Cloverdale In History

A note on Mr. Markle, from the 1877 Thompson Historical Atlas of Sonoma County:

"Far up the valley, where the hills draw together, with Russian river flowing between, is snugly nestled the town of Cloverdale. It is a few miles south of the northern boundary of the county. North of Cloverdale for one hundred miles on the waters of the Russian river and its tributaries, there are a series of small beautiful and fertile valleys, separated by spurs from the main range, which extend as bluffs to the river, and link the valleys as a chain. The hills back of the river are in the main bare of trees, and produce an abundant grass crop, upon which thousands of sheep are kept., These hills and valleys form a portion of the back country of Cloverdale. The Indians remained long about the mouth of Sulphur creek, and up that stream as far as the Geysers, receding only when the ever-increasing pressure of the white race forced them back. In 1856 R. Markle and a man named Miller purchased eight hundred and fifty acres of land, which included the present site of the town of Cloverdale. The first merchant north of Geyserville was a man named Levi Rosenburg. He had a store on the east side of the river, near the mouth of Sulphur creek. In 1857 J.H. Hartman and F. G. Hahman, pioneer merchants of Santa Rosa, conceived the idea of opening a trading-post at Markle's place, which was on the main highway to Ukiah and Humboldt, if a pack-trail can be properly termed a "highway." The store was opened under the firm-name of Hartman & Hahman, and about the same time Markle opened a tavern for the accommodation of travelers and pack-trains. Thus originated the town of Cloverdale. It was situated in a beautiful semi-circular valley, covered with clover, and Mr. Hartman gave it the appropriate name of Cloverdale, which it fortunately yet retains. Mrs. Markle was the first woman who settled in the new town, or rather, who settled there before there was a town. She is said, by those who knew her, to have been remarkably pretty - a peculiarity for which her successors of the fairer sex in Cloverdale are still noted. In 1859 J.A. Kleiser purchased the interest of R.B.Markle in the land, and the town was laid off. Hartman & Hahman sold out to Levi & Co. Others came in, but the town grew slowly. It slept, as it were, it its cradle for a decade, when one day it was awakened by the scream of the iron-horse,which halted on its threshold. . . ."