HISTORY

HOBERG'S RESORT

While not a mineral spring resort, no history would be complete without the addition of the above named resort, which was closed to the public in the fall of 1971.

This famous resort was the largest privately owned in the state for many years, and was run as a family enterprise, first being founded by Gustave and Mathilda Hoberg and their 5 children who moved to Lake County from the Bay Area in 1885 and purchased a 560 acre ranch.

A short time later an additional 160 acres of government land was secured, and the family built a road from their holdings to connect with the road at Cobb. This road was eventually taken into the county road system, and a number of years later into the state highway system and is now a portion of highway 175 today.

The resort business was first started when travelers would reach the Hoberg ranch and stop over to rest their horses, and have a bountiful home-cooked dinner prepared by Mathilda from the fruit and vegetable gardens and livestock and poultry raised on their ranch. Soon the fame of the Hoberg's hospitality spread, and in a short time it was made a regular stage stop. Before long friends from the "city" wished to spend a couple of weeks in the mountains, and several rooms were built. As their fame spread, more and more persons visited Hoberg's to vacation, and they were put up in tents, and eventually canvas was stretched around four trees in the grove to accommodate the ever growing public.

A few years after moving to Cobb Mountain, Gustav Hoberg suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage, leaving Mathilda with a family of 6. Mathilda did all the housework, cooking and canning, assisted by the younger children who cleaned vegetables, washed dishes and kept occupied with numerous chores, while the older boys worked on farms and in sawmills .

The resort, from the humble beginning grew and prospered and each year a number of guests were turned away due to lack of facilities. A bowling alley, swimming pool and social hall was erected where guests could dance to a three piece orchestra. Cottages were constructed and eventually a large hotel, dining room and attachments. Mathilda retired in 1917 and her son Max and his wife Theresa took over the business.

After many more years of building and prospering, Max and Theresa retired and turned the business over to their three sons, George, Paul and Frank, the third generation of Hoberg’s. The Hoberg brothers, together with Capt. Olsen and his son and daughter-in-law Ernest and Dorothy Olsen purchased Seigler Springs, and with their combined efforts rehabilitated and modernized this famous old mineral springs resort, until like Hoberg’s, it was oversubscribed and turning away guests annually.

For the past 40 years Hoberg’s had a staff of 30 waitresses, 15 maids, 10 bartenders, a 12 piece orchestra, 20 employees in the coffee shop—the huge Pine Bowl for dancing under the stars, lawn ball park, 3 tiled heated swimming pools, a swimming instructor, resident physician, barber and beauty shops and general store.

For years they were known as the convention center of California, having facilities for more than 1,000 persons under one roof. An airport was constructed near Seigler Springs in 1940, and following the untimely death of Paul Hoberg, the airport was dedicated in his honor. Upon the death of father Max, the Masonic Lodge placed a plaque at the airport in honor of both father and son. Frank Hoberg died of a heart attack in the early 1960's and the last remaining brother George ran the resort in cooperation with a cousin Frank Bleuss until suffering a fatal heart attack in July 1971. The family suffered reversals from time to time including expensive and wasteful lawsuits over water rights, which were contested and brought to a satisfactory termination; a disastrous fire in 1936 that destroyed 80 some cottages and over half the beautiful grove of pine trees and the untimely death of family members, but in spite of reversals, the resort always came back bigger and better and more popular than ever.

Following the death of George Hoberg, his lovely widow Gertrude, and cousin Frank Bleuss ran the resort, and in the fall of 1971, this great resort closed its doors, just 95 years after Gustav and Mathilda took in their first paying guest.

Today the state has leased the premises and a school for handicapped children and adults is now conducted on the formerly famous resort site. END See: Vintage pictures of Hoberg’s at Sylvies’ Website.

From the POMO BULLETIN – May 1972

Read Orval Brennen’s account of the beginnings of the Middletown Volunteer Fire Department

See Vintage Pictures of MVFD at Sylvies Website

See the map of the present Fire District and find the scanner frequencies

Created March 1, 2002

Updated constantly © March 1, 2002- www.middletownca.com

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