 |
| Landmark #5 | Sonoma County | Visited: August 2, 2014 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | A restored Russian village and fortress from the 1800s! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: Founded in 1812 by Russians from Alaska. When Russians withdrew to Alaska in 1841, Captain Sutter bought the improvements and supplies. The State acquired the fort in 1906 and the remaining buildings—Greek Orthodox Chapel, Commandant’s Quarters, and Stockade—were restored. The chapel, destroyed by fire in 1970, was reconstructed in 1974.
OTHER TIDBITS: The Russian-American Company set up this fort to provide grain supplies for their Alaskan colonies and to hunt seals, sea lions, and especially sea otters for their furs! They brought members of the Alutiiq, Chugachmiut, Unegkurmiut, and Qikertarmiut tribes (all lumped together under the Russian term “Aleut”) south with them to provide the labor! They even installed California’s first windmill, also the first west of the Mississippi! Unfortunately for the colonists, the sea otter population declined, the grain stores and livestock supply did not meet expectations, and there were a lot of new American settlers moving in, so the fort was abandoned! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
|
| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: 19005 Coast Hwy State Hwy 1 (P.M. 33.0) 12 mi N of Jenner, CA 95450 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~462mi (744km) — 7.7hrs |
| When should I go? | Fort Ross is open from Thursday through Monday from 10:00 AM until 4:30 PM! |
