Wingo, California

Wingo is a ghost town[2] located in Sonoma County, California in the United States. It can be found on older maps as a dot along the sloughs of Sonoma Creek, south of the city of Sonoma and east of Schellville.

Wingo
Ghost town
Wingo
Location in California
Coordinates: 38°12′33″N 122°25′36″W[1]
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountySonoma
Elevation7 ft (2 m)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
Area code(s)707

History

Wingo was a steamship station known as Norfolk until 1879 when it was given the name Wingo by the Railroad.[3][4] Now a ghost town of a few barns, cabins, and a train trestle, it was once a bustling town that served as a stop for steamer passengers from San Francisco.[5]

Wingo and its surrounding area of 738 acres has become a part of the Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area overseen by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.[6]

Land use

Formerly open to tidal action, the area was diked to create agricultural lands. During winter rains natural seasonal ponds are created.[6] Since this area is on a major migration route for many species of birds,[7] efforts are being made to create more seasonal and permanent freshwater ponds and to plant crops and grasses for wildlife.[6]

Wildlife

Wildlife that can be seen in and around Wingo include: Golden Eagles, American Kestrels, Red-tailed Hawks,Northern Harriers, owls, California Quail, Ring-necked Pheasant, bitterns, Turkey Vultures, coyotes, Cottontail Rabbit, shorebirds, ducks, kingfishers, herons, egrets, Mourning Doves, woodpeckers, swallows, songbirds and others.[6][7]

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Wingo
  2. Beck, John (December 2020). "Did You Know Sonoma County Has Its Very Own Ghost Town?". Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  3. Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Quill Driver Books. p. 698. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
  4. Kellher, Carole (December 23, 2019). "Days of auld lang syne in Wingo". Sonoma Index-Tribune. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  5. George Emanuels and Roger Emanuels (1998). Schools and Scows in Early Sonoma. Sonoma Valley Historical Society. p. 27. ISBN 0-9607520-7-2.
  6. "Bay Delta region Napa-Sonoma Marshes". California Department of Fish and Game. March 12, 2013. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved 2013-03-12.
  7. Sonoma Valley Watershed Conservancy. "Wildlife in Sonoma Valley's Riparian Areas" (PDF). Sonoma Valley Watershed Conservancy. Retrieved 2013-03-12.
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