Fort Ross- it proved that USA & Russia have always colluded

Yesterday Lynda and I did a bit of learning when we went to Fort Ross, which still stands in this location since it was first built by the Russians and a mixture of Creoles and Aneuts ( indigenous Indians to Alaska, in 1812.

 

This was the layout that still stands today which later had settlements around the outside of the Fort.

The initial work that the Russians and the whale hunters from the Aneut's of the Sea Otters and Seals for their skins, until after a number of years they had made the sea otter nearly extinct.

 

AS the Russian American Company thrived so it encouraged many other settlers to pitch up nearby.

 

www.parks.ca.gov will find the details if anyone wants more information.

 

Ok - so maybe colluded is the wrong word but back in 1812 Russians populated the North Californian coast line around Jenner and showed how well a thriving business could be set up , producing everything from Timber, tools, vegetables, fruit, tools, animals, woven products and the like and either sent them up north to support the colonies in Alaska or sold them to the Mexicans and Spanish.

 

Ivan Kuskov was the first Manager as it says and he was here until around 1821 until he went back to Russia-- maybe he should have stayed as he died in 1823.

While Lynda and I have always said how tough these men and women must have been, they were also very clever with the various initiatives that they came up with , such as this sluice--

 

 

 

 

These people built the first Ships ever constructed in California and another first was that the Koskov house in the stockade was the first house in California to have glass windows.

 

A lot of what was made in the fort was also sent down the coast about 18 miles to Bodega Bay -- www.bodegabay.com -- and the inlet there is called Russian River.

 

Alexander Rotchev was the last manager  of the area and the fort and they left all this behind around 1841 when they were not making the profits that they had previously. It become a Ranch and  in the main the fort was a to become a trading post for the settlers who worked the area , although it was always part of the indigenous Kashaya tribes territory.

 

 

And when I look around at the workmanship in the building construction I am in awe of how good they did in what they built

 

 

 One of the products that they grew was the grape and they produced their own wine which was probably not quite as good as these little numbers that is produced at ---

 Of course the land is not so different from that of Napa Valley or Sante Rosa

So there were a number of very well constructed building within the settlement and they have been well maintained ever since it past over to become a National  State Park around 1906.

 

 

The first known windmill in CALIFORNIA

 Apparently there was never any real need to fire these cannons in anger as the only people that the Russians didn't get on with were the Spanish to the south and the British in the North

 

 

All in all we had a great time around Fort Ross and expanded our knowledge of America and in particular this coast line of north California which we knew so little about and which has amazed us that the buying and selling and acquiring of land back in the 1800's and the way that trading was so significant as it was between differing nationalities.

 

So when these two leaders stop shaking hands and start getting aggressive with each other , can someone please remind them that there used to be a pretty thriving community , run by the Russians but supported by americans and Indians alike without shooting up the place or rattling sabres too much.

But then maybe they are already friends -- only Mueller knows.

 

 

 

So that's it but I just thought I would share a bit about the indigenous people in this area--

 

Although the main territory was populated by the Kashaya tribe they were also known as the POMO or first people.

 And with that I will leave you with TEY-WU-MEHL.KOK or "I'm Glad we came here and learnt a bit -- see one day here and I can speak American Indian.

 

So I will leave you with this Native Indian farewell --

 

 

And Lynda and me are gonna get us some Mocassons but we are gonna steer clear of that snow stuff-- we are for sure gonna make tracks yet to come.