The Press Democrat
Matt Villano is a seasoned writer with extensive experience across various esteemed publications. Currently serving as a Contributing Writer for SAP and the Marin Magazine, as well as the Managing Editor for the National Academy of Neuropsychology, Villano has a strong focus on neuropsychology, travel, health, and lifestyle topics. Additionally, Villano has contributed to CNN, Via Magazine, The Press Democrat, Fodor's Travel, and the San Francisco Chronicle, showcasing versatility in reporting and writing across multiple formats. Education was completed at Northwestern University from 1993 to 1997, further enhancing expertise in the field.
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The Press Democrat
The very first newspaper in Santa Rosa, the parent of today's Press Democrat, was begun in 1857, just three years after Santa Rosa was chosen as the seat of Sonoma County and seven years after California became a part of the United States. Called the Sonoma Democrat this newspaper was a four-page weekly. Its name reflected the politicsof the Santa Rosa and Russian River valleys, which were settled in the 1840s and '50s by farmers from Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. The founding publisher was Alpheus Russell, a merchant with some newspaper experience who came to open a general store on Third Street. John Taylor, a prosperous rancher south of the new town, encouraged Russell to establish the paper, giving him a five-dollar gold piece for the first subscription. At the end of a year, Russell sold the paper to printer E.R. Budd, who sold it again in 1860. The new owner was Thomas Thompson, a young Virginian who had edited Petaluma's Sonoma County Journal five years earlier at the age of 17.