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43-879: The Marin County Free Library was established in 1926 by the county's Board of Supervisors. In 1927, Muriel Wright opened its first branch in the basement of what was at the time the County Courthouse in San Rafael. The library has a digital collection related to the California Motion Picture Corporation 's film productions. The library is funded predominantly by a parcel tax levied on properties within its jurisdiction. The Marin County Free Library serves two core communities in Marin County. The eastern half of

86-546: A connection to Clear Lake, the Russian River was beheaded from Clear Lake by a slide (at Cow Mountain , east of Ukiah). Now Clear Lake flows into the Sacramento River. The river incised a canyon into Fitch Mountain at an early time, before land levels were eroded to their present levels. The Russian River was prevented from flowing south into San Pablo Bay, due to a 113-foot high ridge at Cotati. Guerneville

129-522: A digital collection related to the studio. Their productions included Salomy Jane (1914), Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1914), Mignon (1915), and Who's Your Servant? (1920). Frank Erlanger was one of the actors who worked for the studio. Salomy Jane survives in its entirety. George E. Middleton was a director with the studio and Beatriz Michelena a leading actress. Harold Entwistle and William Nigh also directed films for

172-698: A few weeks in Los Angeles for their honeymoon. Middleton was the manager of the local Middleton Motor Car Company and the son of a California timber baron. He introduced Michelena to his society friends and business partners, including the trustees of Charles Crocker 's estate who had rebuilt the St. Francis Hotel after the 1906 earthquake and fire . Middleton set up the California Motion Picture Company in San Rafael in 1912 for

215-547: A five-year monitoring program using underwater cameras at two fish ladders just north of Forestville . They found that Chinook always were, and still are, "a relatively abundant, widely distributed, and naturally self-sustaining population". The authors found historic information dating to 1881 suggesting the presence of an ancestral population, and their genetic analysis found the Chinook both above and below barriers to fish passage to be of native, and not hatchery stock. In 2001

258-664: A lower elevation, the Russian River began cutting north into the drainage area of the Navarro River. Eroding up a fault line in Alexander Valley, the Russian River intersected the Navarro River just north of Cloverdale. This resulted in the stream capture of Big Sulphur Creek (formerly the upper Navarro River) and the north fork of the Navarro River, going north to Hopland and to Ukiah. The high valleys were eroded into rocky canyons for ten miles north of Cloverdale and for five miles east of Cloverdale. After establishing

301-431: A profit, and a lavish production of Faust which was in production in 1915 was given until the end of the year to be completed. Faust was not done by January 1916, and CMPC president Herbert Payne shut the film company down and filed for bankruptcy. Faust was never released. Middleton and Michelena bought the bankrupt film company for "a few thousand dollars" in 1917 and renamed it Michelena Studios. Their new company

344-687: A southern colony at Fort Ross , the Russian-American Company contracted with American ships beginning in 1806, providing them with Aleuts and their baidarkas (kayaks) to hunt otter on the coast of Spanish California. Hudson's Bay Company 's Alexander R. McLeod reported in 1829, "The Country to the northward of Bodega is said to be rich in Beaver and no encouragement given to the Indians to hunt." The fur trapper Ewing Young , led an expedition up Putah Creek to Clear Lake and on to

387-406: A steamship company and Pacific Telephonen and Telegraph. It was billed as the largest film company in the west. Stage actress Michelena married George E. Middleton, a prominent San Francisco automobile dealer, on Sunday, March 3, 1907. The private wedding took place at 232 Divisadero Street, the home of the parents of bridesmaid Margaret McGovern, "a lifelong friend of the bride". The couple spent

430-484: A timber holding now known as the Middleton Tract . Other filming locations included undeveloped portions of Sonoma, Santa Cruz and Marin counties. In San Rafael, the studio boasted a large glass-walled and -roofed building that let in light but not wind so that shooting for indoor scenes could take place in full light without the telltale flapping of tablecloths and clothing blown by gusts. Considered expensive at

473-901: Is built on an abandoned meander of the river. Near Guerneville, another meander cut short Smith Creek. The Mendocino Plateau is a part of the Franciscan Assemblage . A portion of the Eel River is diverted to headwaters of the Russian River in Potter Valley , via a scheme known as the Potter Valley Project . The Sonoma County Water Agency draws drinking water from the Russian River for sale to several hundred thousand residents of Sonoma, Mendocino, and northern Marin counties. Santa Rosa's Laguna Wastewater Treatment Plant treats sewage from several communities to tertiary standards and returns some of it to

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516-467: Is the second-largest river (after the Sacramento River ) flowing through the nine-county Greater San Francisco Bay Area , with a mainstem 115 mi (185 km) long. The Southern Pomo know the river as Ashokawna ( ʔaš:oʔkʰawna ), "east water place" or "water to the east", and as Bidapte , "big river." Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo and his expedition may have travelled as far north as

559-503: Is wooed by four men but prefers a fifth played by British heartthrob House Peters . The movie saw limited nationwide distribution and was judged a hit by viewers who were impressed by the wild California scenery: giant redwood trees , winding roads hugging rocky bluffs and the Russian River Michelena's dominant portrayal of the title role was also an appeal. Journalist Josephine Clifford McCracken wrote of her in

602-577: The California Bays and Estuaries Policy . The mouth is about 60 mi (100 km) north of the San Francisco Bay 's Golden Gate bridge. The lower Russian River is a popular spring, summer, and fall destination for navigation and recreation. It is very safe at that time for swimming and boating, with a gentle current. The river is dangerous in the winter, with swift current and muddy water. The geographer R. S. Holway wrote of

645-1051: The Coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch ) had dwindled to less than four returning spawners per year. These low numbers were the catalyst for the Russian River Coho Salmon Captive Broodstock Program, a recovery effort in which offspring from hatchery-reared adults are released into the river system. In 2011, biologists estimate that more than 190 adult coho may have returned to the Russian River watershed, beginning with early storms in October and peaking in December. High priority tributaries for restoration of stream flows and habitat for Coho include Dutch Bill , Grape, Green Valley , Mark West and Mill Creeks . Similarly, early twentieth-century naturalists were skeptical that California Golden beaver ( Castor canadensis subauratus ) were extant in

688-593: The Mendocino County Coast in March, 1833. James Weeks, a member of Young's 1833 fur brigade wrote: "They broke up all the beaver lodges on the lake, I believe the finest and largest beaver we caught there, we arrived at the Russian River and pitched camp sent out, trappers found signs set traps caught beavers..." This historical observer record is consistent with the Southern Pomo , who inhabited

731-552: The Pajaro River . Khlebnikov stated in his "1820 Travel Notes", "Mr. Kuskov had sent two baidarkas to the Slavyanka River to catch sturgeon, and they returned today with ten fish...the largest one exceeding two arshins (4.67 feet) long". Moyle's Inland Fishes of California states that there were historic runs of white, but not green, sturgeon in the Russian River. White sturgeon are the largest freshwater fish in

774-542: The June 1915 issue of Overland Monthly : "Daughter of a renowned tenor of San Francisco's pioneer days, herself a prima donna with an assured place on the modern operatic stage, a girl with a wealth of artistic tradition behind her, Miss Michelena's gifts do not stop there. She has rare beauty, vivacity, wit, intellectual attainments and athletic grace." One CMPC shooting location was on family property near Boulder Creek, California , where Middleton's father had established

817-586: The Russian River flows south, past Ukiah through the Ukiah Valley and Hopland through the Sanel Valley , and crosses into Sonoma County just north of Cloverdale . Closely paralleled by U.S. Route 101, it descends into the Alexander Valley , where it is joined by Big Sulphur Creek . It flows south past Cloverdale , Asti , and Geyserville . East of Healdsburg , Maacama Creek joins

860-605: The Russian River in November 1542 before storms forced them to turn back south towards Monterey. The earliest Slavic name for the river, Slavyanka , appears on a Russian-American Company chart dated 1817. In 1827 the Spanish called it the San Ygnacio , and in 1843 the Spanish land grant referred to it as Rio Grande . The river takes its current name from Russian Ivan Kuskov of the Russian-American Company, who explored

903-751: The Russian River in his 1917 paper "The Russian River: A Characteristic Stream of the California Coast Ranges". Originally, the Russian River was one of several rivers draining westward from the Mayacamas Mountains through the Mendocino Plateau to the sea, a region lifted up by tectonic forces. The Navarro River drained from the Cobb Mountain area, while the Russian River drained from the Mt. St. Helena area. Being at

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946-556: The Russian River. After it makes a series of sweeping bends, the Healdsburg Memorial Bridge carries Old Redwood Highway over the river just upstream of U.S. Route 101 's Healdsburg crossing. It receives water from Lake Sonoma via Dry Creek . The river turns westward, where it is spanned by the Wohler Bridge, and it is joined by Mark West Creek north of Forestville , followed by Green Valley Creek to

989-624: The United States. The Russian River is the largest river in the Central California Coast steelhead trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) distinct population segment . Natural waterfalls and the two major dams, Warm Springs (built in 1982) and Coyote (built in 1959), have isolated anadromous steelhead from its non-oceangoing rainbow trout form above the impassable barriers. Recent genetic studies on steelhead collected at 20 different sites both above and below passage barriers in

1032-525: The abundance of seal, otter and beaver were the principal factors which favored this colonization." An 1816 report by the Russian-American Company's Board of Directors said that it was establishing a settlement to introduce agriculture.(page 33, After December 16, 1813: A report to Emperor Alexander I from the Russian American Company Council, concerning trade with California and the establishment of Fort Ross) Before establishing

1075-469: The canyon between Cloverdale and Hopland. This vulnerability was demonstrated in March 1982 when a tank car of formaldehyde was vandalized in Ukiah. Emergency response personnel were able to clean up approximately half of the 21,000 US gallons (79,000 L) spilled, and a fortuitous combination of Lake Mendocino reservoir inventory and late winter storms helped flush the remainder through the river and into

1118-676: The coastal streams of the Bay Area. However, the Russian-American Company 's Ivan Kuskov sailed into Bodega Bay in 1809 on the Kodiak and, after exploring 50 miles of the Russian River, returned to Novo Arkhangelsk, Alaska (Sitka), with beaver skins and over 2,000 sea otter ( Enhydra lutris ) pelts. The Russians' stated reason for establishing a settlement in Alta California was, "The rich, fertile soil [and]

1161-509: The company. An announcement of the company's incorporation gives a San Francisco main office address at 356 Pine Street and lists the board of directors as: James Woods, manager of the St. Francis Hotel; Baldwin Wood, attorney; Charles Payne, President Payne Real Estate Company; Thomas B. Eastland, President Coast Realty Co.; A. M. Johnson, Attorney; and Robin Y. Hayne, Capitalist as well as officer from

1204-436: The county is heavily developed and branches in the area are typically larger and serve incorporated communities. The western half of the county, West Marin , is largely rural, and the branches in the region are smaller and serve predominantly unincorporated communities. The West Marin branches are administered jointly by a single manager. California Motion Picture Corporation California Motion Picture Corporation

1247-760: The lower half of the Russian River, having a word for beaver ṱ'ek:e and beavers in their "Coyote Stories". In 1881 the Sacramento Daily Union newspaper reported, "Beavers are being trapped near Healdsburg" (placing them again on the Russian River). The Russian River State Marine Reserve and Russian River State Marine Conservation Area protect the Russian River Estuary. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean and freshwater wildlife and marine ecosystems. The river provides groundwater recharge and

1290-536: The mid-1920s, though Middleton told the 1930 US Census that they were married. The union produced no children. Russian River (California) The Russian River ( Southern Pomo : Ashokawna , Spanish : Río Ruso ) is a southward-flowing river that drains 1,485 sq mi (3,850 km ) of Sonoma and Mendocino counties in Northern California . With an annual average discharge of approximately 1,600,000 acre feet (2.0 km ), it

1333-634: The ocean before local water storage inventories were exhausted. The Russian River reached flood stage of 32 feet (9.8 m) at Guerneville about five times per decade through the last half of the 20th century. Historic flood peaks were 49.5 feet (15.1 m) in February 1986, 48 feet (15 m) in January 1995, 47.6 feet (14.5 m) in December 1955, 47.3 feet (14.4 m) in December 1964, and 46.9 feet (14.3 m) in February 1940. Through effective use of Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma flood capacity

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1376-464: The purpose of shooting promotional footage of the automobiles he was selling. He determined that his pretty wife could star in movies made by his company. By 1914, Middleton and Michelena were making three major films at the same time. The first feature completed by CMPC was Salomy Jane , screened initially at the St. Francis Hotel by invitation only. Michelena's role was Bret Harte 's Salomy Jane Clay, an energetic daughter of an emigrant miner. She

1419-658: The river by way of the Laguna de Santa Rosa . Water transferred from the Eel River and released from Lake Mendocino flows through the Russian River channel to withdrawal points in Sonoma County. Although this method of transport supports aquatic and riparian zone habitats, it is vulnerable to chemical contamination from transportation accidents where the river is in close proximity to highway 101 and Northwestern Pacific Railroad transportation corridors in locations like

1462-518: The river has exceeded flood stage at Guerneville less frequently in the 21st century, but in late February 2019 it flooded to levels comparable to 1986. The river provides wildlife habitat including warm and cold freshwater habitat for fish migration and spawning. Historically it is interesting as one of two Northern California coastal rivers mentioned in the early nineteenth century by Russian explorer K. T. Khlebnikov as hosting sturgeon, presumably white sturgeon ( Acipenser transmontanus ), along with

1505-690: The river in the early 19th-century and established the Fort Ross colony 10 mi (16 km) northwest of its mouth. The Russians called it the Slavyanka River , meaning " Slav River". ( Slavyanka in Russian means "Slavic woman".) They established three ranches near Fort Ross, one of which, the Kostromitinov Ranch, stretched along the Russian River near the mouth of Willow Creek. The redwoods that lined its banks drew loggers to

1548-723: The river in the late 19th century. According to the USGS, variant names of the Russian River include Misallaako, Rio Ruso, Shabaikai, and Slavyanka. The Russian River springs from the Laughlin Range about 5 mi (8 km) east of Willits in Mendocino County. It flows generally southward to Redwood Valley , then past Calpella , where it is bordered by U.S. Route 101 , to join the East Fork Russian River just below Lake Mendocino . From there

1591-595: The south. The river passes Rio Nido and Guerneville . In that area, State Route 116 parallels the river, bordering it past Guernewood Park and Monte Rio . Austin Creek enters from the north before the River passes through Duncans Mills . State Route 1 crosses over the river before it flows into the Pacific Ocean between Jenner and Goat Rock Beach . The Russian River estuary is recognized for protection by

1634-464: The time, the company used a US$ 1,250 Bell & Howell movie camera, worth about $ 37,600 in current value. The camera held two reels of film so that two negatives were made of each scene. A second $ 700 camera provided a third reel of the same scene, from another perspective. Even though Salomy Jane did not return a profit (likely due to second-string distribution channels), its favorable reception convinced Middleton that his wife could challenge

1677-512: The watershed found that despite the fact that 30 million hatchery trout were stocked in the river from 1911 to 1925, the steelhead remain of native and not hatchery stock. Until recently, most reviews indicated that Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) were always scarce on the Russian River. However, in 2007, the Sonoma County Water Agency completed a comprehensive re-evaluation of historical records, coupled with

1720-530: The world's top movie star , Mary Pickford , and almost all CMPC movies had her as their star. Unfortunately, Michelena's ego expanded with the glowing reviews of her skill, and her demands for star treatment brought heavier expenses to productions that continued to lose money. Mignon , The Lily of Poverty Flat , A Phyllis of the Sierras , Salvation Nell and The Rose of the Misty Pool all failed to turn

1763-538: Was a film company based in San Rafael, California , in Marin County during the silent film era. The company lasted from 1914 until January 1916 when it went bankrupt. It was subsequently renamed and lasted until 1920. It produced at least 15 films. The film company is known for its feature-length films about early California history. Alex E. Beyfuss managed the company. The Marin County Library has

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1806-493: Was called Beatriz Michelena Features, and shooting began on their next feature-length film, Just Squaw . Michelena's lead character was a white woman raised by American Indians, a woman who does not realize her racial heritage until after she falls into forbidden love with a white man. The movie played for only a week in San Francisco in 1919, and did not return a profit. The moviemakers' new distributor, Robertson-Cole ,

1849-425: Was unable to find the right market for Heart of Juanita and The Flame of Hellgate in 1920. American audiences had grown more sophisticated, yet Michelena Studios was still employing their earlier production techniques. After shooting The Flame of Hellgate , Middleton and Michelena stopped making movies altogether. She returned to her singing performances and he returned to his car sales. They reportedly divorced in

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