KRCB News recently visited Fort Ross, where history is being retold through many lenses.

"You come around a bend and you see just the steeple of the chapel," Taylor said. "Then you come around the next corner and the fort kind of hits you for the first time, just grandeur reflecting in the sun. No photo you take is going to do it any kind of justice." 

The historic fort is about 12 miles northwest of the mouth of the Russian River. The name “Russian River” is no coincidence. This stretch of coastal Sonoma County is dotted with Russian names and memorabilia, echoes of a time when this part of California was part of a Russian colonial dream. 

The fort was founded in 1812 by Russian fur traders. It became the southernmost outpost of the Russian Empire in North America and was a hub of activity until the 1840s. 

Today, it’s a state historic park co-managed by the Fort Ross Conservancy and California State Parks. 

Taylor says the conservancy partners with the state, but there’s no federal funding. One major income stream is the $10 entrance fee, which they split with the park. 

"So it’s really important that people come and see us up here," Taylor said. 

Igor Generalov drove up from Sacramento to show his wife the fort and says he’s come many times. As a Russian American, he says it’s important to stay educated on his roots. 

"I’m interested in background, my background and United States backgrounds," Generalov said. "So it’s my country, United States, my country, Russia." 

But the roots of this place travel deeper than the Russian period. The Kashaya, a Native American tribe, lived here long before it was called Fort Ross. In 2015, the tribe, part of a larger group known as the Pomo peoples, native to Northern California, regained ownership of 700 acres next to the fort. 

Taylor says conversations continue about how to retell the many stories of the fort. 

"Is it just the story of the fort?" Taylor asked.

Or is it the story of the land and the different groups that were and are here today?