Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, USA. As of January 1 2007, the population of Santa Rosa was approximately 157,985 residents. 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.

Santa Rosa's Metropolitan Statistical Area is approximately 466,891 residents, making it the 12th largest in California and the 104th largest in the United States.

Geography

Santa Rosa is located at 38°26'55" North, 122°42'17" West (38.448611, -122.704646). It has a total area of , of which is land and (0.62%) is water.

The city is part of the North Bay region, which includes such cities as Sonoma, Healdsburg and Sebastopol. It lies along the U.S. Route 101 corridor, approximately 55 miles (90 km) north of San Francisco, via the Golden Gate Bridge.

Santa Rosa lies on the Santa Rosa Plain; its eastern extremities stretch into the Valley of the Moon, and the Sonoma Creek watershed known as the Sonoma Valley, while its western edge lies in the Laguna de Santa Rosa catchment basin.

The city is in the watershed of Santa Rosa Creek, which rises on Hood Mountain and discharges to the Laguna de Santa Rosa. Tributary basins to Santa Rosa Creek lying significantly in the city are Brush Creek, Matanzas Creek, Colgan Creek and Piner Creek. Other water bodies within the city include Fountaingrove Lake, Lake Ralphine, and Santa Rosa Creek Reservoir.

The prominent visual feature is Hood Mountain seen to the east. To the southeast, Taylor Mountain and Sonoma Mountain are readily visible from much of the city.

Climate

Santa Rosa has cool, wet winters and warm, mostly dry summers. Fog and low overcast sometimes moves in from the Pacific Ocean during summer nights and mornings. Average annual rainfall is 30.45 inches, falling on 74 days annually. The wettest year was 1983 with 63.07 inches and the dryest year was 1976 with 11.38 inches. The most rainfall in one month was 19.42 inches in February 1998 and the most rainfall in 24 hours was 5.23 inches on December 19, 1981. Measurable snowfall is rare in the lowlands, but light amounts sometimes fall in the nearby mountains.

There are an average of 28.9 days with highs of 90°F (32°C) or more and an average of 30.2 days with lows of 32°F (0°) or lower. The record high was 110°F on September 13, 1971, and the record low was 15°F on December 13, 1932.

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |+ Monthly climate averages (1961-1990) |- bgcolor=lightgrey ! Month ! High (°F) ! Low (°F) ! Precip. (inches) |- ||January |align="right"|58 (14°C) |align="right"|37 (3°C) |align="left"|6.2 (15.74cm) |- ||February |align="right"|63 (17°C) |align="right"|40 (4°C) |align="left"|4.64 (11.78cm) |- ||March |align="right"|65 (18°C) |align="right"|41 (5°C) |align="left"|4.34 (11.02cm) |- ||April |align="right"|70 (21°C) |align="right"|42 (6°C) |align="left"|1.8 (4.57cm) |- ||May |align="right"|75 (24°C) |align="right"|46 (8°C) |align="left"|0.31 (0.79cm) |- ||June |align="right"|80 (27°C) |align="right"|50 (10°C) |align="left"|0.3 (0.76cm) |- ||July |align="right"|84 (29°C) |align="right"|51 (11°C) |align="left"|0 (0cm) |- ||August |align="right"|83 (28°C) |align="right"|52 (11°C) |align="left"|0 (0cm) |- ||September |align="right"|83 (28°C) |align="right"|51 (11°C) |align="left"|0.6 (1.52cm) |- ||October |align="right"|77 (25°C) |align="right"|47 (8°C) |align="left"|1.86 (4.72cm) |- ||November |align="right"|65 (18°C) |align="right"|42 (6°C) |align="left"|4.8 (12.2cm) |- ||December |align="right"|57 (14°C) |align="right"|37 (3°C) |align="left"|4.96 (12.6cm) |- |}

Seismicity

Santa Rosa lies atop the Healdsburg-Rodgers Creek segment of the Hayward-Rodgers Creek Fault System. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates a 20% chance of a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake on this segment by 2030.[http://www.quake06.org/quake06/hazard_info.html]

On 14 April 2005, the United States Geological Survey released a map detailing the results of a new tool that measures ground shaking during an earthquake. The map determined that the 1906 San Francisco earthquake was most powerful in an area between Santa Rosa and what is now Sebastopol, causing more damage in Santa Rosa (for its size) than any other city affected.

Two earthquakes of magnitudes 5.6 and 5.7 shook Santa Rosa October 1, 1969, damaging about 100 structures. They were the strongest quakes to affect the city since 1906. The epicenters were about two miles north of Santa Rosa.

Nature & wildlife

Due to its population, Santa Rosa's only remaining undisturbed areas are on its urban fringe and comprise the principal corridors of Santa Rosa Creek and its tributaries. Great blue herons, great egrets, snowy egrets and black-crowned herons nest in the trees of the median strip on West Ninth Street. Deer often are spotted roaming the neighborhoods nearer the eastern hills; flocks of wild turkeys are relatively common in some areas, and mountain lions are occasionally observed within the city limits.

Neighborhoods

Santa Rosa can be seen as divided into four quadrants: Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest. Highway 101 runs roughly north and south through the city, and divides it into east and west sides. State Highway 12 runs roughly east and west, and divides the city into north and south sides.

Neighborhood associations include:

• Cherry Street Historic District
• Juilliard Park Neighborhood Association
• Junior College Neighborhood Association [http://www.srjcneighbors.org/forum/bb3portal.php]
• Burbank Gardens Historic District [http://www.burbankgardens.org/]
• North JC Neighborhood Association [http://northjcneighbors.wordpress.com/]
• North West Santa Rosa Neighborhood Assoc.
• Oakmont Village Association [http://www.oakmontvillage.com/Images/housing/admin.html]
• Olive Park Neighborhood
• Rincon Valley
• Rosalinda (Roseland)
• St. Rose Historic District[http://www.strosedistrict.org/]
• Stonegate Neighborhood Association
• Town & Country/ Grace Tract Neighborhood
• West End Arts & Theater District
• West End Historic District[http://www.srwestend.com/index.asp]
• West JC Neighborhood Association
• Apple Valley
• Coffey Park

Demographics

As of July 1 2005, Santa Rosa's population was approximately 156,200 residents.

As of the census of 2000, there were 147,595 people, 56,036 households, and 35,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,678.3 people per square mile (1,420.1/km²). There were 57,578 housing units at an average density of 1,434.9/sq mi (554.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.60% White, 2.2% African American, 2.6% Native American, 3% Asian, 0.26% Pacific Islander, 10.28% from other races, and 4.44% from two or more races. 19.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 56,036 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city the population is spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $50,931, and the median income for a family is $59,659. Males have a median income of $40,420 versus $30,597 for females. The per capita income for the city is $24,495. 8.5% of the population and 5.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.5% of those under the age of 18 and 4.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Politics

In the state legislature Santa Rosa is located in the 2nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Pat Wiggins, and in the 7th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Noreen Evans. Federally, Santa Rosa is located in California's 6th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +21 and is represented by Democrat Lynn Woolsey.

City Image

Horticulturalist Luther Burbank lived in Santa Rosa for over 50 years. He said of Sonoma County, "I firmly believe, from what I have seen, that this is the chosen spot of all this earth as far as Nature is concerned." For many years the City's slogan was, "The City Designed For Living".

But today, early in 2007, the Chamber of Commerce, the City, and Santa Rosa Main Street (a Downtown booster group funded by the City), are searching for a new slogan, to "help the City of Santa Rosa discover its identity". The Chamber says it wants to develop "a strategic community message for marketing the city to visitors, residents, and businesses in the year 2007 and beyond."

Local historian Gaye LeBaron, in a March 4, 2007 Press Democrat column, commented that:

''"There is a disconnect between the average Santa Rosan's perception of the town and reality. ... What we have are a lot of people, some old-timers, some fairly new residents, who never, ever intended to live in the fifth-largest city in any area. And, frightened by new crimes, stalled in old traffic, watching tall buildings rise, they're mad as hell! When you stop to think about it, this revelation explains a lot. We have spent decades wondering why we couldn't save the Carrillo Adobe or the Hoag House, why we can't have a plaza like Healdsburg's or Sonoma's, why we've never achieved a proper historical museum like all the other towns around, why it takes so long (20 years for ANYthing) to reach the simplest civic goal, why we have to hire an image consultant to tell us what we represent. It's because we have outgrown the hometown, small-town advantage. We've become a real city while we were busy complaining about our farm town.

History, Growth and Development

The first known permanent European settlement of Santa Rosa was the homestead of the Carrillo family, in-laws to Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, who settled the Sonoma pueblo and Petaluma area. During the Mexican period, the family of Dona Maria Carrillo built an adobe house on their land grant, the Rancho Cabeza de Santa Rosa, just east of what later became downtown Santa Rosa. Allegedly, however, before the Carrillos built their adobe in the 1830s, Spanish / Mexican settlers from nearby Sonoma and other settlements to the south raised livestock in the area and slaughtered animals at the fork of the Santa Rosa Creek and Matanzas Creek, near the intersection of Santa Rosa Ave. and Sonoma Ave. This is supposedly the origin of the name of Matanzas Creek as, because of its use as a slaughtering place, the confluence came to be called La Matanza.

The U.S. Census records, among others, show that after California became a state, despite initially lagging behind nearby Petaluma in the 1850s and early 1860s, Santa Rosa grew steadily early on. According to the U.S. Census, in 1870 Santa Rosa was the 8th largest city in California, and county seat of one of the most populous counties in the state. Growth and development after that were never rapid, but were steady.

As a result, the city continued to grow when other early population centers declined or stagnated, but by 1900 it had been, or was being, overtaken by many other newer population centers in the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California. According to a 1905 article in the Press Democrat newspaper reporting on the "Battle of the Trains," the city had just over 10,000 people at the time.

Despite heavy devastation in the earthquake of 18 April 1906, which essentially destroyed the entire Victorian downtown, the city's population did not greatly suffer. However, after that period the population growth of Santa Rosa, as with most of the area, was very slow.

Famed director Alfred Hitchcock filmed his thiller Shadow of a Doubt in Santa Rosa in 1943; the film, which has been released on VHS and DVD, gives glimpses of Santa Rosa in the 1940s. Many of the buildings in downtown Santa Rosa that are seen in the film no longer exist, due to major reconstruction following an earthquake in September 1969. However, some like the rough-stone Northwestern Pacific Railroad depot and the prominent Empire Building, built in 1910 and with its gold-topped clock tower, do still survive.

Post World War II

Santa Rosa grew substantially in the 25 years after the end of World War II, in 1945. The population enlarged by 2/3 between 1950 and 1970, an average of 1,000 new residents a year over the 20 years. Some of the increase was from immigration, and some from annexation of portions of the surrounding area.

When the City Council adopted the City's first modern General Plan in 1991, the population was about 113,000. In the 21 years since 1970, Santa Rosa had grown by about 3,000 residents a year--triple the average growth during the previous twenty years.

Santa Rosa 2010, the 1991 General Plan, called for a population of 175,000 in 2010. The Council expanded the City's urban boundary to include all the land then planned for future annexation, and declared it would be Santa Rosa's "ultimate" boundary. The rapid growth that was being criticized as urban sprawl became routine infill development.

At the first five-year update of the plan, in 1996, the Council extended the planning period by ten years, renaming it Vision 2020 (Now Santa Rosa 2020), and added more land and population. Now the City projects a population of 195,000 in 2020.

Today, early in 2007, the population is more than 157,000. There are about 127,000 more Santa Rosans than there were in 1950--an average of about 2,225 a year over the 57 years.

History Resources

Local historian Gaye LeBaron, a retired Press Democrat columnist, is the author of two modern histories: Santa Rosa: a 19th Century Town; and Santa Rosa: a 20th Century Town. The Sonoma State University Library, in Rohnert Park, holds the Gaye LeBaron Collection: 700 file folders of her research notes and primary source materials, containing some 10,000 documents.

In addition, see the information on the Santa Rosa Central Library, below.

Council goals/projects

The City Council adopted in January these Strategic Planning Goals for 2005-2007 [http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/default.aspx?PageId=377]:

• Economic Development: Attract and retain business to ensure jobs for our citizens and revenue for our City, while preserving quality of life and the environment.
• Customer Service: Attract, maintain, and train high quality City employees to provide a consistent level of excellent customer service.
• Technology: Ensure Santa Rosa is on the leading edge for technology.
• Gangs: Effectively increase gang prevention, intervention, and enforcement activities while involving the community.
• Environment: Continue to preserve and enhance the environment and promote responsible use of natural resources.
• Downtown: Create an environment (within our Downtown footprint) that encourages its positive evolution.
• Inclusivity: Better serve our diverse community in everything we do.
• Traffic Safety, Enforcement and Calming: Engage the community in reducing traffic congestion and increasing safety.
• Budget and Infrastructure: Create a structurally sound budget that (a) addresses funding needs for infrastructure, construction, and maintenance, and (b) the community will support.
• Neighborhood Safety: Create and maintain vital and safe neighborhoods.

As part of their goal-setting process, the Council also determined to maintain an ongoing focus on these projects:

• Prince Greenway
• A Place to Play
• Courthouse Square
• Food and Wine Center
• Farmers Lane Exit
• Library
• Senior Center

Sister cities

• Cherkassy, Ukraine
• Jeju City, South Korea
• Los Mochis, Mexico

Education

Colleges

• Empire College
• New College of California-closed
• Santa Rosa Junior College
• University of San Francisco (USF) - Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa City Schools (partial list)

• Santa Rosa Charter School
• Piner-Olivet Charter School
• Comstock Middle School
• Santa Rosa Middle School
• Rincon Valley Middle School
• Slater Middle School
• Willowside Middle School
• Santa Rosa High School
• Montgomery High School
• Maria Carrillo High School
• Piner High School
• Elsie Allen High School

''' Private Schools

• Cardinal Newman High School
• Ursuline High School
• Rincon Valley Christian School[http://www.rvchristian.org]
• Sonoma Academy
• Santa Rosa Christian School
• Summerfield Waldorf School

Community Schools

• Santa Rosa Community High School
• Airway Community

Libraries

The Sonoma County Library [http://www.sonomalibrary.org/] offers a Central Library in downtown Santa Rosa, a Northwest branch at Coddingtown Mall, and a Rincon Valley branch in east Santa Rosa. The Library is a member of the North Bay Cooperative Library System. The Santa Rosa Central Library, the largest branch of the Sonoma County Library system, has a Local History and Genealogy Annex, located behind the Central Library [http://www.sonomalibrary.org/branches/Central.html].

The Sonoma County Public Law Library [http://www.sonomacountylawlibrary.org/] is located at the Sonoma County Courthouse.

At Santa Rosa Junior College, the new four-story Frank P. Doyle Library [http://www.santarosa.edu/library/about/newlibrary.shtml] is a state-of-the-art facility. It houses the Library, Media Services, and Academic Computing Departments, as well as the College art gallery, tutorial center and Center for New Media, a multimedia production facility for SRJC faculty.

Economy

Forbes Magazine ranked the Santa Rosa metropolitan area 185th out of 200, on its 2007 list of Best Places For Business And Careers [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/1/07bestplaces_Best-Places-For-Business-And-Careers_land.html]. It was second on the list five years before. The area was downgraded because of an increase in the cost of doing business, and reduced job growth--both blamed on increases in the cost of housing.

Major Employers

According to the City's Community Profile 2006 [http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/default.aspx?PageId=1596], five of Santa Rosa's major employers are government agencies, four are manufacturers, two are hospitals, and one is a public utility:

Government:

• City of Santa Rosa
• County of Sonoma
• Santa Rosa City Schools
• Santa Rosa Junior College [http://www.santarosa.edu]
• State of California

Manufacturers:

• Agilent Technologies
• Amy's Kitchen
• JDS Uniphase (formerly OCLI)
• Medtronic

Hospitals:

• Kaiser Permanente
• Sutter Medical Center
• Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital

Public utility:

• AT&T

Media

• Press Democrat is the largest newspaper in California's north coastal strip between San Francisco and the Oregon border.
• [http://www.srprint.com/lavoz/ La Voz Bilingual Newspaper], a large Spanish/English circulates in Marin, Sonoma. Mendocino, Lake and Napa Counties.
• [http://www.bohemian.com North Bay Bohemian], a free weekly newspaper, specializing in food, arts, and entertainment.
• [http://www.northbaybiz.com North Bay Biz], founded in 1975, chronicles the business of doing business in the North Bay.
• [http://www.busjrnl.com North Bay Business Journal].
• KFTY TV50 is Santa Rosa's only private television station.

Tourism

lie within the Alexander, Russian River and Sonoma Valleys, Santa Rosa is home to several vineyards such as this one near Fountain Grove.]]

Santa Rosa sits at the southwestern gateway to the Sonoma and Napa Valleys of California's famed Wine Country. Many wineries and vineyards are nearby, as well as the Russian River Resort Area, the Sonoma Coast along the Pacific Ocean, Jack London State Historic Park and the redwood trees of Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve.

The City sprawls along Highway 101, about an hour north of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Airline service by Horizon Air, from the Charles M. Schulz - Sonoma County Airport, just north of Santa Rosa, is available to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle. The City Council is also encouraging major new commercial and residential development along a proposed Sonoma-Marin Rapid Transit (SMART) railway from Larkspur to Cloverdale--parallel to the congested 101 freeway--which will be developed if local voters approve a new sales tax surcharge.

The City Council pays the Chamber of Commerce to operate the Santa Rosa Convention & Visitors Bureau.[http://www.visitsantarosa.com/] The Chamber's visitors center is in the City-owned old railroad depot at the bottom of Fourth Street, in Historic Railroad Square. The SRC&VB has been a California Welcome Center since 2003.

Downtown Santa Rosa, including the central Old Courthouse Square and historic Railroad Square, is a shopping, restaurant, nightclub, and theatre area. Downtown also includes City Hall, State, and Federal office buildings, many banks, and professional offices. The Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital medical center area is just to the east.

The City Council funds a private booster group, Santa Rosa Main Street, which lobbies the City to revitalize the traditional business district. Three new mixed-use, high-rise buildings, and a new City parking garage, are under development. The Council and Downtown business boosters hope condos atop the new buildings will house a population to keep the area alive 24 hours a day.

The neighboring towns of Bodega Bay, Calistoga, Guerneville, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Sebastopol, Sonoma and Windsor are popular with tourists, and readily accessible from Santa Rosa.

Railroad Square is the portion of downtown that is on the west side of U.S. Route 101 and it has the highest concentration of historic commercial buildings in the downtown area. Of particular note are the four rough-hewn stone buildings at its core, two of which are rare in that they predate the 1906 earthquake. They include the old Northwestern Pacific Railroad depot, prominent in the beginning and end of "Shadow of a Doubt" by Alfred Hitchcock and the still-functioning Hotel La Rose, built in 1907 and registered as one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Hotels of America. The area contains numerous other historic buildings, such as the former Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad depot, and the Lee Bros. Building, both at the corner of 4th and Wilson Streets. Also of note is the fourth oldest building in Santa Rosa, the original Del Monte Cannery Building built in 1894, which was recently renovated into the new 6th Street Playhouse.

Local attractions

• Carrillo Adobe. Built in 1837 for Dona Maria Ignacio Lopez de Carrillo (General Mariano Vallejo's mother-in-law), the Carrillo Adobe was the first home on the site of the future Santa Rosa. The remains of the Carrillo home rest behind a cyclone fence off Montgomery Drive, on property owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa in California, adjacent to its Cathedral of St. Eugene.
• Luther Burbank Home and Gardens
• Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center
• Redwood Empire Ice Arena ("Snoopy's Home Ice")
• Sonoma County Museum
• 6th Street Playhouse
• Safari West
• Annadel State Park
• Spring Lake Regional Park

Performing and Visual Arts

The performing arts in Santa Rosa are represented by Summer Repertory Theatre, the Santa Rosa Symphony, the Wells Fargo Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Luther Burbank Center), and the Santa Rosa Players and the Actors Theatre, both performing in the G. K. Hardt Theatre at the 6th Street Playhouse. Santa Rosa is the home of the North Bay Theatre Group, an alliance of some 40 theatre companies, theatre departments and individual performance companies from five North Bay counties.

Summer Repertory Theatre (SRT) is a complete and extensive practicum in all aspects of stage production. The program combines professional directing, design, and production staff with outstanding students in acting, design, technical theatre, dance, music, and management. The ensemble mounts five productions, which are performed in full rotating Repertory six days a week beginning in mid June. Company members put theory to the test and learn to work in a professional system. SRT, located in the heart of the Sonoma County wine country, one hour north of San Francisco and forty-five minutes east of the beautiful Northern California coast is a well organized program.

The Santa Rosa Symphony is the major symphony orchestra of Santa Rosa, and is currently under the direction of Bruno Ferrandis. Former conductor Jeffrey Kahane resigned from the post, which he held for ten years, in order to pursue new conducting opportunities in Colorado.

The Santa Rosa Symphony education department consists of four youth ensembles, categorized by their level of skill, which provide classical music education to students across Sonoma County, who can audition for any of these groups. The three full orchestral ensembles, from lowest to highest are the Preparatory Orchestra, the Discovery Orchestra, and the Youth Orchestra. The chamber strings ensemble is known as the Young People's Chamber Orchestra.

The visual arts are represented by the Sonoma County Museum, and numerous independent art galleries. The Arts Council of Sonoma County is based at the Museum. The annual ARTrails event showcases the work of local visual artists from around Sonoma County, who open their private studios for two weekends in the fall to the public.

==Law enforcement and Crime==

The Santa Rosa Police Department currently has 259 employees, of which 172 are sworn peace officers. Its budget is more than $40,000,000, comprising more than one third of the city's entire General Fund Budget. Edwin F. Flint, who also is a Colonel in the United States Army Reserves, has been Police Chief since January 20, 2004 [http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/default.aspx?PageId=1448]. Police shootings in 2007 have led to calls for an independent civilian police review board.

Santa Rosa was also the site of the The Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders in the early 1970's. While still unsolved, these murders have been linked to the likes of Ted Bundy and Zodiac Killer suspect, Arthur Leigh Allen.

Notable Natives and Residents

Luther Burbank

on the corner of Santa Rosa Avenue and Sonoma Avenue. Burbank's home rests on the property.]]

Santa Rosa was the home of horticulturalist Luther Burbank, who said of Sonoma County, "I firmly believe, from what I have seen, that this is the chosen spot of all this earth as far as Nature is concerned." Burbank lived in Santa Rosa for more than 50 years in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, working to develop new strains of plants and toward improving the world's food supply. During that time, he introduced more than 200 varieties of fruits, vegetables, grains, and ornamental flowers, including the Shasta daisy and the Santa Rosa plum. (Note: Burbank introduced the Russet Burbank Potato prior to his move to Santa Rosa.) His home and the surrounding gardens, now called the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens, are located in downtown Santa Rosa and have been designated a California Historical Landmark and a National Historic Landmark. Burbank is buried under an oak tree on the property.

Robert Ripley

Santa Rosa is the birthplace of cartoonist Robert Ripley, creator of Ripley's Believe It or Not!. The Church of the One Tree, a church built entirely of the wood from a single redwood tree, and popularized by Ripley, stands on the north side of Juilliard Park in downtown Santa Rosa, across the street from the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens. Ripley is buried in Santa Rosa near his parents in the Oddfellows Lawn Cemetery, next to the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery.

Charles M. Schulz

and Snoopy at Fourth and Wilson Streets in Railroad Square.]]

For over 30 years, Santa Rosa was home to Charles M. Schulz, the world-famous cartoonist and creator of the beloved comic strip Peanuts. The [http://www.schulzmuseum.org/ Charles Schulz Museum] in Santa Rosa celebrates his life's work and the art of cartooning. A bronze statue of Charlie Brown and Snoopy stands in Depot Park at the northwest corner of 4th and Wilson Streets in downtown Santa Rosa's Railroad Square District.

In 2000, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors rechristened the "Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport" in his honor. The airport's amusing logo features Snoopy with goggles and scarf, taking to the skies on top of his red doghouse.

Charles Schulz's drawings were first published by Santa Rosa's Robert Ripley in Ripley's Believe It or Not!

Schulz was also the owner of Santa Rosa's Redwood Empire Ice Arena.

Snoopy Come Home and a few of the Charlie Brown television specials have been set in Santa Rosa as stand-ins for Minneapolis, Minnesota where Schultz grew up.

William Mark Felt

Since 1993, Santa Rosa has been the home of William Mark Felt, who revealed in 2005 that he had been the Washington Post's Watergate source known to the public only as "Deep Throat".

Dan Hicks

Singer-song writer Dan Hicks grew up in Santa Rosa. He started playing drums in grade school, played snare drum in marching band, and was playing gigs with area dance bands when he was 14. Thinking about a career in broadcasting, he had a spot on the local radio program "Time Out for Teens", while going to Montgomery High in the '50s.

Dan began playing guitar and singing while going to San Francisco State College (where he earned a degree in Broadcasting), and became part of the SF coffeehouse folk music scene. By 1965 he was playing drums with the San Francisco folk-rock group The Charlatans. They were the house band at the new Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City, Nevada; and were among the groups that inspired the SF '60s psychedelic dancehall scene. He began recording in 1969 as Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, an acoustic group with two female backup singers.

Dan lives in Mill Valley, tours with the current version of the Hot Licks, and also sings with the group Bayside Jazz.

Tom Waits

Santa Rosa (and nearby Sebastopol) is the home of noted musician and actor Tom Waits. Known for his thick, raspy voice, and songs that vary from love ballad to freakish storyline, he has been considered a cult music icon for decades. It is not uncommon for locals to see him browsing the racks of The Last Record Store or at Copperfield's Books.

Levi Leipheimer

Professional cyclist Levi Leipheimer (/ˈlaɪ̯pˌhaɪ̯mər/) calls Santa Rosa his home when not racing in Europe. He was a member of the United States Postal Service cycling team that saw Lance Armstrong win the Tour de France. Then, as leader of the Gerolsteiner team, Leipheimer won the Tour of Germany and finished in the top five in the Tour de France and the Vuelta an España, and notched a podium finish in the Dauphiné Libéré. He still competes in the UCI Pro Tour, which includes the Tour, Giro, and Vuelta. On 26 February 2006, Leipheimer finished sixth overall (riding first through Santa Rosa) in the inaugural Amgen Tour of California (designed to rival the Tour de France in the United States) but, true to his strength (climbing), he captured the King of the Mountain title. In 2007, now as leader of the Discovery Channel team, he returned to capture 1st overall at the 2007 Tour of California. He won again in 2008. Levi finished third in the 2007 Tour de France , helped his teammate win the tour, and won the final individual time trial.

Natalie Wood

A native of San Francisco, actress Natalie Wood lived in Santa Rosa with her parents when she appeared at age four in her first film, The Happy Land (1943).

Guy Fieri

Guy Fieri, winner second season of The Next Food Network Star and star of Guy's Big Bite and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, is from Santa Rosa and operates three restaurants there.

Rebecca De Mornay

Rebecca De Mornay, the star of Risky Business and John from Cincinnati, was born in Santa Rosa.

Thomas Lake Harris

19th-Century spiritual leader Thomas Lake Harris, after creating a community on the shores of Lake Erie, established the Fountain Grove spiritual community ("Eden of the West") in northern Santa Rosa in 1875. Thomas Lake Harris Drive is named after him.

Kanawe Nagasawa

Kanawe Nagasawa (1852-1934) was a Japanese-American who became a known as "The Grape King,", "The Baron of Fountaingrove", and "The Japanese Wine King of California". He was a follower and adoptive son of Thomas Lake Harris. For his efforts to improve U.S.-Japanese relations, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun. Nagasawa Community Park is named after him.

Jade Puget

Jade Puget, guitarist for the band AFI, was born in Santa Rosa.

Julie London

Julie London (1926-2000), American singer and actress, was a native of Santa Rosa.

Film locations

Santa Rosa has served as a location for many major films, including (courtesy of [http://www.oldmovies.com/ oldmovies.com]):

• The Happy Land (1943) Shot in Santa Rosa and Healdsburg. Natalie Wood's first movie, at age four.
• Shadow of a Doubt (1943) Alfred Hitchcock's personal favorite, filmed at Santa Rosa Railroad Depot, NWP Engine #140, Old Courthouse Square, Public Library, and McDonald Avenue. The 1991 telefilm involved eight weeks' filming on McDonald Avenue.
• The Sullivans (1944) Shot on Morgan Street.
• All My Sons (1948) Shot on McDonald Avenue.
• The Wonderful World of Disney The "Inky the Crow" episodes (beginning in the late 1960s) filmed in the Fountain Grove area.
• Storm Center (1956) Bette Davis spent six weeks on location at the Santa Rosa Main Library, which keeps a collection of clippings. (Davis spent a lot of time with the women's clubs and with real librarian Ruth Hall, leaving a lasting impression.) It also includes scenes from downtown and a house on Walnut Ct.
• Pollyanna (1960) Featured the Mableton Mansion (also known as the McDonald Mansion), on McDonald Avenue.
• Little Dog Lost (1963) Filmed in Santa Rosa and Cloverdale.
• It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) The sequence involving the plane and the control tower was shot at the Sonoma County Airport (in unincorporated Sonoma County between Santa Rosa and Windsor).
• The Candidate (1972) Shot in Howarth Park.
• Slither (1972) Highway 101 south of Santa Rosa, and Cloverdale.
• Steelyard Blues (1973) Shot in downtown Santa Rosa and at the Sonoma County Airport.
• Smile (1975) Shot at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium and many other nearby locations. Made into a 1986 Broadway musical of the same name with music by Marvin Hamlisch.
• Little Miss Marker (1980) Shot at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.
• Shoot the Moon (1982) Used a real Carl's Jr. on Industrial Drive at Cleveland Avenue. Also filmed at Wolf House at Jack London State Park.
• Cujo (1983) Locations include Santa Rosa and Petaluma.
• Smooth Talk (1985) Locations include Santa Rosa and Sebastopol.
• The Blue Yonder (1985, TV) "Lower" 4th Street (west of Highway 101) in Railroad Square.
• Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) Locations include Santa Rosa High School and Petaluma.
• Wildfire (1988) Wood Pontiac & Cadillac on Corby Avenue.
• Wired (1989) Filmed in Santa Rosa.
• Die Hard II (1990) Scenes shot at Santa Rosa Air Center.
• Shadow of a Doubt (1991, TV) McDonald Avenue and the Train Depot. (Also in downtown Petaluma.)
• Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot! (1992) Shot over a four-week period at Santa Rosa Air Center.
• Phenomenon (1996) Used Santa Rosa Junior College as an establishing shot for UC Berkeley. Also used "The Wagon Wheel" bar off of Highway 101 for bar scenes.
• Scream (1996) A house on McDonald Avenue, a local grocery store and the Bradley Video Store on Piner Rd. Santa Rosa High School would have been used, but a lengthy legal battle due to the film's promiscuous content forced the crew to shoot in Healdsburg.
• Inventing the Abbotts (1997) Shot at Santa Rosa High School and in Petaluma.
• Mumford (1999) Shot at Santa Rosa Junior College, other Santa Rosa locations, and in Guerneville and Healdsburg.
• Bandits (2001) Locations included the Flamingo Hotel (known by locals as the "Flaming O").
• The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) Set in Santa Rosa.
• Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) Filmed in Railroad Square. Also, the family home in fictional Midland, Illinois, was filmed in rural Petaluma.

Footnotes

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