Booth Orphanage LbNA #47957 (ARCHIVED)

William Booth, an Englishman, was the founder of the Salvation Army, now a world-wide charitable organization. In 1904 the Salvation Army purchased the Lytton Springs property north of Healdsburg. Formerly the property had been used as a health resort, a sanitorium and a boys military academy. The plan was to turn the property into an orphanage, the "Boy’s and Girl’s Industrial Home and Farm," which they successfully did. The orphanage operated from 1904 until 1959 when it became an adult rehabilitative center and a series of thrift shops, a snack bar and a used car lot. Anyhow, up to 250 orphans lived at the farm at a time and they went to public school in the William Booth School District. the brass bell which called students to classes and was rescued from going into the dumpster may be seen at the Healdsburg Museum.

The original owner who acquired the property in 1860 was a Captain Litton and through a series of misadventures which are still debated, the spelling was changed from Litton to Lytton.

If you would like to read more about this interesting place and its history:

http://www.healdsburgmuseum.org/NewResearch/aom-june-04.html

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~deschart/captain.html

First find Lytton Springs Road which lies between Healdsburg and Geyserville on the west side of Hwy. 101.

Once on the road there are two entrances and is doesn’t matter which you choose, just find Sallie’s Clothing Barn and park. Walk down the paved road toward Hwy. 101 until you see a white cross on the left and a tall eucalyptus tree directly across the road and on your right. Look behind the tree and into a recess at the base of the tree. Facing the recess on the right and in behind leaf and bark debris and a small rock should be the Booth Orphanage Letterbox.

Thanks for coming, happy thrift shopping and please close everything up tightly. Lots of folks hang out here so please be discrete in your quest.