Peter Donahue was a businessman who played an important role in the development of railroads to and within Sonoma Valley. In 1849 he opened a blacksmith's shop with his brothers, Michael and James, that eventually became the Union Iron Works foundry. They also founded the San Francisco Gas Company which would eventually evolve into Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
Here is the chronology of his influence on Sonoma Valley Rail.
<dl> <dt> 1876</dt><dd>He purchased the bankrupt Sonoma & Marin Railway and formed (or merged it into) the San Francisco & North Pacific Railway which would ultimately link Sonoma Valley to the ferry terminals in Tiburon and Sausalito.
</dd> <dt> 1878</dt><dd>He purchased the cash-strapped Sonoma Valley Railroad to link the City of Sonoma to Sonoma Landing.
</dd> <dt> 1882</dt><dd>His company, the Sonoma Valley Railroad, formed the Sonoma & Santa Rosa Railroad (possibly also known as the Sonoma & Glen Ellen Railroad to extend rail service up to Glen Ellen.
</dd> <dt> 1886</dt><dd>His company, the Sonoma Valley Railroad, formed the Marin & Napa Railroad to connect Sears Point to the San Francisco & North Pacific Railway at Ignacio.
</dd> <dt> 1889</dt><dd>His brother, James M. Donahue bought the rest of Sonoma Valley and Marin & Napa railroads and merged them into San Francisco & North Pacific Railway. Several of the locomotives (#2, 3, 4, 5, and 11) of SF&NP were constructed by the Union Iron Works, which was also a Donahue enterprise.
</dd> </dl>See Also
- Railroads
- Wikipedia entry for Peter Donahue.
- Donald B. Robertson, Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History: California, Volume 4, pg. 209, (1998).
