My neighbor John B. Webb worked on my computer recently. To
thank him, I took him to downtown Morgan Hill for a noon-time meal
at Ragoots, one of his favorite eateries. As I sunk my teeth into
one of Ragoots’s hot tuna melt sandwiches, Webb suggested to me
that I should sometime publish something about the charming little
bistro.
My neighbor John B. Webb worked on my computer recently. To thank him, I took him to downtown Morgan Hill for a noon-time meal at Ragoots, one of his favorite eateries. As I sunk my teeth into one of Ragoots’s hot tuna melt sandwiches, Webb suggested to me that I should sometime publish something about the charming little bistro.
Colleene Isaacs, one of the restaurant owners, happened to be passing by our table at that moment. Webb mentioned to her that I write a regular column about South Valley history. She told me she never read my column – “don’t have the time,” Isaacs explained. So I asked her if by chance I ever happened to write about Ragoots, would she somehow find the time to read what I wrote. She smiled and promised she would. So today, this column is dedicated to the restaurant in downtown Morgan Hill in the hopes of adding a regular reader.
After doing a little research, I discovered that Ragoots does indeed have a fascinating history – one connecting it as a matter of amazing fact to European royalty. More than 80 years ago, the Swedish Crown Prince Gustav Adolph and his wife Crown Princess Louise graced with a royal visit what was back then Morgan Hill’s Skeels Hotel – the historic building located at the corner of Monterey and Thirds streets where Ragoots is now located.
In the summer of 1926, the royal Swedish couple was enjoying an official tour of the United States. They were scheduled to stay in San Francisco for a few days before voyaging across the Pacific for Asia. The Swedish American Patriotic League in the Bay Area had recently developed its 106-acre “Sveadal” resort in a mountain canyon just west of Morgan Hill, so the Swedish Consul General asked the 44-year-old prince if he and his wife would officially dedicate the new vacation spot. The royal couple said they would be delighted to participate in this South Valley celebration.
On July 29, 1926, the big day arrived. That morning, the royal couple arrived in the small farm town of Morgan Hill. They were greeted by about 500 residents and members of the Swedish community who held in their honor a formal procession down Monterey Street. They were soon taken to the Skeels Hotel. There, they were met by proprietors Harry and Cynthia Skeels. Princess Louise was presented with a bouquet of roses. The Skeels and several city officials then took the royal couple to a second-story hotel room overlooking the crowd gathered below.
The two stepped out onto the room’s balcony and addressed the local citizens in both Swedish and English. Looking up at the royal couple, several locals noticed that Princess Louise wore pink garters discreetly below her knees.
After the Swedish couple had rested, they rejoined their entourage to journey by motorcar to the Sveadal resort. The line of cars went down the recently graded Croy Canyon Road that wound its way to the resort. A cloud of dust enveloped everyone.
Around 11 a.m., the couple arrived at Sveadal where they were formally greeted by George Larson, the president of the Swedish American Patriotic League based in San Francisco. As soon as the Crown Prince’s foot touched the ground, Boy Scouts began playing a salute on their bugles. This was followed by a chorus from the Bay Area Swedish Singing Society breaking into an inspirational Swedish folk song.
The resort’s host served lunch on tables under the oak trees that spread over the resort’s lawn. After the meal, a series of dignitaries gave their salutation speeches. The prince and princess ceremonially dedicated a plaque that marked the occasion and a chorus began singing “Du Gamla, Du Fria,” Sweden’s national anthem.
After the ceremony, the royal couple left Sveadal to head to the next stop on their itinerary – the Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton. Today, a history plaque on the wall of the former Skeels Hotel reminds passersby that once upon a time, European royalty met Morgan Hill’s citizens.
I doubt any other members of royal breeding will chance to pay an official visit to the South Valley. If by chance they ever do, they should definitely stop for lunch at Ragoots restaurant and retrace the footsteps of Crown Prince Gustav Adolph and Crown Princess Louise who once spent an hour or so at this location. And may I recommend they sink their teeth into the restaurant’s hot tuna melt sandwich. As described in the Ragoot’s menu, it includes the bistro’s “signature tuna mix of diced red onions and diced celery, sharp cheddar cheese, cilantro-lime aioli” grilled on focaccia bread. I’m sure, like you might, they’ll find it’s a delicious lunch-time choice.
