Wingo, California
Wingo, California | |
|---|---|
  Wingo, California Location in California | |
| Coordinates: 38°12′33″N 122°25′36″W / 38.20917°N 122.42667°W[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Sonoma |
| Elevation | 7 ft (2 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| Area code | 707 |
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 Sonoma and Schellville, and west of Buchli.
History
[edit]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 (299 ha) was included in the Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area overseen by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.[6]
The Northwestern Pacific right of way runs through the town. Just before it enters Wingo, it crosses a manual, chain-operated drawbridge that is planked for both cars and trains to cross.[citation needed]
Land use
[edit]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
[edit]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 rabbits, Waders, Ducks, Kingfishers, Herons, Egrets, Mourning doves, Woodpeckers, Swallows, Songbirds and others.[6][7]
In Popular Culture
[edit]Wingo has been referenced in at least two songs. Norton Buffalo mentioned the town in his song "High Tide in Wingo",[8] and later collaborated with Roy Rogers in "Ain't no Bread in the Breadbox", with a music video filmed in the ghost town.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Wingo
- ^ Beck, John (December 2020). "Did You Know Sonoma County Has Its Very Own Ghost Town?". Retrieved January 4, 2020.
{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires|magazine=(help) - ^ 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.
- ^ Kellher, Carole (December 23, 2019). "Days of auld lang syne in Wingo". Sonoma Index-Tribune. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ George Emanuels and Roger Emanuels (1998). Schools and Scows in Early Sonoma. Sonoma Valley Historical Society. p. 27. ISBN 0-9607520-7-2.
- ^ a b c d "Bay Delta region Napa-Sonoma Marshes". California Department of Fish and Game. March 12, 2013. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
- ^ a b Sonoma Valley Watershed Conservancy. "Wildlife in Sonoma Valley's Riparian Areas" (PDF). Sonoma Valley Watershed Conservancy. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
- ^ Norton Buffalo. High Tide in Wingo. Desert Horizon, Capitol Records LLC, 1978.
- ^ Blind Pig Records (May 18, 2011). Roy Rodgers and Nortan Buffalo - Ain't No Bread in the Breadbox. Retrieved September 26, 2024 – via YouTube.
