Glen Ellen and the legacy of Charles Stuart
By George McKale — Visiting the little town of Glen Ellen, just six miles north of Sonoma, has always been a pleasure for me. The town is simple, elegant, small and possesses an air of warmth, especially on these brisk October mornings. On Sunday, October 9, Glen Ellen will hold it’s annual Glen Ellen Village Fair. Glen Ellen has it’s own hometown parade, a single-file train of revelers and thrill-mongers, whom shall surely delight throngs of visitors during the celebration.
The town has some history, too. It all began with Mr. Charles V. Stuart. Like thousands who traversed the country to California during the Gold Rush, Stuart led the first mule train, the Ithaca Company, from Independence, Missouri to the San Fernando Valley and north to the San Joaquin. Once in the Golden State, Stuart found his way to San Francisco in November of 1849.
He spend ten years working and living in “The City,” but finally got smart and moved his family north to The Valley of the Moon. In 1859, he purchased a portion of Rancho Agua Caliente and by 1868 began building his dream house. He established a 1,000-acre vineyard, naming the land Glen Ellen after his wife.
As the town grew in earnest, Stuart changed the name of his vineyard to Glen Oaks Ranch.
Stuart was elected as a delegate to the 1878 California constitutional convention, on the non-partisan ticket. He was very much opposed to the various proposals the legislature was concocting discriminating against the Chinese. Because I agree with his position and admire him for his strong rhetoric, I shall print a portion of his speech herein.
“Give to the children of these people (and some of them native born) the privilege of our common schools in return for the school taxes they pay; cease persecuting them by personal assault, to which the law is blind; stop this disgraceful special legislation against them; stop this relentless, heartless, and inhuman persecution of foreigners…and then, and only then, will we do our duty. What right has the State to exact of these men poll and other school taxes, and then legislate against them, prohibiting their children the privilege of her common schools? I charge the city of San Francisco with cowardice in not protecting them in the exercise of their rights of ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which all men are guaranteed under our flag; while they have collected millions of dollars in taxes, licenses, and otherwise, yet they furnish them no protection in return. They pass cruel ordinances against them; they harass and annoy them through every device the law can invent, and why are similar outrages heaped upon them in nearly every county, town, village, or hamlet in this state? Tell me; tell me; oh, tell me, why they are not protected like others in their honest toil? Or is this to be the final sum of all villainy? I call upon our Government to give them the ballot, that they may protect themselves. If it does not, then I demand the repeal of all naturalization laws, and to modify all immigration laws, with other nations, under the treaty making power.”
The residents of Glen Ellen should be proud to have had Stuart as an integral part of their history. The 2010 census indicates that the hamlet of Glen Ellen has a whopping population of 784 souls. We hope the upcoming fair and parade bring in ten times that. The parade begins at noon. I hope to see you there!
