Franz women thrived in what is now Franz Valley

Franz Valley, nestled in the Mayacamas mountains northeast of Santa Rosa, is named for a pioneer family.

Frederick Franz was from Malta, born when those Mediterranean islands were a British naval base. He became a U.S. citizen in 1836, at the age of 21. By the time Frederick arrived in California 20 years later, he‘d spent half his life at sea.

Sarah Silbert Franz was raised and educated in Boston and New York. As a young woman, she married George Swartwout. Their daughter Edith was a toddler when he passed away in 1854. Within a year, Sarah and Edith, accompanied by Sarah’s widowed Aunt Caroline, were crossing the Isthmus of Panama by oxcart on the way to California, looking for a fresh start. Caroline, Sarah and Edith joined Mary Silbert (Sarah’s widowed mother and Caroline’s sister) in San Francisco. Mrs. Silbert had come West to see if there were opportunities for women “to make a decent living.”

Many young men made the difficult journey West, but not many single women - it suggests what remarkable and courageous people Sarah, her mother and her aunt were.

Frederick’s ship was docked in San Francisco when he met Sarah who was described as a “highly accomplished and wonderful Musician … a widow with a lovely little girl.” They fell in love and were married in November, 1856. A friend invited them to settle near his home in Knight’s Valley.

Exploring the hills on horseback, they discovered a beautiful little valley occupied by two squatters. Captain Franz took title to the valley in 1857. Despite the fact neither were prepared for frontier life - Sarah was a city girl and Frederick a seaman - they began building a house.

Their daughter Minnie was born in their new home in 1858. In 1868, most of Franz’s cattle herd was lost in a flood. Disheartened, Frederick wanted to move back to San Francisco.

“You can go if you want,” Mary told him, “But whatever you leave behind, you forfeit.” Sarah, Edith and Minnie stuck with Mary and Caroline. Frederick left alone.

From then on, the women took charge. With little outside help, they milked cows, raised and sheared sheep, made hundreds of pounds of butter a year, raised hogs and chickens, and planted fields of wheat. They packed their grain miles on horseback to Bale’s mill in the Napa Valley.

Meanwhile, Frederick was living in San Francisco and died there a pauper in 1891. Minnie had his remains brought to the St. Helena Cemetery where he rests next to Sarah.

Frederick played a part in Franz Valley, but it was the women who stuck it out and seem most deserving of recognition. They’re the ones who devoted decades of hard work to their remote ranch. Sarah and her daughters forged a bond with Franz Valley that was stronger than their bond with Frederick, a bond so strong that some of her descendants still live there today.