THE RUSSIANS - FORT ROSS
In the early 1800's people far to the north became interested in Sonoma County. They were the Russians, who had come down from their own land in Alaska in search of sea otters and seals. They hunted these animals for the fur. which was very valuable in Europe and Asia. The Russians had established many fur-trading companies in Alaska but hunters quickly scared off the otter herds. The Russians then traveled south to find more herds.
The Spanish to the south had food supplies but they did not always want to trade with the Russians. The Russians looked for a place to establish a colony here because there were hardly any supplies or food in Alaska anymore. The Russian government decided that they should have a new settlement on the Pacific Coast to furnish supplies to the fur traders.
In March 1812, a group of 40 Russians and 80 Aleuts (Native Alaskans) landed at Fort Ross. They chose this spot because it was easy to defend and had good timber, water and land for farming. This group, with help from the local coastal Indians, worked for several months clearing land, cutting timber and building their new settlement.
Fort Ross was completed in September of 1812. This was the first permanent settlement of men, other than the Native Americans, in Sonoma County.
Fort Ross
Although the Spanish government feared Russian settlement, the Russians at Fort Ross were friendly with the Spanish at the mission in Sonoma. The Russians brought gifts to the mission church's dedication in 1824. The Spanish also visited Fort Ross.
Fort Ross 1828
The buildings in Fort Ross were made of redwood and were very strong.
The Chapel at Fort Ross
Kuskov House
It was very busy at the fort. The main thing was to hunt sea otter and sea lions. The meat of the sea lion was salted for food and the skins were used to make boats called baidarkas or kayaks. Oil for food and lamps were made from the fat.
Many of the settlers at Fort Ross were skilled craftsmen. They made products for the fort and to trade with people visiting on ships from all over the world. Carpenters made houses, navigation tools and small boats. There were shops for blacksmiths, tinsmiths and gunsmiths inside the fort. Cloth, hats, mattresses, candles, soap, lanterns, powder horns, combs, tanned leather, boots, shoes, bricks and pottery were other products made there.
Fort Ross also had the first sawmill north of San Francisco. Using this lumber, the Russians started the first shipyard in California. However, their first ships were built of improper seasoned or green oak which ended up rotting in a few years.
Sketch of Fort Ross 1828
There were problems growing crops and raising animals at Fort Ross. The Russians were not skilled farmers, the land was not very fertile and there were many rodents. The fog along the coast also kept many crops from growing well. Livestock was purchased from the Spanish. By 1840, their herds of horses, mules, cattle and sheep were in the thousands. Wool , tallow, hides and butter became major trading items. All this gave the colony enough to eat but there wasn't enough to send north to Alaska.
For almost 30 years, the Russians, Aleuts and coastal Indians worked hard to make Fort Ross successful. In 1841, the fort was sold to John Sutter of Sacramento for a promised $30,000. They money was never paid in full. Although the Russians could not make their settlement profitable, they contributed a lot to Sonoma County.
Fort Ross today