Wingo, California

Wingo is a ghost town 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°13′46″N 122°26′23″W
Country	United States
State	California
County	Sonoma
Elevation	1 ft (0.3 m)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
Area code(s)	707
[1]

History

Formerly known as "Norfolk", it was given the name Wingo by the Railroad.[2] 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.[3]

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.[4]

Land use

Formerly open to tidal action, the area was diked to create agricultural lands. During winter rains natural seasonal ponds are created.[4] Since this area is on a major migration route for many species of birds,[5] efforts are being made to create more seasonal and permanent freshwater ponds and to plant crops and grasses for wildlife.[4]

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.[4][5]

References

1. US Harbors.com (November 2, 2012). "Wingo, Sonoma Creek Tides". ca.usharbors.com. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
2. 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.
3. George Emanuels and Roger Emanuels (1998). Schools and Scows in Early Sonoma. Sonoma Valley Historical Society. p. 27. ISBN 0-9607520-7-2.
4. dfg.ca.gov (March 12, 2013). "Bay Delat region Napa-Sonoma Marshes". dfg.ca.gov. Retrieved 2013-03-12.
5. Sonoma Valley Watershed Conservancy. "Wildlife in Sonoma Valley's Riparian Areas" (PDF). Sonoma Valley Watershed Conservancy. Retrieved 2013-03-12.