The Washoe House up the road has been open since 1859, making it possibly America’s oldest continuously-operating tavern.
After the assassination of President Lincoln, angry militamen from Petaluma California rode out with the goals of invading the town of Santa Rosa and burning down the offices of an anti-Unionist newspaper. The opponents got as far as the Roblar crossroads, where “The Battle of Washoe House” ended in not in a fight but war-weary drinking.
Photographed on Juneteenth, 2023.