Napa in Napa County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Soscol House - 1855
Photographed By Loren Wilson
1. Soscol House Marker
Inscription.
Soscol House - 1855. . Built by Elijah True at the junction of the county road from Napa City and Old Ferry Road, now Soscol, which served the Soscol Ferry Crossing at Napa River west of here. The thriving transportation center developed here from the stagecoach and wagon traffic was called Suscol; taking that name from the Patwin Indian village site located on the banks of Suscol Creek east of this place at State Highway No. 29. Moved March 1978 to this site and refurbishing completed by H.&M. Carroll, December 1979.
Built by Elijah True at the junction of the county road from Napa City and Old Ferry Road, now Soscol, which served the Soscol Ferry Crossing at Napa River west of here. The thriving transportation center developed here from the stagecoach and wagon traffic was called Suscol; taking that name from the Patwin Indian village site located on the banks of Suscol Creek east of this place at State Highway No. 29. Moved March 1978 to this site and refurbishing completed by H.&M. Carroll, December 1979.
Erected 1983 by Sam Brannan Chapter No. 1004, E Clampus Vitus.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the E Clampus Vitus series list. A significant historical date for this entry is March 13, 1978.
Location. 38° 14.405′ N, 122° 16.198′ W. Marker is in Napa, California, in Napa County. Marker can be reached from Devlin Road, on the left when traveling south. Plaque is located on the west wall of the wood frame building located at the intersection of Soscol Ferry and Devlin Roads. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 125 Devlin Road, Napa CA 94558, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Cutting's Wharf (approx. 2.3 miles away); Napa State Hospital (approx. 2.6 miles away);
Additional commentary. 1. Soscol House - 1855 Note: The name SUSCOL, used during the Mexican Land Grant period of the 1830's was corrupted to SOSCOL when settlers arrived, hence the two spellings of the word. Each is used correctly below.
South of the City of Napa at the junction of the new stretch of State Highway No.29 and Soscol Road, on the north bank of Suscol Creek, stands the recently refurbished Soscol House, occupied by a Restaurant. It was moved from its original location at the northwest corner of Soscol Road and the Napa-Vallejo Highway (Old State Route #29) in 1978 to make way for the realigned highway to the southern crossing bridge across the Napa River. It was built in 1855 by Elijah True as an inn
Photographed By Loren Wilson, February 9, 2008
2. Soscol House
to accommodate travelers using the stages that traveled the Old Ferry Road, now Soscol Road, and used the Suscol Ferry across the Napa River. These travelers were journeying to such places as Sonoma, Petaluma, Benicia, Sacramento, Vallejo, and Napa. The inn was a two story "L " shaped wood structure with eleven bedrooms upstairs. The downstairs contained a bar, gambling room, and a dining room. Just to the south of Soscol House on the north bank of the creek bearing their name, was the site of the Patwin Indian Village, Suscol. The village was inhabited until the early 1830’s when epidemics of cholera and smallpox swept through much of California and resulted in the death of most if not all Suscol Patwins. A wharf was constructed by the Thompson brothers at the Suscol Ferry crossing in 1858 and the boats making the Napa River run scheduled their stops to make connections with the Suscol Ferry stage traffic. In July of 1865 train service was added from Napa to Suscol landing and by January of 1869, through service to Vallejo and Calistoga was added. This led to the demise of Soscol House as an inn, and by 1875 Elijah True ran the business as a “1iquor saloon." It remained a saloon into the early 1900's. In the 1940’s it was known as a “roadhouse," in the 1950’s it became a dining room, and in the late 1970’s it was an antique shop. Its day as a point in Napa County commerce
has long since passed; however, history has recorded its importance to our early travelers and settlers.
Loren Wilson, NGH #10
1983
— Submitted April 17, 2012, by Loren Wilson of Sebastopol, California.
2. Additional Information Regarding the Marker Dedication Harold "Andy" Anderson was Noble Grand Humbug when this plaque was dedicated. Plaque wording by Edward D. Hawkins.
— Submitted April 17, 2012, by Loren Wilson of Sebastopol, California.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on April 17, 2012, by Loren Wilson of Sebastopol, California. This page has been viewed 870 times since then and 56 times this year. Last updated on April 25, 2012, by Keith S Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Photos:1, 2. submitted on April 17, 2012, by Loren Wilson of Sebastopol, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
