravenstein
Apple Fair.
Sebastopol is also the home of publisher O'Reilly Media
, which publishes books on open-source software and other topics, and international camera bag manufacturer Lowepro Inc. Primus
lead singer/bassist Les Claypool
, singer/songwriter Tom Waits
, singer/songwriter Nick Gravenites
, novelist Francine Rivers and actor Peter Krause
currently reside in the area. Sebastopol is home to Analy High School
, Laguna High School, Brook Haven Middle School, Gravenstein Elementary School, Hillcrest Middle School, Twin Hills Middle School, Pine Crest Elementary, Apple Blossom Elementary, along with many other private and charter schools.
and Pomo
peoples. The town of Sebastopol formed in the 1850s with a U.S. Post Office
and as a small trade center for the farmers of the surrounding agricultural region. As California's population swelled after the westward migration and the Gold rush
of the 1850s, more and more settlers drifted into the fertile California valleys north of San Francisco to try their hand at farming.
The name of Sebastopol first came into use in the late 1850s as a result of a prolonged and lively fist fight in the newly formed town, which was likened to the long British siege of the then-Russian seaport of Sevastopol
(now part of Ukraine
) during the Crimean War
. At one time, four other California towns were also named Sebastopol (specifically, one in Napa County renamed Yountville
, and others in Tulare
, Sacramento
and Nevada
counties). There is some debate about how the name "Sebastopol" came into being. The town was originally called Pinegrove, and how the name change occurred is rumored to have something to do with a bar fight. The original name can be seen in the names of two of the longer standing downtown businesses, Pinegrove consignment store, and the Pinecone restaurant.
It is sometimes thought (mistakenly) that the name of "Sebastopol" is the result of an error in the transliteration
of Sevastopol
("Севастополь", Sevastopol in Russian
, "Σεβαστούπολη", Sevastupoli in the original Greek
). However, both the Greek
letter "β" (v) and the Cyrillic "в" (v) have been historically Romanized as "b" (other examples include "Βυζάντιον", Vizantion → Byzantium; the Greek name "Βασίλειος", Vassilios and the Russian "Василий", Vassily → Basil, the Byzantine title "σεβαστοκράτωρ"/"севастократор" sevastokrator → sebastokrator
, etc.). In fact, even the eponymous city in present-day Ukraine is generally referred to in 19th-century English-language sources as "Sebastopol."
Sebastopol became known as the "Gravenstein
Apple Capital of the World". The apple industry brought a steady rural prosperity to the town. In 1890 the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad
connected Sebastopol to the national rail network. The town was incorporated in 1902 with schools, churches, hotels, canneries, mills, wineries, and an opera house to its credit. The 1906 earthquake
reduced most of these early buildings to rubble, (Sebastopol is only seven miles from the city of Santa Rosa, the worst hit town in the 1906 earthquake) but as elsewhere in the county, the town was rebuilt.
In the second half of the 20th century, the apple industry struggled to compete with other apple producing regions and has gradually declined in economic significance. With greater personal mobility and the rise of larger shopping centers in other Sonoma County communities, many residents now often commute to work and shop in the neighboring towns of Rohnert Park
or Santa Rosa
, while Sebastopol maintains its small town charm.
It is often incorrectly claimed that Sebastopol was the last town in Northern California to have working railroad trains on Main Street. The tracks were actually removed in the late 1980s. Passenger service had ceased in the 1930s, and regular freight service ended in the late 1970s. This was documented by Analy High School
students in a 1979 video, Our Train Down Main: a History of the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad
. The canneries and apple processing plant are gone from downtown, and vineyards and housing developments have replaced many apple orchards, reducing the demand for freight service.
It is often also incorrectly stated that the tracks were removed in the 1990s when the downtown area was redesigned with two one-way streets to enhance traffic along Gravenstein Highway (Route 116). Main Street and Petaluma Avenue were actually designated one-way streets in 1985 in a perhaps misguided attempt to deal with the town's perennial traffic problem.
who established an 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) Gold Ridge Environmental Farm in the township in the late 19th century; Willard Libby
, inventor of carbon dating went to Analy High School; the cartoonist Charles Schulz; rapper Smoov-E; actress Karen Valentine
of the television show Room 222
; actress Schuyler Grant
of the 1985 adaptation of Anne of Green Gables
; and the musicians Les Claypool
of Primus
and both Jerry Garcia
and Mickey Hart
of the Grateful Dead
.
(aka Gravenstein Highway), approximately 9 mi (14 km) west of U.S. Route 101.
Sebastopol is situated on the edge of the Laguna de Santa Rosa
, which is fed by Santa Rosa Creek
and other tributaries, including three minor tributaries within the city limits -- Zimpher Creek, Calder Creek and Witter Creek. The Laguna is a wetland
area that is home to many species of wildlife and vegetation, and divides the town from the neighboring Santa Rosa. Nearly every winter the Laguna floods, cutting off State Route 12, and often flooding the low lying businesses and homes on the eastern side of Sebastopol. The Pitkin Marsh lily and White sedge are two rare species
of plants that are found in the vicinity of Sebastopol.
The town currently sits atop several sites of Pomo
Indian villages, and arrowhead
s are found in gopher
holes with some frequency in the less disturbed areas of town bordering the flood plain.
The city has a total area of 1.9 sq mi (4.9 km²), all land.
was 3,982.4 people per square mile (1,537.6/km²). The racial makeup of Sebastopol was 6,509 (88.2%) White, 72 (1.0%) African American, 60 (0.8%) Native American, 120 (1.6%) Asian, 19 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 298 (4.0%) from other races
, and 301 (4.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 885 persons (12.0%).
The Census reported that 98.3% of the population lived in households and 1.7% were institutionalized.
There were 3,276 households, out of which 902 (27.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,220 (37.2%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 478 (14.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 156 (4.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 206 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 52 (1.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,132 households (34.6%) were made up of individuals and 498 (15.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21. There were 1,854 families
(56.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.82.
The population was spread out with 1,515 people (20.5%) under the age of 18, 471 people (6.4%) aged 18 to 24, 1,587 people (21.5%) aged 25 to 44, 2,525 people (34.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,281 people (17.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.1 years. For every 100 females there were 79.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.7 males.
There were 3,465 housing units at an average density of 1,870.0 per square mile (722.0/km²), of which 52.9% were owner-occupied and 47.1% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.2%. 53.7% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 44.5% lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 7,774 people, 3,250 households, and 1,953 families residing in the city. The population density
was 4,139/sq mi (1,597/km²). There were 3,321 housing units at an average density of 1,768/sq mi (682/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.85% White, 0.66% African American, 0.78% Native American, 1.52% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 3.86% from other races
, and 3.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.26% of the population.
There were 3,250 households out of which 31.8% included children under the age of 18 in the house, 41.5% were married couples
living together, 14.2% were led by a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were other living arrangements. 31.8% of all households were made up of a single individual and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.95.
For the most part the population is spread out across the age groups, although the young adult population is drastically lower than the other groups, indicating that most young people leave, at least temporarily. The reasons for this are probably a combination of the high cost of living and the lack of other young adults.
The percent distribution on the 2000 census by age was as follows: 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years.
For every 100 females there were 81.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,436, and the median income for a family was $55,792. Males had a median income of $40,538 versus $32,399 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $22,881. About 4.7% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
City council races are not partisan, so each member does not officially represent any party, however since 2000 there has been a decent amount of attention given to the individual party membership of city council members in Sebastopol. This happened because in 2000, with the election of Craig Litwin and Sam Spooner to the city council, the town had a Green Party majority—or would have, if city council races were partisan. This was only the second time this had ever happened in California, the first being the town of Arcata, California in 1996.
As this indicates, Sebastopol tends to support environmental policies. In 1986, the citizens approved an initiative declaring Sebastopol a "Nuclear Free Zone", The town does not use pesticides in city landscaping, and several years back, when the police needed a new vehicle, the city council voted to purchase a hybrid instead of a standard police car.
Current issues facing the city include a high cost of living and ongoing difficulties with traffic (the town has two highways going through downtown).
The current city council members (as of December 2010) are:
Sebastopol is located in California's 2nd State Senate district
and California's 1st State Assembly district
. Federally, Sebastopol is located in California's 6th congressional district
.
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, approximately 52 mi (83.7 km) north of San Francisco. The population was 7,379 at the 2010 census, but its businesses also serve surrounding rural portions of Sonoma County, totaling about 50,000 people. It is about a 20-minute drive from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, between Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
and Bodega Bay
Bodega Bay
Bodega Bay is a shallow, rocky inlet of the Pacific Ocean on the coast of northern California in the United States. It is approximately across and is located approximately northwest of San Francisco and west of Santa Rosa...
, and is known for its liberal politics and small-town charm. It was once primarily a plum and apple growing region; wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
grapes, however, are now predominant, and nearly all lands once used for orchards are now vineyards. World-famous horticulturist Luther Burbank
Luther Burbank
Luther Burbank was an American botanist, horticulturist and a pioneer in agricultural science.He developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 54-year career. Burbank's varied creations included fruits, flowers, grains, grasses, and vegetables...
had gardens in this fertile region. The city hosts an annual Apple Blossom Festival
Apple Blossom Festival
Apple Blossom Festival can refer to several different events:* Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival, in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley* Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley...
and Gravenstein
Gravenstein
Gravenstein is a variety of apple native to Gråsten in South Jutland, Denmark. The variety was discovered in 1669 as a chance seedling, although there is some evidence that the variety originated in Italy and traveled north....
Apple Fair.
Sebastopol is also the home of publisher O'Reilly Media
O'Reilly Media
O'Reilly Media is an American media company established by Tim O'Reilly that publishes books and Web sites and produces conferences on computer technology topics...
, which publishes books on open-source software and other topics, and international camera bag manufacturer Lowepro Inc. Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
lead singer/bassist Les Claypool
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
, singer/songwriter Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
, singer/songwriter Nick Gravenites
Nick Gravenites
Nicholas George Gravenites , with stage names like Nick "The Greek" Gravenites and Gravy, is a blues, rock and folk singer–songwriter, and is best known for his work with Janis Joplin, Mike Bloomfield and several influential bands and names of the generation springing from the 1960s and 1970s...
, novelist Francine Rivers and actor Peter Krause
Peter Krause
Peter William Krause is an American film and television actor and film producer. He is perhaps best known for his lead roles as Nate Fisher on Six Feet Under, Adam Braverman on Parenthood, and Casey McCall on Sports Night...
currently reside in the area. Sebastopol is home to Analy High School
Analy High School
Analy High School is a public high school located in Sebastopol, California, U.S.A. in Sonoma County. Analy was established in 1908 and celebrated its centennial in May 2008...
, Laguna High School, Brook Haven Middle School, Gravenstein Elementary School, Hillcrest Middle School, Twin Hills Middle School, Pine Crest Elementary, Apple Blossom Elementary, along with many other private and charter schools.
History
The area's first known inhabitants were the native Coast MiwokCoast Miwok
The Coast Miwok were the second largest group of Miwok Native American people. The Coast Miwok inhabited the general area of modern Marin County and southern Sonoma County in Northern California, from the Golden Gate north to Duncans Point and eastward to Sonoma Creek...
and Pomo
Pomo people
The Pomo people are an indigenous peoples of California. The historic Pomo territory in northern California was large, bordered by the Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to Clear Lake, and mainly between Cleone and Duncans Point...
peoples. The town of Sebastopol formed in the 1850s with a U.S. Post Office
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
and as a small trade center for the farmers of the surrounding agricultural region. As California's population swelled after the westward migration and the Gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
of the 1850s, more and more settlers drifted into the fertile California valleys north of San Francisco to try their hand at farming.
The name of Sebastopol first came into use in the late 1850s as a result of a prolonged and lively fist fight in the newly formed town, which was likened to the long British siege of the then-Russian seaport of Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
(now part of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
) during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
. At one time, four other California towns were also named Sebastopol (specifically, one in Napa County renamed Yountville
Yountville, California
Yountville is an incorporated town in Napa County, California, United States. It is in the North Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 2,933 at the 2010 census. Almost one third of the town's population lives on the grounds of the Veterans Home of California.The town's name...
, and others in Tulare
Tulare County, California
Tulare County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Fresno. Sequoia National Park is located in the county, as are part of Kings Canyon National Park, in its northeast corner , and part of Mount Whitney, on its eastern border...
, Sacramento
Sacramento County, California
Sacramento County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Sacramento, which is also the state capital. As of 2010 the county had a population of 1,418,788....
and Nevada
Nevada County, California
Nevada County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of California, in the Mother Lode country. As of 2010 its population was 98,764. The county seat is Nevada City.-History:Nevada County was created in 1851 from parts of Yuba County....
counties). There is some debate about how the name "Sebastopol" came into being. The town was originally called Pinegrove, and how the name change occurred is rumored to have something to do with a bar fight. The original name can be seen in the names of two of the longer standing downtown businesses, Pinegrove consignment store, and the Pinecone restaurant.
It is sometimes thought (mistakenly) that the name of "Sebastopol" is the result of an error in the transliteration
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
of Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
("Севастополь", Sevastopol in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, "Σεβαστούπολη", Sevastupoli in the original Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
). However, both the Greek
Greek alphabet
The Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
letter "β" (v) and the Cyrillic "в" (v) have been historically Romanized as "b" (other examples include "Βυζάντιον", Vizantion → Byzantium; the Greek name "Βασίλειος", Vassilios and the Russian "Василий", Vassily → Basil, the Byzantine title "σεβαστοκράτωρ"/"севастократор" sevastokrator → sebastokrator
Sebastokrator
Sebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers whose states bordered the Empire or were within its sphere of influence. The word is a compound of "sebastos" Sebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used...
, etc.). In fact, even the eponymous city in present-day Ukraine is generally referred to in 19th-century English-language sources as "Sebastopol."
Sebastopol became known as the "Gravenstein
Gravenstein
Gravenstein is a variety of apple native to Gråsten in South Jutland, Denmark. The variety was discovered in 1669 as a chance seedling, although there is some evidence that the variety originated in Italy and traveled north....
Apple Capital of the World". The apple industry brought a steady rural prosperity to the town. In 1890 the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad
San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad
San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad provided the first extensive standard gauge rail service to Sonoma County and became the southern end of the regional Northwestern Pacific Railroad...
connected Sebastopol to the national rail network. The town was incorporated in 1902 with schools, churches, hotels, canneries, mills, wineries, and an opera house to its credit. The 1906 earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
reduced most of these early buildings to rubble, (Sebastopol is only seven miles from the city of Santa Rosa, the worst hit town in the 1906 earthquake) but as elsewhere in the county, the town was rebuilt.
In the second half of the 20th century, the apple industry struggled to compete with other apple producing regions and has gradually declined in economic significance. With greater personal mobility and the rise of larger shopping centers in other Sonoma County communities, many residents now often commute to work and shop in the neighboring towns of Rohnert Park
Rohnert Park, California
Rohnert Park is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States, located approximately north of San Francisco. The population at the 2010 United States Census was 40,971. It is an early planned city, modeled directly after Levittown, New York and Levittown, Pennsylvania. Rohnert Park is the...
or Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
, while Sebastopol maintains its small town charm.
It is often incorrectly claimed that Sebastopol was the last town in Northern California to have working railroad trains on Main Street. The tracks were actually removed in the late 1980s. Passenger service had ceased in the 1930s, and regular freight service ended in the late 1970s. This was documented by Analy High School
Analy High School
Analy High School is a public high school located in Sebastopol, California, U.S.A. in Sonoma County. Analy was established in 1908 and celebrated its centennial in May 2008...
students in a 1979 video, Our Train Down Main: a History of the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad
Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad
The Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad was an electric interurban railway in Sonoma County, California, United States. It operated between the cities of Petaluma, Sebastopol, Forestville, and Santa Rosa...
. The canneries and apple processing plant are gone from downtown, and vineyards and housing developments have replaced many apple orchards, reducing the demand for freight service.
It is often also incorrectly stated that the tracks were removed in the 1990s when the downtown area was redesigned with two one-way streets to enhance traffic along Gravenstein Highway (Route 116). Main Street and Petaluma Avenue were actually designated one-way streets in 1985 in a perhaps misguided attempt to deal with the town's perennial traffic problem.
Notable residents
Some famous residents of Sebastopol include: the horticulturist Luther BurbankLuther Burbank
Luther Burbank was an American botanist, horticulturist and a pioneer in agricultural science.He developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 54-year career. Burbank's varied creations included fruits, flowers, grains, grasses, and vegetables...
who established an 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) Gold Ridge Environmental Farm in the township in the late 19th century; Willard Libby
Willard Libby
Willard Frank Libby was an American physical chemist noted for his role in the 1949 development of radiocarbon dating, a process which revolutionized archaeology....
, inventor of carbon dating went to Analy High School; the cartoonist Charles Schulz; rapper Smoov-E; actress Karen Valentine
Karen Valentine
Karen Valentine is an American actress best-known for her role as the idealistic schoolteacher "Alice Johnson" in the television series Room 222.-Early life:...
of the television show Room 222
Room 222
Room 222 is an American comedy-drama television series produced by 20th Century Fox Television. The series aired on ABC from September 17, 1969, to January 11, 1974, for 112 episodes...
; actress Schuyler Grant
Schuyler Grant
Schuyler Grant is an American actress best known for supporting roles in television, including the popular Anne of Green Gables mini-series.-Family ties:...
of the 1985 adaptation of Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables is a bestselling novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery published in 1908. Set in 1878, it was written as fiction for readers of all ages, but in recent decades has been considered a children's book...
; and the musicians Les Claypool
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
of Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
and both Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
and Mickey Hart
Mickey Hart
Mickey Hart is an American percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995...
of the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
.
Geography
Sebastopol's elevation is 65 to 250 feet (20 to 75 meters) above sea level. Its downtown is at the intersection of State Route 12 and State Route 116California State Route 116
State Route 116 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California in Sonoma County. The route runs from State Route 1 on the Pacific coast near Jenner to State Route 121 south of Sonoma.-Route description:...
(aka Gravenstein Highway), approximately 9 mi (14 km) west of U.S. Route 101.
Sebastopol is situated on the edge of the Laguna de Santa Rosa
Laguna de Santa Rosa
The Laguna de Santa Rosa is a long wetland complex that drains a 254-square mile watershed encompassing most of the Santa Rosa Plain in Sonoma County, California, USA.-Description:...
, which is fed by Santa Rosa Creek
Santa Rosa Creek
Santa Rosa Creek is a 22 mile long stream in Sonoma County, California which rises on Hood Mountain and discharges to the Laguna de Santa Rosa by way of the Santa Rosa Flood Control Channel...
and other tributaries, including three minor tributaries within the city limits -- Zimpher Creek, Calder Creek and Witter Creek. The Laguna is a wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
area that is home to many species of wildlife and vegetation, and divides the town from the neighboring Santa Rosa. Nearly every winter the Laguna floods, cutting off State Route 12, and often flooding the low lying businesses and homes on the eastern side of Sebastopol. The Pitkin Marsh lily and White sedge are two rare species
Rare species
A rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon or scarce. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and may be distinct from the term "endangered" or "threatened species" but not "extinct"....
of plants that are found in the vicinity of Sebastopol.
The town currently sits atop several sites of Pomo
Pomo people
The Pomo people are an indigenous peoples of California. The historic Pomo territory in northern California was large, bordered by the Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to Clear Lake, and mainly between Cleone and Duncans Point...
Indian villages, and arrowhead
Arrowhead
An arrowhead is a tip, usually sharpened, added to an arrow to make it more deadly or to fulfill some special purpose. Historically arrowheads were made of stone and of organic materials; as human civilization progressed other materials were used...
s are found in gopher
Gopher (animal)
The term gopher as it is commonly used does not relate to any one species, but is a generic term used to describe any of several small burrowing rodents endemic to North America, including the pocket gopher , also called true gophers, and the ground squirrel , including Richardson's ground squirrel...
holes with some frequency in the less disturbed areas of town bordering the flood plain.
The city has a total area of 1.9 sq mi (4.9 km²), all land.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Sebastopol had a population of 7,379. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,982.4 people per square mile (1,537.6/km²). The racial makeup of Sebastopol was 6,509 (88.2%) White, 72 (1.0%) African American, 60 (0.8%) Native American, 120 (1.6%) Asian, 19 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 298 (4.0%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 301 (4.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 885 persons (12.0%).
The Census reported that 98.3% of the population lived in households and 1.7% were institutionalized.
There were 3,276 households, out of which 902 (27.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,220 (37.2%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 478 (14.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 156 (4.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 206 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 52 (1.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,132 households (34.6%) were made up of individuals and 498 (15.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21. There were 1,854 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(56.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.82.
The population was spread out with 1,515 people (20.5%) under the age of 18, 471 people (6.4%) aged 18 to 24, 1,587 people (21.5%) aged 25 to 44, 2,525 people (34.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,281 people (17.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.1 years. For every 100 females there were 79.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.7 males.
There were 3,465 housing units at an average density of 1,870.0 per square mile (722.0/km²), of which 52.9% were owner-occupied and 47.1% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.2%. 53.7% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 44.5% lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 7,774 people, 3,250 households, and 1,953 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 4,139/sq mi (1,597/km²). There were 3,321 housing units at an average density of 1,768/sq mi (682/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.85% White, 0.66% African American, 0.78% Native American, 1.52% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 3.86% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.26% of the population.
There were 3,250 households out of which 31.8% included children under the age of 18 in the house, 41.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 14.2% were led by a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were other living arrangements. 31.8% of all households were made up of a single individual and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.95.
For the most part the population is spread out across the age groups, although the young adult population is drastically lower than the other groups, indicating that most young people leave, at least temporarily. The reasons for this are probably a combination of the high cost of living and the lack of other young adults.
The percent distribution on the 2000 census by age was as follows: 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years.
For every 100 females there were 81.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,436, and the median income for a family was $55,792. Males had a median income of $40,538 versus $32,399 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $22,881. About 4.7% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
Local
The city council consists of five members, each serving four year terms. The city is protected by the Sebastopol Police Department.City council races are not partisan, so each member does not officially represent any party, however since 2000 there has been a decent amount of attention given to the individual party membership of city council members in Sebastopol. This happened because in 2000, with the election of Craig Litwin and Sam Spooner to the city council, the town had a Green Party majority—or would have, if city council races were partisan. This was only the second time this had ever happened in California, the first being the town of Arcata, California in 1996.
As this indicates, Sebastopol tends to support environmental policies. In 1986, the citizens approved an initiative declaring Sebastopol a "Nuclear Free Zone", The town does not use pesticides in city landscaping, and several years back, when the police needed a new vehicle, the city council voted to purchase a hybrid instead of a standard police car.
Current issues facing the city include a high cost of living and ongoing difficulties with traffic (the town has two highways going through downtown).
The current city council members (as of December 2010) are:
- Guy Wilson, Mayor
- Michael Kyes, Mayor Pro-Temp
- Sarah Glade Gurney
- Patrick Slayter
- Kathleen Shafer
State and federal
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Sebastopol is located in California's 2nd State Senate district
California's 2nd State Senate district
California's 2nd State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Noreen Evans of Santa Rosa.-District profile:...
and California's 1st State Assembly district
California's 1st State Assembly district
California's 1st State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Democrat Wesley Chesbro of Arcata.-District profile:...
. Federally, Sebastopol is located in California's 6th congressional district
California's 6th congressional district
California's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that stretches up the Pacific coast north of the San Francisco Bay...
.
Places of interest
Sebastopol, while small, has several points of interest.- Luther BurbankLuther BurbankLuther Burbank was an American botanist, horticulturist and a pioneer in agricultural science.He developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 54-year career. Burbank's varied creations included fruits, flowers, grains, grasses, and vegetables...
Gold Ridge Experiment FarmLuther Burbank's Gold Ridge Experiment FarmLuther Burbank's Gold Ridge Experiment Farm is the official name of the that remain of the farm originally purchased in 1885 by famed plant breeder, Luther Burbank , in an area of Sebastopol, California, formerly known as the "Gold Ridge District". To these , Burbank added in 1904 and in 1906... - The historic Hogan Building, Petaluma Avenue. This was the Power House for the Petaluma and Santa Rosa RailroadPetaluma and Santa Rosa RailroadThe Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad was an electric interurban railway in Sonoma County, California, United States. It operated between the cities of Petaluma, Sebastopol, Forestville, and Santa Rosa...
which was an electric railway. The first cars were run over the line in 1904, and the later named Hogan Building, built of stone from a local quarry, is one of the few in the area that made it through the 1906 earthquake. - West County Museum operated by the Western Sonoma County Historical SocietyWestern Sonoma County Historical SocietyThe Western Sonoma County Historical Society , founded in 1974 and incorporated in 1978, is a non-profit organization that preserves and maintains the heritage of Sonoma County, California....
in the former Petaluma and Santa Rosa RailroadPetaluma and Santa Rosa RailroadThe Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad was an electric interurban railway in Sonoma County, California, United States. It operated between the cities of Petaluma, Sebastopol, Forestville, and Santa Rosa...
passenger Depot on Main Street. - George A. Strout HouseGeorge A. Strout HouseThe George A. Strout House is a registered historic place in Sebastopol, California. The house received a Preservation Award by the Western Sonoma County Historical Society in 1977 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980...
, located on Florence Ave., home of sculptor Patrick Amiot and many of his eclectic sculptures - Ives Park, summer home of the Sonoma County Repertory Theater (aka The Rep)
- Ragle Ranch Regional ParkRagle Ranch Regional ParkRagle Ranch Regional Park is a regional park in Sebastopol, California, U.S.A. that is maintained by the Sonoma County Regional Parks Department. It covers an area of at on the west side of town...
- Joe Rodota Trail
- West County Trail
- Laguna de Santa RosaLaguna de Santa RosaThe Laguna de Santa Rosa is a long wetland complex that drains a 254-square mile watershed encompassing most of the Santa Rosa Plain in Sonoma County, California, USA.-Description:...
- Sebastopol Community Cultural Center offers a wide variety of events and activities for all interests.
- Sebastopol Arts Center offers events and activities in visual, performing, literary and film arts.
- Sebastopol is home to a Michelin-starred restaurant: K&L Bistro on Main Street.
See also
- Film locations in Sonoma County, CaliforniaFilm locations in Sonoma County, CaliforniaFilm locations in Sonoma County, California are a diverse set of sites throughout this California county, where all or parts of notable motion pictures have been produced. Due to the scenic and varied aspects of Sonoma County, a large number of films have been made within this County. Some of the...