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 Sequoia Theatre under construction on Throckmorton Ave, 1929 |
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The Mill Valley Historical Society sponsors and presents history-related activities throughout the year. In addition to participating in special events such as the Mill Valley Centennial Celebration or the Mill Valley Community Center Grand Opening Ceremony, we hold scheduled activities that bring Mill Valley's past to life. On Memorial Day weekend each year, we lead the Walk into History, a guided tour of historic areas and buildings in Mill Valley. Several months during the year, we present the First Wednesday programs, evening presentations by recognized subject matter experts on aspects of Mill Valley's past. In the Fall, a presentation on the history of Mill Valley and its surroundings is preceded by our annual Business Meeting and a festive pot luck dinner.  Mill Valley - Its Recent History in Photos, From 1964 to Present by Suki Hill  The Mill Valley Historical Society's 2007 Meeting & Potluck was held at the Mill Valley Community Center on Thursday, November 1.Suki Hill, longtime Mill Valley resident and unofficial town photographer, presented a slide show of her photographs of Mill Valley and its residents, transients, and tourists. These black and white photographs date from 1964 to the present day, and attempt to provide some insight into the evolution of a town. The presentation was primarily focused on people – how life styles, clothing styles, attitude styles and business styles have changed over that past forty plus years in Mill Valley.  Walk into History - May 28th, 2006 The Mill Valley Historical Society's 29th annual Walk into History was held on Sunday, May 28th, 2006. The event was called "TAMALPAIS PARK SUBDIVISION CENTENNIAL," in honor of Tamalpais Park's 100th birthday. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, seekers of the good life flocked to California, attracted by the sunny climate. Many came to Mill Valley. Tamalpais Park was the first subdivision to be built in our town. Lyon & Hoag, the sales agency, started selling lots in February 1906. On our guided tours, we meandered down the same streets, lanes and paths once used by the resident-commuters who took the train from nearby Park Station to the Sausalito ferry. We learned who named these streets after trees and why they are curved, heard about the rich history of Park School, and enjoyed the art show the children of Park School had on display. We followed the banks of Warner Creek, stopped at several houses of historical and architectural interest, and finally, visited one of the neighborhood's beautiful rose gardens. We were left with a charming and storied impression of the town and town folk of previous decades.  Saving an Old Trail Map An old trail map was uncovered on the side of a building on Throckmorton Avenue that will soon be demolished, to make room for affordable housing. The Mill Valley Historical Society wants to save this relic of Mill Valley's past, and is in the process of finding a place to display the map in town. For more information, visit our Saving an Old Trail Map page.  Coffins Found at Manor Terrace Home While restoring the foundation of the Mill Valley house built by Carmelita Natividad Reed Garcia in 1885, a construction company unearthed three coffins with skeletal remains, one wearing well preserved clothing. The story of the investigation that followed and the possibility that one of the skeletons is that of John Thomas Reed, owner of the land that eventually became Mill Valley, can be found on our Manor Terrace Coffins page. Annual Walk Into History On Memorial Day weekend each year, we lead the Walk into History, a guided tour of historic areas and buildings in Mill Valley. When plans are firmed up for the 2005 Walk into History, they will be included on this page. Our 2004 Walk took participants to historic homes and sites that were affected by the Great Mill Valley Fire of 1929. For a pictorial tour of this Walk Into History, see below. 27th Annual Business Meeting and Pot Luck Dinner Our annual Business Meeting and Pot Luck Dinner will be held on Thursday, October 14, 2004 at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto in Mill Valley. Free wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages will be served at 6pm, followed by the pot luck at 7pm. At the Business Meeting, voting for three new Board Members will be held, and then historian Fred Runner will give a presentation on the history of West Point Inn. Please notify Peggy Chenoweth at 381-7908 to let her know whether you will be bringing salad, main course or dessert. First Wednesday Presentations These presentations are open to the public and offer information and insight into specific aspects of Mill Valley's past. They start at 7:30 pm sharp in the Creekside Room on the lowest level of the Mill Valley Public Library and never exceed 90 minutes. We look forward to seeing you there. -- Don Seitas
If you have a topic you would like to present or see presented at one of the First Wednesday sessions, please contact us. Walk Into History - May 30, 2004 The year 2004 was the 75th anniversary of the dramatic fire which on July 2, 1929, started above the Garden of Allah, now the Ralston White Retreat. Pushed by strong winds, it swept down the mountain, taking 112 homes and reaching within 100 feet of City Hall. Walkers started at the Outdoor Art Club, where they picked up a van that took them to the intersection of Summit and Tamalpais. They walked down Tamalpais, stopping at the Symmes house, where only the chimney remains. They continued down Tamalpais to Magee, viewing various houses that burned (or did not; the fire spread like fingers), and picked up a van that took them down Magee to the Firehouse, then back to the Outdoor Art Club. Many local residents still remember the fire, including Larry Symmes, who was staying with his aunt Ruth White at the Garden of Allah at the time. As the fire raged, the gardener gave the 12-year-old a garden hose and told him to keep it trained on the garage. However, the garage did burn, but the house was saved by using water from the swimming pool. A similar fire in the same area today could take 800 homes. For photo tours of prior years' Walks, visit our Walk Into History Archives page.  The welcoming poster explains this year's theme.  Walk participants signed in at the Outdoor Art Club.  One of the more poignant historical photographs of the fire was of the Hermann Family, from left, Edward, Helen, Evelyn and Marguerite, standing at the ruins of their Magee Street home.  A special guest at the Walk was 84-year-old Evelyn Hermann. Here, she is holding the 1929 photo that shows her as a nine-year-old.  A group gets briefed by the guide before embarking on the tour.  A group gets an overview of one of the houses on the Walk.  Former Mill Valley Mayor Bob Huber was a wonderful (and genial) source of information on the Walk.  The 1925 La France pumper fire engine, which helped fight the 1929 fire, was at the Mill Valley Firehouse, the last stop of the Walk. Videotapes Available Videotapes of the 2001-2003 walks created by Tim Amyx are available for those who couldn't attend or who wish to remember the events. Copies can be checked out at the Mill Valley Public Library, or purchased in the Mill Valley History Room at the library for $10 per copy. You can also arrange to have Tim send you a copy of either program by contacting him at amyxgascon@tam.net. Scavenger Hunt - April 21, 2002 This year the Mill Valley Historical Society was once again the beneficiary of a Mill Valley history scavenger hunt, created and organized by Russ Lemle and sponsored by Marin Horizon School. This unique event began at the Mill Valley Community Center at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, April 21st. Explanations of clues, questions and rules were given, then teams of scavengers left on the hunt in vehicles from the Community Center parking lot. Friends and family, 7 years and older, were encouraged to join together. Solo participants were also grouped with others. The scavenger hunt took about 2 hours. All vehicles returned to the Community Center by Noon when the answers were revealed. The team with the most correct answers in the shortest time received the first place trophy, presented by Mayor Anne Solem. Refreshments donated by Mill Valley Market were served. This year, there were two different hunts running simultaneously. One was a repeat of the highly successful hunt from last year, which covered many of the more well-known historical town locations. The other was a hunt with all new clues. Teams were able to participate in either one. Reference materials for both were available on site. Carrie Sheriff and Lauretta Klockars won Hunt # 2. The winners for Hunt # 1 were Eric and Tanya Steinhofer, Cullyn Vaeth, and Ann Sandberg. If you would like to see what the hunters were up against, or would like to brush up on your Mill Valley history knowledge, visit our Scavenger Hunt #1 Clues and Answers page. Photographs taken during the 2002 Historical Scavenger Hunt are below.  The starting gate of the 2002 Mill Valley Historical Scavenger Hunt.  Hunters get their instructions and clues.  The winners of the two hunts were awarded the book Mill Valley: The Early Years, written by Barry Spitz. For more information about our events than is described above, please contact us. |