It began as a dream for gold. Town founder Harmon Heald was lured north of San Francisco by the Gold Rush in 1851, but found far better riches in the region’s growing soil. With a humble general store and post office, Harmon gave rise to a farming town, which flourished with the arrival of the railroad in 1871. Surrounded by a soil so fertile that it could grow virtually any crop, Healdsburg was well on its way to winemaking acclaim when prohibition forced a detour into prune farming in 1919. These delicious prunes proved such a cash crop that it took 50 years for winemaking to take hold again in the region. But, to the delight of wine-lovers everywhere, wine has at last returned as the lifeblood of this still quaint and rustic town, which bears out Harmon Heald’s dream for gold as more prophetic than he even imagined.
Explore Our Past
Historic Homes of Healdsburg Self-Guided Walking Tour
www.healdsburgmuseum.org