Washoe House
Encyclopedia
Washoe House is a historic roadhouse
in Sonoma County, California
in the United States
. It is located west of Cotati, California
at the juncture of Stony Point Road and Roblar Road. It lies near the headwaters of Washoe Creek
and is the defining landmark of the unincorporated community of Stony Point.
routes connecting the towns of Petaluma
, Santa Rosa
, and Bodega
during the 19th century.
In 1865, following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
, Major James Armstrong's Petaluma militia rode up Stony Point Road, intent on wreaking vengeance on Santa Rosa, only to turn back after stopping at this tavern. This incident became known as The Battle of Washoe House.
According to local tradition, Ulysses S. Grant
once made a speech from the balcony of Washoe House; historical evidence for this is lacking, however.
A portion of the 1999 movie True Crime
was filmed at Washoe House. It is still operating as a restaurant and bar in 2011.
Roadhouse (facility)
A roadhouse is a commercial establishment typically built on a major road or highway, to service passing travellers. Its meaning varies slightly by country.-USA:...
in Sonoma County, California
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....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located west of Cotati, California
Cotati, California
Cotati is an incorporated city in Sonoma County, California, U.S.A., located about north of San Francisco in the 101 corridor between Rohnert Park and Petaluma....
at the juncture of Stony Point Road and Roblar Road. It lies near the headwaters of Washoe Creek
Washoe Creek
Washoe Creek is a perennial stream located in Sonoma County, California. It is about long and discharges to the Laguna de Santa Rosa.Washoe Creek rises in the low lying Meacham Hills southwest of the city of Cotati. It descends to the northeast, flowing under Roblar Road and Stony Point Road...
and is the defining landmark of the unincorporated community of Stony Point.
History
Robert Ayres built the house in 1859, and it became a stop on the stagecoachStagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
routes connecting the towns of Petaluma
Petaluma, California
Petaluma is a city in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. In the 2010 Census the population was 57,941.Located in Petaluma is the Rancho Petaluma Adobe, a National Historic Landmark. It was built beginning in 1836 by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, then Commandant of the San...
, 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
Bodega, California
Bodega is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Sonoma County in the U.S. state of California. The town had a population of 220 as of the 2010 Census.Bodega is located on Bodega Highway, about west of Freestone, California...
during the 19th century.
In 1865, following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, Major James Armstrong's Petaluma militia rode up Stony Point Road, intent on wreaking vengeance on Santa Rosa, only to turn back after stopping at this tavern. This incident became known as The Battle of Washoe House.
According to local tradition, Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
once made a speech from the balcony of Washoe House; historical evidence for this is lacking, however.
A portion of the 1999 movie True Crime
True Crime (1999 film)
True Crime is a 1999 American mystery drama film directed by Clint Eastwood, and based on Andrew Klavan's 1997 novel of the same name. Eastwood also stars in the film as a journalist covering the execution of a death row inmate, only to discover that the convict may actually be innocent.-Plot:Steve...
was filmed at Washoe House. It is still operating as a restaurant and bar in 2011.