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 Sonoma and Schellville, and west of Buchli.

Wingo, California
Ghost town
Wingo, California Location in California
Coordinates: 38°12′33″N 122°25′36″W[1]
Country	United States
State	California
County	Sonoma
Elevation [1]	7 ft (2 m)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
Area code	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 (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

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 rabbits, Waders, Ducks, Kingfishers, Herons, Egrets, Mourning doves, Woodpeckers, Swallows, Songbirds and others.^[6][7]

In Popular Culture

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

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. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
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 March 12, 2013.
7. Sonoma Valley Watershed Conservancy. "Wildlife in Sonoma Valley's Riparian Areas" (PDF). Sonoma Valley Watershed Conservancy. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
8. Norton Buffalo. High Tide in Wingo. Desert Horizon, Capitol Records LLC, 1978.
9. Blind Pig Records (May 18, 2011). Roy Rodgers and Nortan Buffalo - Ain't No Bread in the Breadbox. Retrieved September 26, 2024 – via YouTube.