SUISUN CITY, Calif. — Suisun City is known as the city "where the west wind blows", and its name is a reminder of the Native Americans who originally settled on the land.
“Suisun is a reminder of that," Elissa DeCaro, president of the Solano County Historical Society. "It’s a Patwin word. It means 'where the west wind blows' and the Suisunes are the people of where the west wind blows.”
Solano County was originally home to the Patwin tribe. Their village names have survived in areas like Putah, Ulatis, Soscol, and, of course, Suisun.
While some other cities had names previously given by Native Americans, those names were changed once American settlers arrived or incorporated the town.
With Suisun City, it's not clear why the name stayed, but DeCaro suggests it may have to do with Chief Solano. He was a member of the Patwin tribe who at one point ruled over the land and tribes between the Petaluma Creek and Sacramento River. Solano County was ultimately named after him.
Although the name traces back to the Suisunes, the founding is tied to Josiah Wing. He arrived to Suisun City, bought the land, and from there, the beginnings of a city were started, according to DeCaro.
Why did people come to Suisun City?
Like many cities founded around the 1850s, Suisun City owes its population to the Gold Rush. When Wing founded the city in 1852, he thought the land would make for a great staging area for cargo shipping.
“There was quite a lot of money flowing through and it was fairly prosperous, so it was a great landing point,” DeCaro said.
Suisun City provided hotels for people landing in the area and supplies for those passing through.
“It was actually a large thriving metropolis," DeCaro said. "It was the connector between the Sierras and San Francisco, so it was a major stopping point for cattle and for trade."
According to DeCaro, Nelson Hill Quarry, located in the Suisun Valley, was even the origin of all the paving stones used for San Francisco's roadways.
As innovation developed, the Suisun Valley with all of its pear and cherry orchards were able to ship produce to the east coast via the railroad. It was another way families made money in the city.
"When you see it now, it seems small and nondescript, but it was actually a large thriving metropolis with hotels and businesses. It had a lot of life,” she added.
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