[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1109]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE BOYES HOT SPRINGS POST OFFICE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 15, 2011

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my 
colleague, Representative Lynn Woolsey, to honor the 100th birthday of 
an important community institution, the Boyes Hot Springs Post Office. 
On July 8, 1911, the Sonoma Index Tribune reported that ``A.D. Graham 
of Graham's Cash Store received the appointment as post master of Boyes 
Springs. Located at his store.''
  The store, lost in a 1923 fire along with most of the town, was near 
the train depot at Boyes Boulevard and the Sonoma Highway (Hwy 12). 
After rapid rebuilding, the post office was located in the Woodleaf 
Store (now a diner that is part of the Sonoma Mission Inn) until 1951, 
when its current site was built at the Plaza Center at Boyes Boulevard 
and Sonoma Highway.
  This site, previously known as the Boyes Springs Plaza, had been the 
scene of street parties and fiestas. Now, redevelopment plans include a 
public plaza in the surrounding space, reviving it as a place for 
celebration.
  Boyes Hot Springs has a lively history, integral to the fabric of the 
Sonoma Valley. Formerly the center of a great resort area, it hosted 
thousands of visitors during its heyday. There were dozens of resorts, 
from small motor courts to the grand Sonoma Mission Inn. The Boyes Bath 
House boasted the second largest indoor swimming pool in the country. 
And, for many years, the area was a training ground for professional 
football and baseball teams such as the Cleveland Browns and the San 
Francisco Seals.
  After the demise of the passenger railroad, the area still thrived 
with the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and the rise of the 
automobile. Boyes Springs real estate man L.E. ``Bud'' Castner was one 
of the first directors of the Golden Gate Bridge District.
  In the 1960s, as the resorts faded, Boyes Hot Springs faded a bit as 
well. Community pride, however, never waned. The area became attractive 
in the 1980s and 1990s to home buyers who were priced out of the Bay 
area market. Attracted by its rural charm, they purchased its large 
stock of charming cottages to rehabilitate. At the same time, the 
population of Mexican immigrants grew, attracted principally by the 
grape growing and wine businesses.
  To old timers and new residents alike, the post office is the center 
of the community. Since most of the surrounding streets receive no mail 
delivery, residents make a daily trip to the post office where they 
catch up on the latest local news with their friends and neighbors. The 
immigrant population relies on it for communication with their families 
back home. The postal workers are personally known to all, a part of 
the broader community family.
  Mr. Speaker, the community is hosting a celebration to honor this 
anniversary. In the words of one of the organizers, Michael Acker of 
the Springs Community All, it will ``salute the past, show appreciation 
for service, and look to the future with hope.'' Please join us in 
honoring the centennial of the Boyes Hot Springs Post Office.

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