El Verano, CA was named after the Spanish term for "Summer" by developer George H. Maxwell. The town was established in 1888 when a new depot was built two miles west of Sonoma and Maxwell sold lots for $80 a piece. The town closed down when Maxwell was unable to guarantee property titles. [citation needed]
Train passengers soon helped put El Verano on the map as a popular destination with hotels such as Parente's, Paul's Resort, and El Verano Villa. The center of social activity was the Bellevue Hotel.
A post office was established in 1889 with Henry Kleefer as postmaster.
The town had a short-lived newspaper called The Whistle which ran for two years.1
