The Coffey Park area suffered extensive damage in recent fires, but this was not the first time it experienced such devastation. Back in 1939, the area was predominantly rural, characterized by open fields, orchards, farmhouses, barns, and outbuildings. The fire in '39, also fueled by sudden winds, resulted from an unfortunate incident during a maintenance task gone awry at the old Santa Rosa Municipal Airfield. This airfield was situated between Highway 101, Hopper Avenue, Piner Road, and Coffey Lane.

Coffey Lane and its neighboring lands remained mostly rural until the early 1960s when Piner Road started attracting various businesses. Subsequently, subdivisions soon replaced the fields and orchards, stretching westward toward the Northwestern Pacific railroad tracks and beyond.

Cutting through the northwestern part of Santa Rosa, Coffey Lane took its name from Henry Coffey. He and his family relocated from Mendocino County to Santa Rosa in 1885. In the past, the lane extended from Steele Lane in the south, meandering through farms and similar areas, then turning northward before ultimately ending at today's Old Redwood Highway. The eastern section of that lane is now known as Alba Lane, located opposite Cardinal Newman High School.

Henry Coffey had an interesting journey to Santa Rosa. Born in New York in 1832, he lost his father at a young age. His mother moved the family to Michigan, where she established a farm on government land. At the age of 18, Henry moved to Indiana, working at a sawmill. It was there that he married Nancy Gitchel. Eventually, they returned to Michigan, where their son James H. was born. Tragically, Nancy passed away soon after their return. Two years later, Henry married Rebecca Davis. They spent 52 years together and had eight more children: William M., Mary, Charles H., Joanna, Samuel A., Adeline, Minnie, and Octavia.

In 1862, the Coffey family ventured overland to California. After farming in the Sacramento area, they journeyed to Contra Costa and later settled in Mendocino County, where they remained actively involved in agricultural and real estate endeavors.

In 1885, Henry purchased 320 acres of land in northwestern Santa Rosa, previously known as the Sampson Wright place. The land was soon subdivided, with each of the Coffey children receiving 20 acres to build their residences. The land was ideal for farming, mainly growing hay and grain. Additionally, there was a substantial orchard yielding prunes, apples, pears, peaches, and nectarines. The family vineyard comprised Sweetwater, Muscat, and Rose of Peru varieties of table grapes.

Mr. Coffey's industrious nature also extended to real estate. He bought and sold lots in the Farmer's Addition and engaged in property trades within the old San Miguel Rancho.

Two of Henry and Rebecca's daughters married locals from Santa Rosa. Joanna, also known as Cynthia Josephine, married into the Barnes family, who developed the first trading post outside of Sonoma (now known as Barnes Road). Mary married O.M. Tuttle, whose family had a significant presence in Santa Rosa's pharmaceutical trade.

By 1900, Henry made another move, this time to the East Bay, accompanied by Rebecca and their daughter Octavia. They ventured into the real estate business, buying and selling properties in Oakland's Brooklyn township. This area proved lucrative, being situated between Lake Merritt and Oakland's future bayside port.

Unfortunately, Rebecca fell ill shortly after celebrating their 50th anniversary in 1908. Daughter Minnie had already married Charles Smith, a minister, and moved to Orange in southern California. Minnie cared for her ailing mother, who passed away in 1910.

Henry resided in Oakland until his death in 1916. Seventy-two years later, a residential subdivision and neighborhood park were constructed by Condiotti Enterprises in Santa Rosa, named in his honor. Sadly, many of these houses were lost in the 2017 Tubbs fire. However, those interested in rebuilding can access the original architectural drawings of these residences at Draftech Blueprinting, Inc., located at 1544 Terrace Way, Santa Rosa. For inquiries, their contact number is (707) 578-9442.

The information for this article was gathered from various sources, including An Illustrated History of Sonoma County, published by the Lewis Publishing Company in 1889. This book is available both in print at the Sonoma County History & Genealogy Library and online through the Internet Archive