|
Legend has it that the first white man found his way to this valley quite by accident in 1851. Walter Anderson was tracking a wounded deer through the
wilderness and was separated from his hunting party, who had come over from the Russian River area. The hunting party was being led by Walter
Anderson, for whom the valley's name is taken. The hunter, after many hours of trailing the deer, crested a rocky outcropping just south of what is
now Boonville and looked out onto a “garden of Eden.” Whether he caught up with the deer or not is unknown, but he did report back to his hunting
companions about the amazing valley he had stumbled upon.
Of course, the Pomo Indians knew all about this area. They were well ensconced in this valley paradise long before Anderson and his friends showed up.
They had been here for many generations, living unmolested by the Spanish or the Russians, mostly due to the valley's inaccessibility. Then, as today,
wild game abounded and crops grew easily in the mild climate of this uniquely-positioned valley.
Walter Anderson returned to settle in the valley in the early 1850's. Not long after, he was followed by other rugged adventurers including one W.W.
Boone (a relative of Daniel Boone), for whom the town of Boonville was eventually named. Boonville quickly established itself as the commercial center
and largest of the four settlements in the valley. By the 1880's over 1000 people had found their way to Anderson's valley, but the area still remained
isolated from the outside world due to the difficult and precipitous routes in and out of the valley.
Boonville's original location was on the corner of what are now Highways 128 and 253. Today the Anderson Valley Brewing Company is located on this
spot. The Brewery's Visitor Center stands very near where the old Anderson House Hotel and Saloon once stood, thus carrying on the tradition of
dispensing hospitality and good cheer. Over the years the settlement slowly migrated down the valley. Today central Boonville stands about a
mile west of the crossroads.
Boonville remained isolated well into the next century. In fact, it was so isolated that in the late 1880's the inhabitants had developed their own language,
to which they conferred the name Boontling (short for Boonville Lingo). Modern linguists regard Boontling as one of the world's most extraordinary
examples of a homemade language. Boontling boasts some 1300 words and phrases. Indeed, that's slightly more terms than actual residents of the town
that bore it. At its peak Boontling was even taught in the valley's schools and it was not uncommon for “bright lighters” (outsiders) to be completely
dumbfounded by a local conversation. Although few people are fluent in Boontling today, one can still catch a smattering of the language used here and
there in everyday conversation.
Today even though the roads are somewhat improved, the Anderson Valley still remains relatively isolated and rural. The drive in and through the valley
is one of the most breathtaking in California. One can still see representations of the valley's history all along the way. From the south, the road winds through the
oak-covered rolling hills of the Yorkville Highlands, before descending into the valley proper, where the valley opens up to the sheep farms and pasturelands that surround Boonville, the vista looking much as
it did a century ago. Your drive takes you through the hamlet of Philo with its two remaining small sawmills, a reminder of the timber industry that once
reigned supreme here in the Redwood Empire. Here and there you'll glimpse the remnants of an apple or pear farm. But today the grape is the monarch.
The vineyards stretch across the valley floor, and up the valley walls, wineries, some with distinguished old world pedigree and others whose wines
display new world bravado, are nestled in among the vines. Further on you pass down into the “Deep End” past the village of Navarro. The redwood
forest surrounds and then engulfs you in lush greenery and the deep dark cover. Almost hidden, there are small campgrounds tucked back in the woods.
At last, the valley opens up onto the sandy beach at the mouth of the Navarro River, jagged cliffs rising on either side. The emerald waters of the
Navarro mix with the cold seas running down from Alaska, the Pacific Ocean stretches out in front of you as far as the eye can see, salt wind on your
face.
Anderson Valley offers even the most discerning a chance to experience some extraordinary cuisine. You'll find excellent lamb and grain-fed beef,
possibly even some local wild game like venison, quail or wild turkey. And if you're very lucky, maybe you'll happen upon a local cookout where the rare
treat of fresh abalone might be found. There are more than a dozen varieties of apples still grown here in the valley, as well as pears, olives, grapes, and
wild mushrooms. And, of course, there is a wide variety of beverages created here: delicious beers, delectable wines, and sumptuous ciders all made by
world-class artisans.
The Anderson Valley is a cornucopia of sensory delights, sights, smells, and tastes like no other place. Come to the valley and spend time with some of
our award winning local master craftsmen and women and enjoy the fruits of their labors.
|
