Petrified Forest

The state bronze dates these redwoods to the Eocene. They are Pliocene, felled and buried in volcanic ash about 3.4 million years ago, so the plaque is off by more than thirty million years. It also names Ollie Orre Bockee as a partner in 1978, though she died in 1950. She bought the land around 1912 and opened it to paying visitors; her sister Jeanette Hawthorne and niece Davida Conway kept it running. The family's own 1955 relief nearby honors "Petrified Charlie" Evans, who found the first log in 1870, and Robert Louis Stevenson, who met him.

What the plaque says

To Commemorate ... The discovery of this petrified forest by "Petrified Charlie" in the year 1870. ... The meeting with Robert Louis Stevenson immortalized in the book, "Silverado Squatters." ... All those others whose lives were devoted to developing and preserving this forest Erected by Jeanette and Charles N. Hawthorne—1955 Petrified Forest The Petrified Forest, dating from the Eocene Period, is the only known example of a petrified forest in California. Its size, scope and variety of petrification is unique in the world. Opalized wood, obsidian, quartz crystal, petrified coral and fossilized insects number among its wonders. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 915 Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with Ollie Orre Bockee, Jeanette Orre Hawthorne, and Davida Conway, August 19, 1978.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Site of York's Cabin, Calistoga — 3.4 mi
• Site of Hudson Cabin, Calistoga — 3.4 mi
• Sam Brannan Cottage, Calistoga — 3.5 mi
• Napa Valley Railroad Depot, Calistoga — 3.7 mi