John Sheehy

Jan 12, 2025 | petaluma360.com | John Sheehy

After Ely died in 1876, the ranch was purchased by Frank Lougee, a banking association of Zeke Denman and John McNear. In 1887, Lougee sold the ranch to Denman and McNear. (That same year, McNear’s son George married Denman’s daughter Ida Belle, bringing the two families together). As part of his inheritance, John Denman claimed his father’s half ownership in the Ely Ranch. He convinced his widowed mother-in-law, Minerva Parsons, to purchase the other half from McNear.

Jan 12, 2025 | pressdemocrat.com | John Sheehy

When it came to milking cows, John Denman’s eyes were on the future. The year was 1892. California’s provincial dairy ranches were bracing for a stampede of new technology from milking machines to cream separators and refrigeration. A new State Dairy Bureau was inspecting milking barns for health and sanitation violations. The California Dairy Association had been established to set quality standards and battle butter imposters like oleomargarine.

Dec 2, 2024 | petaluma360.com | John Sheehy

Freed from the shackles of censorship, a new wave of young directors emerged in Hollywood, rekindling a film renaissance. With television heavily censored, cinemas suddenly had a new leg up. By the early 1970s, sexually explicit films with R and X ratings began showing in mainstream cinemas, including the Showcase.

Dec 2, 2024 | pressdemocrat.com | John Sheehy

On Friday, Dec. 6, the Phoenix Theater will celebrate its 120th birthday with a party and concert featuring Toast Machine. For information visit ThePhoenixThater.com. In 1999, Petaluma’s Phoenix Theater faced an existential threat.

Oct 11, 2024 | petaluma360.com | John Sheehy

There was just one hitch. Demolition couldn’t begin at the site for a year, until the leases held by McNear’s tenants expired. The hotel board couldn’t wait that long. They moved forward with the purchase of the Washington Street lot, along with two adjacent buildings slated for demolition. Within weeks of closing the deal, they hired a San Francisco architect to begin designing the hotel. In April 1924, the Hotel Petaluma opened to great fanfare, California’s governor serving as a guest of honor.