Robert Barnhart and Sandi Miller in front of their Broadway outpost “The Lonesome Cowboy Ranch.” Photo by Ryan Lely.
An antique shop, a metal-art gallery and an emporium of vintage Western wear may not seem to have much in common, but together they comprise Lonesome Cowboy Ranch. Established on the site of a former gas station, the trio of modest buildings way down on Broadway exudes the quirky ambience of an old-timey Florida roadside attraction. Minus the alligators, of course.
For the moment, at least, an oversized Mickey Mouse statue and a stuffed mammoth hail visitors along the busy boulevard between Watmaugh and Leveroni Roads. The main building is home to the original tenant, Lonesome Cowboy, which opened in late winter.
Not since Buckaroo and Vaquero rode off into the sunset has Sonoma seen such an assortment of Western-abilia in one spot. The shop is chockablock with cowboy boots, from moderately priced black ones to more elaborate yellow, purple, red-and-white and other styles, in all price ranges starting at around $60. The Cowboy carries all kinds of new and vintage vests and jackets and especially shirts inspired by the West – and in this case, “West” extends all the way to Hawaii. After all, the paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys) were a fact of island life as far back as the early 1800s.
“We have stuff for show and for everyday. We like fun things,” said Robert Barnhart, who owns the business with his partner, Sandi Miller. “You don’t have to have a horse. Just be a cowboy or cowgirl at heart.”
Both had had earlier retail jobs and Barnhart also had experience reconditioning boots and saddles, which is a major part of Lonesome Cowboy’s business. also customizes hats, both new and vintage. “Pinch, low pinch, modified, the Kevin Costner open range style – we do them all,” Barnhart said. “People get tired of all the plain stuff they see in the stores.” The shop also designs its own hats. “We try our best to match the hat with the head,” he said.
Miller and Barnhart will also search for boots in a particular style or size for customers who know what they want but haven’t been able to find it.
In addition to clothing, Lonesome Cowboy carries jewelry, hand-woven rugs and other accessories. The place is comfortably jammed to the point where it’s hard to tell what’s for sale and what’s just for show. What about the neon Indian head? The old swing? The totem pole?
Miller, who is a singer-songwriter, met Barnhart about five years ago in Monterey at a television studio, where both had signed up for a class about producing and directing TV shows for access channels. They became partners when they discovered their mutual admiration for all things Western.
They opened a Western-specialty shop in Moss Landing, which they operated for six years. When they came to Sonoma for family reasons, in the summer of 2007, they thought it might be a nice place to live. “We weren’t thinking of closing the Moss Landing shop,” said Barnhart. “But when a building here became available last February, we decided to move the shop here. We’d have more control and we could do what we wanted to do.”
The Lonesome Cowboy has since been joined by two other small businesses. Off Broadway Antiques & Collectibles carries a hodgepodge of old things, newer rattan furniture and “lots of collectibles,” says owner Wayne Baker, whose shop is to the south of Lonesome Cowboy. On the opposite side is the Olive Branch Gallery, which features works by metal artist Bryan Burns. Working in copper, brass and steel, he creates candle holders and larger custom sculptures, as well as olive branches that are sold at some 30 wineries in Napa and Sonoma. Contact Burns for where those can be purchased.
Barnhart and Miller hope to rustle up a couple of other businesses, especially food and/or coffee purveyors, to join them on their decidedly offbeat ranch.
Lonesome Cowboy Ranch, 20820 Broadway, 707.938.7207. Off Broadway Antiques & Collectible: 707.484.1844. Olive Branch Gallery: 707.704.0151.
All shops are open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday-Sunday.
