The property comprising Rio Nido was purchased in 1908 as a single plot by the Eagle Lodge in San Francisco, and then it was broken up into parcels for Eagle Lodge members. The post office for Eaglenest, as the village was originally known, opened in 1908. The name was changed to Rionido in 1910. During World War II a number of facilities were added to accommodate the huge crowds of sailors on liberty and soldiers and Marines in transit to the war in the Pacific. The Big Band era was in full swing and the Russian River area was a well-known recreation area. Many famous bands appeared in Rio Nidos dance hall. The Rionido post office was changed to Rio Nido in 1947. The San Francisco Chronicle once reported the extended appearance in Rio Nido by singer-actress Betty Hutton. Rio Nido is about 5 miles (8 km) north of the famed Bohemian Grove. During the 1950s and the 1960s, a footbridge crossed the river to a public beach on the south shore. A small excursion boat regularly cruised between the Rio Nido beach and Johnsons Beach in Guerneville. A snack bar was maintained on the beach. Canoe rentals were available through Bob W.C. Bob Trowbridge, who also served as a Sonoma County sheriffs deputy and the head of the Sonoma County & State Democratic Central Committee for 38 years. Loudspeakers were set up around the square and on the beach, playing music from KSRO in Santa Rosa. A few cabins were available for rent. On summer evenings Dick Crest (1930-2010), a teacher and band director at the College of San Mateo, led a small orchestra in free concerts in the town square and at dances. By 1974, the beach had been abandoned and overgrown with weeds.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 22:22:53 +0000
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