by Lesa Tanner (Author), Graton Community Club (Author)
The town of Graton is located in the beautiful and fertile Green Valley, which was first settled in the mid-1800s by pioneer families such as the Sullivans, Gregsons, and Winklers. When the railroad came through the area, realtor James Gray and banker J. H. Brush bought land and created one of the first subdivisions in Sonoma County. They named the streets after themselves and their children, and in 1905, Graton was born. Along with the agricultural industry in California, the town thrived until the 1970s and then declined, only to be reborn in the 1990s. Throughout all Graton's phases, Oak Grove School (1854), the Pacific Christian Academy (1918), and the Graton Community Club (1914) remained vital. Graton is now part of a premiere wine-growing region, and visitors as well as locals are attracted to its vibrant downtown businesses, award-winning restaurants, and artistic community.