The George Webber Experience

07/28/2024

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How many city councils in America throw a FABULOUS party? There can't be many...but Sonoma's city council makes it happen this coming Thursday!

If you get there at 5:30 or so, you will hear me offer a historical overview of 200 years of grapevines in the Sonoma Valley from the stage.

Don't miss this fun, free event celebrating Sonoma! {Trouble reading this message? View it in a browser.} Join us as we celebrate The Year of the Farmer at the 27th Annual Sonoma City Party presented

08/13/2022

09/16/2021

Hello Facebook Friends!

I invite you to take my "Locals" History tour of the Sonoma Plaza Sundays at 10am. Reservations required----call me at 707-939-5507. Because I am in FAVOR of locals from anywhere, I am keeping the price at just $20 per adults in cash or Venmo at end of tour...kids are free and WELCOMED!

You can also email me at [email protected]

The tour will be performed by General Vallejo, founder of Sonoma.
​Perfect for history students young or old; General Vallejo will guide you by the Blue Wing Inn, the Mission, Barracks, Casa Grande site, and the Plaza.

​Topics covered include:

---Vallejo’s life as a boy growing up in Monterey, California in the early 1800’s
---The founding of the Sonoma Mission in 1823
---What Mission life was really like for the Native Americans who
became “neophytes”
---Secularization of the Missions and the arrival of General Vallejo
to Sonoma
---Building the civilian pueblo of Sonoma
---The true story of the Bear Flag Revolt
---The betrayal of the California Land Act of 1851
---The beautification of the Plaza, building of City Hall, and
Grinstead Amphitheatre

All details here: https://www.georgewebber.com/tour-info

09/10/2021

It is unlikely that a flag with a bear on it was raised on June 14th, 1846 in Sonoma. There were many flags made...by various members of the filibusterers that claimed Sonoma as the California Republic. And these happened AFTER June 14th.

We do know that on July 9th, 1846 Lieutenant Joseph Warren Revere appeared in Sonoma...raised the American flag....and lowered a flag with a bear on it.

We also know that the actions of the filibustering party that became known as the Bear Flaggers precipitated that official action of the US Navy. That fact that the Mexican-American War had already begun was not known in California until much later. (It took several months for news to travel from East Coast to West.)

It may be that this action by the US Navy was the most significant result of the event known as the Bear Flag Revolt, and in retrospect is an amazing occurrence given that the actions of the Bear Flaggers---seizing military control of Mexican land----was unwarranted and illegal without an official declaration of War by the US Congress.

We also know that the flag that Revere took down that day was given to the Clerk of the Portsmouth, John Elliott Montgomery, the son of Commander John B. Montgomery.

We know that John Elliott. wrote to his mother later in July that "Cuffy came down growling". (Cuffy being his nickname for the bear flag.)

We know that Commander Montgomery kept the Bear Flag, had a copy made, and eventually both were delivered to the Secretary of the Navy. In 1855 the Secretary sent both flags to the Senators from California who donated them to the Society of Pioneers in San Francisco. The original Bear Flag was destroyed in the fires following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

And we know that Lieutenant Joseph Warren Revere was the GRANDSON of Paul Revere.

08/31/2021

When I began the General Vallejo Walking Tour of the Sonoma Plaza in 2004 this is what it looked like

08/22/2021

Fabulous tour yesterday with these two awesome history folk from Vacaville!

08/04/2021

George Webber gets around!

08/03/2021

One fabulous article describing my 10 years as the Count.

Wine Industry News for Jul 20, 2021

08/03/2021

One heck of an article about 10 YEARS as the Count!

The winery hasn’t decided yet if it will replace historian George Webber.

04/07/2021

One heck of a tale

03/29/2021

Hurrah for Maureen!

03/16/2021

The Count is lonely