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Don Davis: You have. Do you have George Geister on that list? Jeremy Hays: Yeah, he's on that list. Exactly. Yeah. So we've got a good a good cross section of people doing different. I'm trying to remember some of the others, but we've got a good list of people. Don Davis: OK. Jeremy Hays: All right, Don, let me get started and I'll start with the question about your family, your the family that you grew up with. You grew up in where, where were they from? Were they from Sonoma County?

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Don Davis: My family was I'm from Idaho originally and my wife and I were classmates. She was a year ahead of me, but we were classmates. Don Davis: In high school. Don Davis: Both went away to college for a couple of years and we kept in touch and we I got accepted to University of. Don Davis: Northwestern dental school.

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Don Davis: After a couple of years of pre Dent and. Don Davis: So we got married at age 20 and went to Chicago to the dental school. Don Davis: We have three sons. Don Davis: Had hoped to have my plan was to have a.

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Don Davis: One son and one daughter. But it didn't workout that way. So after three boys, we decided it's probably not going to change right away. So we we quit. Don Davis: Out of dental school. Don Davis: They were drafting this was in 55. Don Davis: They were drafting dentists after they got out and got a year or two practice under their belt.

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Don Davis: Or you could join the ROTC and going in right out of dental school, which I opted to do. Don Davis: Meaning my summers were taken up in Great Lakes, learning about the Navy. Don Davis: And then. Don Davis: You had your choice of Great Lakes, East Coast or West Coast. We'd had enough of Great Lakes Chicago so.

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Don Davis: In the meantime, her parents had moved to San Francisco and Marin County, actually. Don Davis: So we chose West Coast and fortunately we got it in. Don Davis: San Francisco area rather than San Diego or Seattle. Don Davis: So she by this time we had two sons.

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Don Davis: My billet got transferred to the Coral Sea aircraft carrier in Dry dock in. Don Davis: In the Seattle area. Don Davis: So I got transferred up there shortly. She moved she and her two boys moved in with her parents. Don Davis: And then the Coral Sea went to South China Sea.

00:03:06.000 - 00:03:37.000

Don Davis: And we corresponded. I was in for two years. Don Davis: Corresponded in my plan was to go back to Idaho and practice, and I had a. Don Davis: Close friend that was here ahead of me and he went back to southern Idaho Twin Falls ID. Don Davis: And Bev, my wife worked in bank in Sausalito.

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Don Davis: And then her parents lived it down there, and then they moved to Petaluma. Don Davis: Fortunately for us, for a larger house for their extended family now and. Don Davis: Bev became real friendly with a neighbor and they would do girl thing, women things and. Don Davis: Somehow ended up looking at model homes just for kicks in Rohnert Park.

00:04:12.000 - 00:04:35.000

Don Davis: Who? We neither one had heard of because there hadn't been there long. Don Davis: Anyway, time went by, and two correspondents. Finally, she said, you know, I don't think we're going back to Idaho. Don Davis: So I thought, well, I'll know, OK. Don Davis: I'm not going to go by myself.

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Don Davis: She had what precipitated this? She had met Paul Golis Don Davis: Learned he learned that she learned that he was. They were looking for a doctor and a dentist. Don Davis: So I got back in July of 59. Don Davis: From from.

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Don Davis: Civic duty. Don Davis: And they had a small. Don Davis: Weighing on their law office, which was Golus and Fredericks. Don Davis: With a reception room on one side, there was a room for 2:00 rooms for a dentist and the other side 2 rooms for a physician.

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Don Davis: So in 1961 I came back almost ready to practice dentistry. Don Davis: And justice put a few finishing touches to my space. Don Davis: And that's how we got to run our park. Jeremy Hays: That's quite a story.

00:05:51.000 - 00:06:19.000

Jeremy Hays: That's a lot of serendipity, different things happening together, right? Parents moving to Petaluma and so on. Jeremy Hays: So when your wife said. Jeremy Hays: Looks like we're not going back to Idaho and and you came out here. What was your first thought of? I mean, Rohnert Park. There wasn't much there at the time. Jeremy Hays: What was your first thought when you, when you came out and saw where your wife wanted to move to?

00:06:20.000 - 00:06:38.000

Don Davis: My first thought was what have we gotten into? Don Davis: Where am I going to get patients? Don Davis: Paul Gollis assured me that they were building a lot of. Don Davis: Tracked homes at the time that.

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Don Davis: They would. Don Davis: Do what they could to get me referrals from contractors and workers and and things so. Don Davis: You know, I was. I was. Don Davis: Really surprised and little reluctant but.

00:07:02.000 - 00:07:27.000

Don Davis: We were there and and. Don Davis: That we had to. I just had to deal with. Don Davis: Keeping finding something to do so early on, there was a meeting with. Don Davis: Frederickson, Golis and the financial backers as I understood it, was two brothers named.

00:07:28.000 - 00:07:47.000

Don Davis: Give me a break for a minute. Spivak, Norman and. Don Davis: I forget his brother anyway. We had a a meeting with about a dozen people, probably and. Don Davis: Norman Spivak said. You know. Don Davis: Welcome here and and we would.

00:07:48.000 - 00:08:08.000

Don Davis: You all to be successful and what that's going to take is you're being a part of the community. Don Davis: Do your. Don Davis: Shopping here and you know what? Shopping. But that was the implication. Don Davis: And invest in in your community both.

00:08:09.000 - 00:08:28.000

Don Davis: People wise and money wise when it comes to that. Don Davis: That that's what we did, I remember. Don Davis: I bought a. Don Davis: A interest in a house across the street.

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Don Davis: And my wife was concerned. Don Davis: That money was because that money was gonna be for her new refrigerator. Don Davis: But you could buy a house for $50 down and and the doctor whose name was Bob Sesame's physician. Don Davis: We met and he wasn't sure he wanted to invest in a house, so I bought this House and rented it to him across the street.

00:09:03.000 - 00:09:33.000

Don Davis: Give me a break for a minute. Let me. I gotta construct how things. Don Davis: The other, the other neighbor across the street, was a guy named Jim Rogers, who I'm sure you've heard of. Don Davis: He was driving a bread truck in Marin County and they had started a 2030 club of service club. Don Davis: So that was one of the first things I I joined.

00:09:34.000 - 00:10:12.000

Don Davis: And then somewhere along the line we. Don Davis: Pete Callahan and some of those people that aren't here anymore. Don Davis: Making the framework with Paul Gold's guidance of a city so. Don Davis: They had a few commissions and I was asked to join the Recreation Commission, which was up my alley because I played a lot of ball in school.

00:10:13.000 - 00:10:41.000

Don Davis: So that was my first civic endeavor. Don Davis: And 2030 was very active because we were all in our mid 20s and. Don Davis: We did a lot of fun things and Jim Rogers was the president. Don Davis: And somewhere along the line, after a year or so, I.

00:10:42.000 - 00:11:07.000

Don Davis: We became great friends and he was a born leader and I told him. Don Davis: You know you're. Why are you doing driving a bread truck? And he said well. Don Davis: What? You know I'm. I've been in the service and I was. Don Davis: A cop of some sort and he said I, you know, I don't want to do that anymore. What should I do? And I said, what do you want to do?

00:11:08.000 - 00:11:28.000

Don Davis: And he said that. Don Davis: Well, he always stopped at a delicate testing on his way home. His route was in Marin County. Don Davis: And somehow we. Don Davis: Got off on well.

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Don Davis: Let's get you into something that you're really happy with and. Don Davis: So we talked to goalless and and. Don Davis: Decided that. Don Davis: We would.

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Don Davis: In those in those days, if you had a dental or a medical license. Don Davis: You could borrow money using your license as collateral. Don Davis: So we did that and finally found a banker in Santa Rosa that would. Don Davis: Loan us some money so we build a building.

00:12:13.000 - 00:12:39.000

Don Davis: It was. I can't remember the square footage, but anyway, put a delicatessen on one side and a. Don Davis: Pizza parlor, on the other we got. Don Davis: I think 11 or 12. Don Davis: People in the 2030 club guys to invest with us and we called it the 30 thieves pizza parlor, so.

00:12:40.000 - 00:13:00.000

Don Davis: Jimmy's opened the delicatessen and. Don Davis: By then, I had gotten a pretty good start. Don Davis: So in my dental practice. Jeremy Hays: Donna, I want you to keep telling the story because it's fascinating, but if you could place us in time, what year are we talking about it, you know, roughly around this time.

00:13:01.000 - 00:13:39.000

Don Davis: 6019 the year I'm talking about is 1962, maybe 3 into 63, but it was. I got there in 61 and. Don Davis: That meeting with Spivak was right away and. Don Davis: It it just seems things happen very rapidly for the first five or six years because. Don Davis: We were really an active bunch, both not politically, but socially.

00:13:40.000 - 00:14:07.000

Don Davis: In interested in, I was pushing for the. Don Davis: Programs for the for the young kids, particularly boys, because I had three boys, two boys at the time, and then our third son was born in 62. Don Davis: So that's why I went. Don Davis: And I became chairman of the Recreation Commission.

00:14:08.000 - 00:14:39.000

Don Davis: Dan Log had already started the pop Warner football. Don Davis: George Geyser and myself and. Don Davis: Sid dillberg. Don Davis: Somebody else. I forget right now.

00:14:40.000 - 00:14:58.000

Don Davis: Started CYO basketball. Don Davis: We started a I want to do a Little League, but Cotati had a small. Don Davis: Little League. Don Davis: Program going and.

00:14:59.000 - 00:15:30.000

Don Davis: They were starting to you get some of the children boys from Rohnert Park. Don Davis: We kind of want to do our own thing so. Don Davis: George and I and Pete got was involved by that time we started. We had to call it boys baseball because. Don Davis: There weren't enough people for two Little League franchises. I'm going to call them or whatever.

00:15:31.000 - 00:16:06.000

Don Davis: The owner of the of the dental. Don Davis: Laboratory in Petaluma who did was helping me get my practice going and he was president of the Little League in Petaluma. Don Davis: He gave us a full set of used uniforms for four teams. Don Davis: President, a Little League from Bay Area or something next that because we were competitors essentially, but Little League and we were boys baseball because we couldn't be called Little League so we had to.

00:16:07.000 - 00:16:28.000

Don Davis: Give them back. Don Davis: And that. Don Davis: Create a little bit of a friction between the. Don Davis: Franchise or whatever we call and us because we were taking back some of the players they were getting and and.

00:16:29.000 - 00:16:43.000

Don Davis: So anyway, we didn't have a really good relationship for a while, but. Don Davis: It wasn't. Don Davis: It wasn't bad, but it still it could have been a lot better because we didn't do any interleaf. Don Davis: Games or anything.

00:16:44.000 - 00:17:16.000

Jeremy Hays: That kind of. Jeremy Hays: Reminds me that there were there was some, not just about the baseball, but there was some other. Jeremy Hays: Kind of a little bit of tension between Cotati and Rohnert Park, about whether Cotati would be incorporated, and then Cotati wanted to incorporate and Cotati didn't want to be swallowed up by Rohnert Park. And could you talk a little bit about that, please? Don Davis: Well, at the time.

00:17:17.000 - 00:17:38.000

Don Davis: Give me a minute to collect. I. Don Davis: Well, your question was the acrimony between. Don Davis: Matadi and Rohnert Park, basically. Don Davis: Public, I guess political, that sort of thing.

00:17:39.000 - 00:18:14.000

Don Davis: I already wasn't too involved in that. I was asked to. Don Davis: Become a member of the City Council. Well, this is after we were incorporated. Uh. Don Davis: The incorporation came between the problem, kind of the problem between the community of Rohnert Park and the Cotati. Neither one were cities. I don't think, I don't know. Katat. I know Rohnert Park was. I don't. Don Davis: Remember for sure about Cotati but anyway.

00:18:15.000 - 00:18:52.000

Don Davis: We became incorporated. I was in favor of it, did vote for it, promoted it and it didn't. It didn't take a lot of. Don Davis: Promoting because we were all on the same page, some were. Don Davis: Carpenters, truck drivers. I I was the only dentist. Doctor says he was the only doctor. Don Davis: But we were all young enough that we were excited about growing and our families and our social lives, so.

00:18:53.000 - 00:19:16.000

Don Davis: It was pretty much a no brainer to become incorporated once we understood what all that entailed, which is a lot. Jeremy Hays: And what did it entail, I mean? Jeremy Hays: You know you talked about. Jeremy Hays: You're looking forward to social life and other things. Why would? Why was incorporation important? You know, what would it bring to the city?

00:19:17.000 - 00:19:38.000

Don Davis: Autonomy in Corporation was important to most of us, I think, because it. Don Davis: It gave us a platform or a program to. Don Davis: Establish a network of. Don Davis: Planning Commission.

00:19:39.000 - 00:20:00.000

Don Davis: Recreation Commission. Don Davis: Those were the first two I can think of. Don Davis: But that was just, I don't know. I've been in the Navy, which is structured as most of the. Don Davis: People had been in the service, as I said, Jimmy was.

00:20:01.000 - 00:20:33.000

Don Davis: I don't remember exactly, but he was in, I think in Korea. Don Davis: We just felt it was a thing to do and and it was easily done. Don Davis: I was, as I said earlier, I was interested in sports and athletics and stuff, so. Don Davis: After we joined one of the early.

00:20:34.000 - 00:20:50.000

Don Davis: Council people. Don Davis: Man, actually at the time had moved away so. Don Davis: I was asked to. Don Davis: Accept an appointment to the.

00:20:51.000 - 00:21:18.000

Don Davis: City Council and I said no. Don Davis: I I would like to be chairman of the Recreation Commission. Don Davis: Two reasons I didn't want to I that would have been an appointment. Don Davis: I didn't want to have to run when it came time for election, and that wasn't my bag at the time, I was more interested in.

00:21:19.000 - 00:21:46.000

Don Davis: If you're in the government. Don Davis: You please some of the people and you don't please. Some of the people. And I was in a position to. Don Davis: To lose any patience because of my political ideas or what I will what? Don Davis: You know you have to make decisions and some are important. All important, probably, but some are.

00:21:47.000 - 00:22:13.000

Don Davis: Are acceptable and others to to certain people. So anyway I turned that down. I said, you know, the the best person would be Jimmy Rogers. Don Davis: And that was kind of a problem because he was commuting a lot and stuff. Don Davis: So anyway. Don Davis: Second to Pete Callanan, he, in my opinion became the most important person in North parks development. Why?

00:22:14.000 - 00:22:34.000

Don Davis: Just because he was a go getter and he said, you know, we need to do this and he would. Don Davis: Find a way to get it done and with and we all were. Most of us were of that opinion. Don Davis: That's why the people you're interviewing will be interviewing are. Don Davis: Are on your list because.

00:22:35.000 - 00:23:04.000

Don Davis: They it was just a great community. Alan Fitch: Before we go to the next question, I have another request for you if you would please Don and I forgot to mention this, try not to say as I said, because when this gets edited that first part may be gone and so there will be no reference. So just don't worry about repeating what you said before. That's perfectly fine. Don Davis: OK. Don Davis: OK.

00:23:05.000 - 00:23:51.000

Jeremy Hays: If I could ask some particular specific ways that Jim, Jim. Rogers. Jeremy Hays: Affected this impacted the city just one or two. You know, if you could talk about that that really come to mind. Don Davis: Well, early on, give me a minute. I'll camera here or whatever. Jeremy Hays: If you can't, we.

00:23:52.000 - 00:24:31.000

Don Davis: Can move on. Well, I'm. I'm. Don Davis: Trying to reconstruct because I'm kind of bouncing back and forth which may not make sense. Don Davis: When Jimmy Rogers became appointed on to the City Council. Don Davis: He and and Paul Gollis at the time became.

00:24:32.000 - 00:24:52.000

Don Davis: Pretty good friends. Don Davis: Ran the delicatessen for a while. Don Davis: And then got his real estate license. Don Davis: His wife ran our.

00:24:53.000 - 00:25:25.000

Don Davis: Our delicatessen our I quickly got out of the business end of it because I had another business that that I went and I needed to pay attention to. Don Davis: He was interested in development real estate. We both were farmers and. Don Davis: As we grew up. Don Davis: And so dirt was our bag, you know, so.

00:25:26.000 - 00:25:52.000

Don Davis: It was. It just seemed so easy to do things then. Don Davis: What you just can't do now that that easily. I mean we didn't, we didn't have all the government controls that we have. Don Davis: Locally or nationally now. Don Davis: So when he got into real estate.

00:25:53.000 - 00:26:11.000

Don Davis: Paul gollis. Don Davis: Build us at the building where the 23rd or where the 30 thieves pizza parlor was in with. Don Davis: I think there were 11 local guys that. Don Davis: I think we put up like.

00:26:12.000 - 00:26:36.000

Don Davis: You know $400.00 apiece or some. Don Davis: Ridiculous thing now, but not then. And when you're carpenters and truck drivers and. Don Davis: $400.00 a lot of money back then, but anyway. Don Davis: It became successful till we I'm digressing.

00:26:37.000 - 00:27:05.000

Don Davis: With eleven members, that meant. Don Davis: Every Friday night. Don Davis: And didn't pay for their own pizza or beer because we were owners. We didn't make a whole lot of money and we eventually sold it, but it was a pretty successful, fun thing to do and. Don Davis: As things are, we're just easy to do. Then Jimmy got into real estate.

00:27:06.000 - 00:27:32.000

Don Davis: Paul Gollis asked me if and I'm thinking like maybe 651965 now. Don Davis: They want they wanted to. Don Davis: Build a golf course which required participation with. Don Davis: Community to build homes around it. That's how they were going to finance the golf course by selling lots.

00:27:33.000 - 00:27:54.000

Don Davis: Want to know if I was interested? Would be interested in building a house. I said yeah. Don Davis: And he said, well, here's kind of what we're going to do. Don Davis: And I. Don Davis: Said first of all, I want Jimmy Rogers involved because he's now got his license and he should be and.

00:27:55.000 - 00:28:17.000

Don Davis: I don't have time to do a whole lot with that and he can very smoothly and easily do it. Don Davis: So he said, well, the first thing you have to do is get it organized. And I talked to my. Don Davis: I don't know. Somebody told me, he said well. Don Davis: You better incorporate so we.

00:28:18.000 - 00:28:46.000

Don Davis: Formed a corporation named Ro Davco after Rogers and Davis. Don Davis: Because that's all we could think of to call it. Don Davis: And we proceeded to get our friends again and a few outside people. Don Davis: To buy, become interested. I'm going to say buy shares, but I don't. I don't know if we were that organized, but anyway.

00:28:47.000 - 00:29:21.000

Don Davis: And so we participated in the. Don Davis: Construction of of 18 holes in Rohnert Park golf course. Don Davis: Along with some outside financing, a lot actually and. Don Davis: We each had that there was a street. I can't think of the name of the street initially, but it came off of.

00:29:22.000 - 00:29:42.000

Don Davis: Well, I'm. I'm sorry, I can't remember all the names of the streets, but anyway. Don Davis: We had. Don Davis: I think by then there were seventeen of us in the corporation, I'm not sure. Don Davis: But we had a main access to our.

00:29:43.000 - 00:30:13.000

Don Davis: Our part of the. Don Davis: Development, which was like a little island, a little peninsula into the golf course with. Don Davis: Facing the golf course, we each had a lot on the golf course, one across the street and and the lot coming into the Main Street, and I can't remember the name of that right now. Don Davis: That was our.

00:30:14.000 - 00:30:47.000

Don Davis: Second biggest adventure, Jimmy and I in Rohnert Park. Don Davis: Small building that had the the. Don Davis: Pizza parlor and the delicatessen. And so then they'll babco was our our second project. Jeremy Hays: Let me.

00:30:48.000 - 00:31:03.000

Jeremy Hays: Talk a little bit about some of the people who are involved or ask you. Jeremy Hays: To talk about. Jeremy Hays: Them let's start with with Jimmy Rogers. What was he like as a person? Was he like as a, as a, as a friend? Don Davis: Jimmy was.

00:31:04.000 - 00:31:29.000

Don Davis: Unique anyway. He he was a country boy with. Don Davis: Foresight and ideas. Don Davis: And the personality to. Don Davis: Sell his ideas and and get people to.

00:31:30.000 - 00:31:52.000

Don Davis: Invest with us and and join and. Don Davis: And he did step on a lot of toes, toes he. Don Davis: He he could just get things done and. Don Davis: Easy to get along with.

00:31:53.000 - 00:32:34.000

Don Davis: He he till he passed away with his 40 years later. Probably he and I did. Don Davis: A lot of things and and he was the mastermind and with a lot of help from Pete Callahan. Don Davis: UM, let's see. I'm. I'm trying to think Vern Smith was very instrumental. Don Davis: Now I'll give me a minute to try to come up with some names.

00:32:35.000 - 00:33:01.000

Don Davis: Boy, I should have done a little homework. We're off off camera now, aren't we? Jeremy Hays: You're doing great. Jeremy Hays: Yeah. This this one. Yeah. Places where you're pausing and kind of, you know, Alan's going to edit it so that it's, you know, put together just fine. What about Paul gollis? What was he like? What was his personality like, what kind of? Jeremy Hays: Guy, was he? He was.

00:33:02.000 - 00:33:18.000

Jeremy Hays: Can you start with Paul Golis please? Don Davis: OK. Don Davis: Paul Gollas was a doer. Don Davis: He made friends easily and made some enemies easily not.

00:33:19.000 - 00:33:41.000

Don Davis: Not really bad enemies, but people that. Don Davis: Got run over a little bit. Don Davis: He he he was a doer. Obviously he had this vision to start. Don Davis: A city with, I don't know how I became acquainted with Mr. owner, but.

00:33:42.000 - 00:34:02.000

Don Davis: And the spivot ox, but between their owner and and spivot ox, they. Don Davis: Put this together and with Paul Golas and Maury Fredericks, was certainly a big part of it. His partner, I don't know. Don Davis: How or when they came together, but it was gollis and Fredericks. Don Davis: And then.

00:34:03.000 - 00:34:28.000

Don Davis: Paul Golas's niece, I think. Don Davis: Her named Betty, Betty and Maury got married. So. Don Davis: They were both. Don Davis: Personable. Paul was more extroverted and Maurice was kind of the motor behind the.

00:34:29.000 - 00:34:46.000

Don Davis: The whole thing. Don Davis: Very subtly, though, he was not out like like Paul was. Don Davis: And they recruited some. Don Davis: Talented people.

00:34:47.000 - 00:35:16.000

Don Davis: Be part of their. Don Davis: Expansion their ideas and make a city and got. Don Davis: I can't remember the father's name that Bob was later there. That was our first grocery store and that came about the same time that the delicatessen and then the. Don Davis: On down the street aways. But.

00:35:17.000 - 00:36:00.000

Jeremy Hays: And how important were they? I mean, they came pretty early in, in Rohnert Park's history. How important was it like you were saying earlier that at that meeting with the Spivak's and Paul go, as they were saying, you know, invest in the communities would socially shop here, that kind of thing. But there was barely anything to shop at. And so sisters came along and then the delicate test and how, how important was that? Jeremy Hays: The development of Rohnert Park. Don Davis: Well, what was happening in Rohnert Park along this time, the mid 60s by now and late 60s was. Don Davis: We had a structure, an incorporated city and we needed.

00:36:01.000 - 00:36:27.000

Don Davis: Not only. Don Davis: Residents, but we needed commercial to be part of a city. We had to get a tax base and. Don Davis: So yeah, anything we could do to get commercial in here which included? Don Davis: Some most of it was.

00:36:28.000 - 00:37:05.000

Don Davis: Tracked how the single family homes and then and I don't remember when it happened, but Sonoma I think and that was probably goalless's. Don Davis: Interested in getting a college here? Don Davis: So golf course, some commercial business and then some apartments and condos, that type of thing. So you have a mix of. Don Davis: Of individual housing.

00:37:06.000 - 00:37:41.000

Don Davis: And it and it required their plan was to have a small neighborhood park in every neighborhood. And they started with. Don Davis: A neighborhood which is the development of. Don Davis: 40 or 50 houses and then be neighborhood and. Don Davis: We had a a school and a neighborhood where I live and Paul goes live and Jimmy lived and Vern Smith and.

00:37:42.000 - 00:38:07.000

Don Davis: Ken Bell, George Geiser. Don Davis: We had a park, we had an elementary school, most of the wives were involved in PTA and and it was just how a community grew. So we. Don Davis: Then when? Don Davis: It's no mistake.

00:38:08.000 - 00:38:44.000

Don Davis: Whatever it was called at the time may have been Sonoma State, I don't remember. Don Davis: They build a complex. Don Davis: For their classrooms and things in Rohnert Park and then eventually they acquired the property and moved out where they are now. And most of the buildings they were in were turned into condos or apartments. Jeremy Hays: What was it? How important was it to Rohnert Park as a city for the college to open up there for SSU to open up?

00:38:45.000 - 00:39:01.000

Don Davis: Well, it was certainly important because. Jeremy Hays: Could you? I'm sorry Don could. Jeremy Hays: You rephrase that like. Don Davis: Let me think how to phrase it.

00:39:02.000 - 00:39:34.000

Don Davis: When Golis and Fredericks. Don Davis: Part of their plan was apartments, commercial golf course, and I thought it was premature and it's probably a great idea at the time, but I thought. Don Davis: You know, my idea of college was. Don Davis: Northwestern University University of Idaho, Cal.

00:39:35.000 - 00:40:13.000

Don Davis: Stanford, and here's this. Don Davis: Small town of I don't know. Almost. You knew almost everybody and their wives and their kids. And how are we going to support a? Don Davis: A college. So that's another thing that Golias and Fredericks and. Don Davis: Their foresight and they pulled it off and certainly put Rohnert Park on the map.

00:40:14.000 - 00:40:34.000

Jeremy Hays: I wonder, did the did the? Jeremy Hays: College opening do anything for your practice. Jeremy Hays: With the kids and the faculty and the. Don Davis: My practice was built mainly by referrals from.

00:40:35.000 - 00:41:25.000

Don Davis: The people in town, they all had young, young kids. I got along having had three boys. I got along with kids pretty well and. Don Davis: I don't think it had a great importance. Initially. The students were from. Don Davis: Areas that had where they grew up with their own dentists and doctors were a little more. Doctors say Sam's got busy a little bit quicker because physicians are. Don Davis: More available, or they're more needed, I should say. Maybe. And the the kids have their own dentists from going up elsewhere.

00:41:26.000 - 00:41:42.000

Don Davis: Very frankly, and some of them became good friends, the faculty were. Don Davis: A little. Don Davis: That they considered themselves above. Don Davis: Rohnert Park, frankly.

00:41:43.000 - 00:42:06.000

Don Davis: Well, they most all lived in Santa Rosa. Don Davis: I can't think of his name, but. Don Davis: Paul hired a a person on on the radio out of San Francisco and gave him some property. Don Davis: And I can't think of his name now either, but he called it.

00:42:07.000 - 00:42:43.000

Don Davis: And for a while it was called the city of the midnight movers because they, with $50 down, you could get in a house and 1st I think 3 months or. Don Davis: Financing was. Don Davis: Delayed till you got in and got settled. And so they'd come in and stay there three months and be gone. Don Davis: I don't know if you want to put that in there or not, but that was kind of. But anyway that's what it was called.

00:42:44.000 - 00:43:00.000

Don Davis: The college. Don Davis: Helps Rohnert Park become. Don Davis: Known so if you were from Sacramento or somewhere and. Don Davis: Want to be in Sonoma County?

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Don Davis: There was another place to go because. Don Davis: Frankly, Santa Rosa and. Don Davis: Petaluma weren't that interested in. Don Davis: Rapid growth of blue collar.

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Jeremy Hays: That makes me want to ask this question, which is that who was Rohnert Park for? I mean, obviously anybody could move there, but who was the, you know, what was the vision for Rohnert Park was for, for working class, blue collar folks? And who is? Don Davis: Well, the. Don Davis: I got to think about how to put this. Don Davis: Rohnert Park, I think Paul's goals in Frederick's idea initially was to find a place for.

00:44:02.000 - 00:44:37.000

Don Davis: Young, young people who couldn't afford. Don Davis: Marin County even back then, that was known as, you know, really expensive. Petaluma wasn't pro growth. It's. Don Davis: Was not to the same extent, but in those days, where are you going to live? You know, people were coming from the Korean. Don Davis: Military people that had gotten drafted and or induced in the service.

00:44:38.000 - 00:44:58.000

Don Davis: Like myself were from. Don Davis: All over the country and you get. Don Davis: You get interested or. Don Davis: The weather, a lot of things about particularly Northern California, well, all of California actually is very inducive to live here.

00:44:59.000 - 00:45:36.000

Don Davis: And most of us coming out of the service you don't have. Don Davis: GI Bill helped you go to college but didn't help you buy a house, essentially. So they saw a need and and filled it and. Don Davis: Goalless had this vision of creating a a city which is you know what eventually happened. So every little, every little bit helped and. Don Davis: They put in a second.

00:45:37.000 - 00:45:48.000

Don Davis: Golf course where? Don Davis: O davco participants. Don Davis: Built our homes. Don Davis: We had a.

00:45:49.000 - 00:46:03.000

Don Davis: I don't even want to call it, but actually a part of our. Don Davis: Sales pitch was your house had to be. Don Davis: I think at least. Don Davis: 35,000 maybe?

00:46:04.000 - 00:46:31.000

Don Davis: We were, we were living in 15 to 20,000 and we wanted Paul wanted to upgrade it, you know, home on a golf course. It's got to be. Don Davis: A little bit bigger and better. Don Davis: That wasn't enforceable and and it didn't, but it. Don Davis: Attracted people that wanted to and then by then we started to get a few professors that had.

00:46:32.000 - 00:46:56.000

Don Davis: Been around the community long enough to feel like, well, this we can live here. Don Davis: Particularly if they were younger with, we had a great recreation program by then. We had several teams in our boys baseball and. Jeremy Hays: What years are we talking about now? Don Davis: Oh, late 60s, early 70s.

00:46:57.000 - 00:47:37.000

Don Davis: We had a great. Don Davis: CYO Basketball Little League baseball, pop Warner football, and. Don Davis: If they had children and they wanted to participate in things that well, we had by then we had some of the things that they wanted to be. They could be part of. Jeremy Hays: You know, you had an amazing kind of window into how Rohnert Park grew socially because of your work as a dentist, right? Because you saw all these young families come in and you saw them change over the years and new types of families. So what did you learn and what were you able to learn?

00:47:38.000 - 00:48:05.000

Jeremy Hays: About Rohnert Park. Jeremy Hays: You know, as a resident from your work, what did you learn from all the folks coming through? Don Davis: Well, and and what sense are you? Jeremy Hays: Well, about how Rohnert Park was changed over the years. I don't know if folks who came in started to.

00:48:06.000 - 00:48:33.000

Jeremy Hays: You know, you start to see different or more different types of families. Jeremy Hays: That kind of thing. Don Davis: Rohnert Park, as it grew, was still basically. Don Davis: Young people, we had a very active one, probably the largest 2030 club.

00:48:34.000 - 00:49:02.000

Don Davis: In Sonoma County and. Don Davis: As we got older, most of us got. Don Davis: You get more involved in your children's lives. Don Davis: I I can't think. I'm sure there was a a women's organization, but I can't. I can't remember, but.

00:49:03.000 - 00:49:50.000

Don Davis: We we were part of our generation and it was pretty compact. It was when we moved here, we were in our 20s and as time went on we attracted a few, but we we didn't have really much for seniors. Don Davis: Now let me let me think a few minutes. I don't really know. Don Davis: Thinking back, we just had a a knit group and we didn't do a whole lot of. Don Davis: Outside of the college, we didn't really attract.

00:49:51.000 - 00:50:12.000

Don Davis: We didn't have much to wait for seniors at the time we we eventually involved into evolved into a. Don Davis: Pretty good senior program but. Alan Fitch: Did your did your work? Jeremy Hays: As a dentist, did you expand your social life? Did you meet people who became friends through your practice?

00:50:13.000 - 00:50:52.000

Don Davis: My practice expanded. Don Davis: Patient referrals and I I didn't do any back then some dentist for starting to advertise and stuff I didn't do. I didn't do any of that. I. Don Davis: But outside of the realm of of are early bird friends, and we just kind of matured and and grew up and I. Don Davis: I was exposed to.

00:50:53.000 - 00:51:22.000

Don Davis: More diversity. Don Davis: In the Navy and in school, then I I was here, we, we we were busy with our work and busy with our with our. Don Davis: Children and you know our our. Don Davis: Schools we all worked hard in our schools and.

00:51:23.000 - 00:51:44.000

Don Davis: Ballparks in in the parks that goes. And Fredericks had delegated. Don Davis: We 20-30, we painted curbs and it was. Don Davis: Between our kids and our service club and church. Don Davis: We are almost.

00:51:45.000 - 00:52:08.000

Don Davis: Once, once we had a grocery store and couple of service stations and stuff. Don Davis: We didn't do much outside. Don Davis: And basically my practice was. Don Davis: Expanded into Santa Rosa and.

00:52:09.000 - 00:52:49.000

Don Davis: We didn't have any specialists at the time. Don Davis: So I would have to refer to specialists in the and. Don Davis: Those people referred started referring back if they would get someone from Rohnert Park that was had been. Jeremy Hays: Stand up there. That weren't my patients. They would, you know, suggest looking back on those early years, the 60s, what were, I don't know, two or three of the most kind of memorable things that happened for you or the most important, you know, one or.

00:52:50.000 - 00:53:10.000

Jeremy Hays: Most important, most memorable things in the life of the city. Don Davis: Something crossed my mind a minute ago and then I've forgotten it now. Jeremy Hays: And if you want to take a drink, that's if you want to take a drink, that's a. Jeremy Hays: Good time for it.

00:53:11.000 - 00:53:39.000

Don Davis: Well, I'm. I'm OK, I think. Jeremy Hays: Say it, ask your question again. Well, just looking back on it, what were a couple of the most important things or the most things you remember the most you know, in the city about the city at that time back in the early 60s? Don Davis: Well, the things that that I I think. Don Davis: Kept me the busiest and.

00:53:40.000 - 00:54:06.000

Don Davis: That I'm proud of being part of where. Don Davis: First, getting Jimmy Rogers involved and I keep referring to him, but that's he was a big part of my life and a big part of the city's expansion sex. Don Davis: Second to goalless and Fredericks initially, but then after that, Pete Callahan was. Don Davis: Was a great city manager.

00:54:07.000 - 00:54:23.000

Don Davis: UM. Don Davis: So Jimmy and I got involved in in. Don Davis: We bought some houses for rentals. Don Davis: And then we formed MODACO, which was a big thing.

00:54:24.000 - 00:54:36.000

Don Davis: And then. Don Davis: Me personally, I was. Don Davis: Asked to be and was on a. Don Davis: Board with Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

00:54:37.000 - 00:55:00.000

Don Davis: To get a. Don Davis: Some type of a emergency facility in Rohnert Park. Don Davis: By that time, Jimmy and I had purchased some property out on the eastern end of Rohnert Park. And. Don Davis: Created some lots for professionals, we hope.

00:55:01.000 - 00:55:17.000

Don Davis: And called it Medical Center drive. Don Davis: And that's maybe how I got on that board. Don Davis: To put in the. Don Davis: We call it the emergency care center in Rohnert Park.

00:55:18.000 - 00:55:40.000

Don Davis: That was a a big achievement. Don Davis: Help the high school. Don Davis: Build a new field football field. Don Davis: Got involved in the college by this time they had moved out East.

00:55:41.000 - 00:56:04.000

Don Davis: I was on the athletic board for many years. Don Davis: That was. Don Davis: A big part of my life we, Bev, but my wife, Beth and I met. Don Davis: Different people now, and we've become a little more integrated into the university and.

00:56:05.000 - 00:56:20.000

Don Davis: I'm skipping way ahead in time now, but. Jeremy Hays: How did your wife meet Paul Golas? Don Davis: She and her. Don Davis: The lady next door. I was overseas wife, my wife.

00:56:21.000 - 00:56:46.000

Jeremy Hays: Who your. Jeremy Hays: And you're the lady. Don Davis: This lady's name was Gene Franklin. They just became friends and. Don Davis: Jeans kids were a little older and and they babysit when Bev needed to go shopping and stuff. This, this is back before we were in in Rohnert Park.

00:56:47.000 - 00:57:07.000

Don Davis: They they just happened to be. Don Davis: I don't know how they got to Rohnert Park on the way to Santa Rosa's ideas and they saw the advertising stopped and looked at model homes. Jeremy Hays: OK, I think I let me just see. I think I just have. Jeremy Hays: One last question, what time are we at now?

00:57:08.000 - 00:57:25.000

Alan Fitch: It's 1/4. Alan Fitch: To 10 and we've got 57. Jeremy Hays: Minutes. OK. The last question is. Jeremy Hays: Don, if you look back at that time sort of the, say the 60s, right, when the city was starting and everything, what did it feel like, you know, I mean.

00:57:26.000 - 00:57:53.000

Jeremy Hays: Kind of emotionally. Was it exciting? Was it scary because you had a new practice, a new family, and it was a small, you know, there wasn't. Your practice was growing. You know, the city was kind of wasn't sure what would happen to it. What did it feel like at that time? Don Davis: Well, my, my emotions and concerns. Don Davis: First of all, I was happy to be. Don Davis: On my own.

00:57:54.000 - 00:58:02.000

Don Davis: Having gone through. Don Davis: High school. Don Davis: Pre dent. Don Davis: Regular college.

00:58:03.000 - 00:58:35.000

Don Davis: Dental school service. Don Davis: Finally wanted to buy a car. Well, we had an older car, but. Don Davis: The freedom. Don Davis: But I was concerned where I'm where I was going to get my patients. I was happy to be home, be home with my wife and my kids and do some things. We started a men's.

00:58:36.000 - 00:59:03.000

Don Davis: Basketball team and. Don Davis: Get on the recreation Commission, get involved and and I love I love would love to be a coach, which I did. I coached all three. Don Davis: Basketball, baseball and football, having been involved in that in school and high school. Don Davis: I just looking forward to.

00:59:04.000 - 00:59:28.000

Don Davis: To freedom and. Don Davis: I I was, I was a doer. I liked. Don Davis: To be able to get with people, what's the 2030 club was that were you know, our our idea of fun was to go work in the park or something and. Jeremy Hays: And being a doer must have been.

00:59:29.000 - 00:59:43.000

Jeremy Hays: Use me. It must have been. Jeremy Hays: A good place to be a doer in a city like Rohnert Park, there was. Don Davis: Oh, definitely. Don Davis: Yeah, being a doer is you have to get involved with, like, kind and and there weren't very many people that weren't.

00:59:44.000 - 01:00:19.000

Don Davis: Particularly guys and women, we all had little kids. We had block parties and it was blocked the street off and it was full of kids. We'd all Halloween, we'd all. Don Davis: Take our glasses for us and bags for the kids and hit. Hit the whole damn town and you could do it in an hour or two. Don Davis: So it was just a. Don Davis: Not having to study not having a structured life.

01:00:20.000 - 01:00:32.000

Don Davis: However, it was structured, but it was by choice rather than command. Jeremy Hays: Thank you. Don Davis: Well, you're welcome. Jeremy Hays: A great interview. Hope you enjoyed it as well.

01:00:33.000 - 01:01:15.000

Don Davis: As I did well, I did. Yeah, I could have gotten better prepared. You did great time wise. Jeremy Hays: You did great. Yeah. You got a lot of interesting stories and and some real great information about that early part of the city. So it was a really great interview. Thank you. Well, you're welcome. I I told Bev yesterday, thinking about this, I said. Don Davis: Looking back, our first ten years in Rohnert Park. Don Davis: We're so busy, so many different things. It was hard for me to pick out, you know, difference. I wasn't quite sure what how this was going to go, but.

01:01:16.000 - 01:01:22.000

Jeremy Hays: I thought it. Don Davis: Went well. OK, well, so did I. Thank you. Thanks. Alan Fitch: Don't stand up yet, do you, Mike?