Petaluma's Main Street way back when

Today, Petaluma's main street, Petaluma Boulevard North, is home to restaurants, coffee shops and hipster boutiques. See what it looked like more than 100 years ago.|
JANET BALICKI WEBER
FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Lined with historic storefronts, farm-to-table restaurants and hipster boutiques, Petaluma's main street Petaluma Boulevard North has been the epicenter of town activity for over 150 years.

The historic main drag is home to some of the city's oldest buildings, with many structures surviving the 1906 earthquake. Landmarks like the Odd Fellows Hall (1878), Masonic Lodge (1882) and McNear's Building (1886) are some of the familiar markers that remained as businesses came and went.

Today, Petaluma Boulevard is home to local favorites like Tall Toad Music, purveyor of fine vintage guitars and mandolins; Della Fattoria, serving up delicious breads and pastries; Central Market, a farm-to-fork Californian-Mediterranean eatery; Speakeasy, a small tapas bistro; and the Mystic Theater, one the North Bay's top music venues.

Much has changed but much remains the same.

Click through our gallery above to see Petaluma Boulevard's transition from the 1890s to present day.

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