Who was Chief Solano?

Chief Solano, born to the name Sem-Yeto, is the namesake of our Solano County; known to be tall and charismatic, few people know that he was an interesting, historic and important figure in the history of California in the 19^th century. He factors as one of the players surrounding the founding of our Golden State as an important ally of General Mariano Vallejo.

Born around 1800, Sem-Yeto was baptized by the Franciscans at about the age of ten and took the name Francisco Solano after the Spanish missionary for whom the last mission in Sonoma was named. Chief Solano rose to become the leader of the Suisunes tribe of the Pawtin people and governed the Suisunes living in a large area between Petaluma and Sacramento when the area was known as Alta California.

Chief Solano provided General Vallejo with a critical political and military alliance from the moment of the general’s arrival at his Northern California post near Sonoma.

According the book, Historica California, when Vallejo arrived in 1835, he was greeted by nearly 3000 natives led by Chief Solano. He sent a messenger asking that the Chief make an alliance with the Mexican government. Within days, the number of natives that gathered around the recently arrived Mexican general had grown to more than 11,000 and Vallejo claims that most did not seem friendly to his arrival.

According to Vallejo’s records from the time, Chief Solano persuaded the native peoples that an alliance with General Vallejo and the Mexicans would mean mutual military aid that would give them a stronger hand in dealing with their own enemies in the region. The large group was apparently persuaded and thus did Chief Solano not only provide a more friendly environment for the establishment of Mexican government but also extended his own influence with the native people of the region.

Solano County was one of the original counties created at the time of California statehood in 1850. In a speech marking the American Centennial in 1876, General Vallejo described his friendship with Chief Solano in glowing and gracious terms. That speech was reprinted in the long since defunct Sonoma Index in 1880. You can find a bronze sculpture of Chief Sem-Yeto Francisco Solano at the main Fairfield Public Library.

Kevin Elliott, Hiddenbrooke Community Association