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 235 Laverne Avenue in 1907. |
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For a complete index of articles about the History of Homestead Valley, click here.  The Goat Lady House - October, 2008   The "Goat Lady's" house and shed. Click on each image to see a larger version. In the 1980s, while Homestead residents were walking, jogging, bicycling or driving up Evergreen, a goat would often be watching them from inside the gate of the house on the corner of Hawthorne. The unique design of the gate was perfect for the goat who seemed to enjoy observing what was happening on Evergreen. The house came to be known as "The Goat Lady House." [Photoshop added the goat to the 1997 photo of the gate. – ed.] The "Goat Lady" was not a customer of Mill Valley Refuse Service, Inc. The goat consumed household garbage, and trimmed vegetation. Cans, bottles, and anything else the goat refused to eat were buried. Paper was burned in the fireplace. Inside the gate was a cute little house built by John Bone in 1905. He had also built various out buildings. His workshop is now a guest cottage. His shed—see above photo taken in 1997—was for storage of garden tools and fruit and vegetables from his orchard and garden. Part of the shed was a chicken coop. John and his wife Lillian lived in the house until they died. They had two children, Lancelot and Carmelita. A granddaughter, also named Carmelita, lived with them later on. During the 1930s, Lillian Bone's hobby was raising lily pads. Well water supplied several concrete lined ponds which John had built. When the neighbor across the street, Albert Von der Werth, would travel to Portland, Oregon on business, he would sometimes pick up exotic lily pad varieties that Lillian had ordered from a Portland nursery. John Bone died in 1946, and Lillian, in 1967. In 1968, a Mill Valley couple bought the house. In 1977, they sold it to the "Goat Lady". In 1995, when the "Goat Lady" decided to sell the house, a Marin Association of Realtors notice referred to it as the "famous Goat Lady House." The house did not have central heating. The floors were not level. The yard was overgrown with old fruit trees, shrubs and vines. The lily ponds were full of dirt and whatever the goat did not eat. But the goat was no longer there. Many Homestead residents still refer to the house on the corner of Evergreen and Hawthorne as "The Goat Lady House." Steps, Lanes, and Paths - September, 2008  Some of the lanes in Homestead Valley. Click on the image to see a larger version. In 1910, John and Ida Dias and their eight children lived at Hill Ranch, which served as the headquarters for the Dias Ranch, a dairy of several hundred acres. When a member of the family or a hired hand at Hill Ranch needed to go to Homestead School, or to Cooper's Grocery and the LaVerne Post Office on Linden Lane, or to the Locust train station, or perhaps to the Brown Jug (now the 2AM Club), they walked. Their route down the hill was by way of the lane shown in the above map. It was too much trouble to take a horse or a horse drawn vehicle to go such a short distance. And why walk all the way down Ridgewood to Ferndale when they could take a short cut down the lane. Incidentally, the lane is still in use. Steps, lanes and paths were a key part of late nineteenth and early twentieth century land developments. Here are a few significant pertinent milestones: 1884: The railroad from Sausalito to Corte Madera is rerouted to follow the present day multi-use path along Mill Valley's waterfront to the newly completed Alto Tunnel. 1888: Tamalpais Land & Water Co. acquires Rancho Sausalito which encompasses most of southern Marin. Part of its northern border is the main creek in Mill Valley that flows through Blithedale Canyon and along Miller Ave. to the bay. 1889: A railroad spur off the main line is built along Miller Avenue to the Eastland depot, today's plaza in Mill Valley. 1889 to 1905: Tamalpais Land & Water Co. issues subdivision maps for developments that are now in Mill Valley south of its main creek, Homestead Valley and Almonte. In mapping these developments, surveyors laid out the streets in such a way so as not to be too steep for horses; they linked the streets with steps, lanes and paths which served as pedestrian short cuts as well as escape routes in case of such emergencies as a fire or an earthquake. In the city of Mill Valley, there are over 175 heritage steps, lanes and paths. Many of these are identified in a guide/map published by the city in 2006. The map shows where they are developed, or undeveloped, passable or blocked. It also shows those that connect to lands and trails of Marin Open Space District, Homestead Valley Land Trust and Marin Municipal Water District. The map is for sale for $5 at the Mill Valley Public Library and in various downtown shops. Homestead Valley and Almonte have only a few steps, lanes and paths—not all of them are passable. Several are frequently used by hikers and would be usable as escape routes. Some are commonly used to get to school, to Whole Foods, to the bus stop and perhaps even to the 2AM Club. Trees - August, 2008   Mt. Tamalpais from LaVerne Avenue and Homestead Boulevard in 1900, left, and 2007, right. Click on each image to see a larger version. It is interesting to compare the above views of Mount Tamalpais. Both photos were taken near the intersection of LaVerne Ave. and Homestead Blvd. The left photo of part of Rancho Sausalito was taken in 1900. The right photo of part of Homestead Valley was taken in 2007. The 1900 photo shows only a small sign of civilization. The dark line next to the white line coming up from the right side is a road which makes a sharp right turn and disappears behind a hill. This road, now part of Montford and Janes, starts at Miller Ave. and goes to the top of the ridge between Homestead Valley and Mill Valley. The road then forks, one branch leading down the ridge to the Old Mill near today's library, the other branch leading up and over Throckmorton Ridge and down to Sequoia Valley, now Muir Woods. The 1900 photo shows that most of Homestead Valley is treeless, except for along Reed Creek and in a draw in the foreground. Marin was governed by Spain from 1776 until 1821, then by Mexico until the Bear Flag rebellion of 1846. In 1817, the Spanish imported American southwest Longhorn cattle which roamed unrestrained by fences. After William Richardson received a Mexican land grant for Rancho Sausalito in 1838, he kept a large herd of cattle primarily for hides and tallow for export. In the 1850s his successor, Samuel Throckmorton, began leasing sections of Rancho Sausalito to dairy ranchers. By that time, much of the land was fenced. Homestead Valley was subdivided in 1903. Streets were created and lots were sold for homes. Residents planted trees. The 2007 photo shows the result. Most homes are hidden by trees. Tree removal is a daily activity throughout the valley. Fire fuel reduction is ongoing. Dorothy Noble - July, 2008   Left, the Great White Fleet in 1908; Right, 3 Groves in a recent photo. Click on each image to see a larger version. The Great White Fleet of sixteen new battleships and many auxiliary ships sent around the world by President Theodore Roosevelt arrived in San Francisco on May 6, 1908. According to Baby's Record of Eduard Gibbons Meyer, the second important event in his life occurred when he observed the fleet's arrival from Pacific Heights. "Baby saw it come in from the rear window of 2650 Green Street." The first important event in his life had been the earthquake and fire in 1906 when he was only six weeks old. Dorothy Rumbold Houston was born in Pacific Heights in 1913. Her father, Dr. Albert J. Houston, was head of the ear, nose and throat department at UCSF Hospital. Dorothy Houston and E. Gibbons Meyer married. In 1947, they bought Three Groves, a three-acre estate in Homestead Valley. Walter, a German gardener, lived in the garage-apartment and maintained the gardens, orchards, trees, swimming pool and lake. After Gibbons died, Dorothy married Dr. Charles Noble and moved to San Francisco. A developer expressed interest in buying Three Groves to construct eight homes there. Dorothy felt that Three Groves should be preserved. She rented the property while the Homestead Valley Community Association developed an acquisition plan. In 1973, Homestead Valley residents passed a bond issue to purchase open space and park properties. The community certainly wanted the gardens, orchards and the redwood, buckeye and oak groves, but it had no need for the house nor the swimming pool. In 1974, two-thirds of the land was split off and purchased from Dorothy Noble with bond issue funds. The house continued to be rented to the two sound engineers for Jefferson Starship and their wives. In 1979, Dorothy Noble sold the house to Charles Noble's nephew, Chris Nielsen, and his wife Sheila. Two thirds of Three Groves is public land, but one third is still in the family of Dorothy Houston Meyer Noble. Homestead has benefited greatly from Dorothy's patience and generosity. Until March 2001, James Burke frequently wrote a column in Scientific American called "Connections" which started out with one fact, connected it with another fact and then another, ad infinitum it seemed. This column mimics his style: from the Great White Fleet to Homestead Valley's treasure, Three Groves. Homestead Hill = Lion Hill - June, 2008   Homestead Hill in 1973, top, and a photo of a 1903 painting of Lion Hill, bottom. The upper image above is a photo taken in 1973 from a spot near Miller and Evergreen. In the background on the south ridge of Homestead Valley is an 858 ft. hill on the Dias Ranch, now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). Matthew Davis named it "Homestead Hill" in his May 1984 article in the Homestead Headlines. His 1988 book, "On Foot in Homestead," a compilation of 38 articles, mentions "Homestead Hill" in 11 articles and has a sketch of it as seen from Pixie Trail. The lower image is a photo of a painting by Thaddeus Welch entitled, "Springtime, Lion Hill, Millwood." He painted it in 1903. In June 2007, Matthew Davis discovered this painting at an art exhibition at the Bolinas Museum. He recognized "Lion Hill" to be the hill he had named "Homestead Hill." Thaddeus Welch and his wife Ludmilla were both famous landscape artists. In 1896, they built a snug cottage on Webb Creek near the bottom of Steep Ravine on Mount Tam. They painted scenes of Mount Tam, the spit at Stinson Beach, Bolinas Bay, Steep Ravine itself and many other scenes near Mt. Tam. In 1902 they moved to a cottage in San Geronimo Valley for its better climate and proximity to the railroad. It was easy for them to get to Millwood, a railroad station on Miller at Willow, and then walk to Homestead Valley. In 1902 they painted three paintings of Lion Hill as seen from near what is now the corner of Montford and Molino. One by Ludmilla is in the History Room of the Mill Valley Library. Thaddeus painted the above 1903 painting from a spot near Evergreen and Miller, close to where the 1973 photo was taken. The buildings in the painting appear to be barns of "The Homestead" ranch headquarters that burned down in 1900. Gardening in Homestead - May, 2008   Vegetables grown in Homestead Valley, 1967. Click on each image to see a larger version. The photos were taken in the summer of 1967 at 345 No. Ferndale. Mike (age 8) and Greg (age 6) Tregoning prove that zucchini and cantaloupe can be successfully grown in Homestead Valley. One wonders why gentleman farmer Alexander Eells failed to plant these crops. His eight-acre farm was between LaVerne and Montford next to Three Groves. In the summer of 1906 he reported in his diary that he grew the following crops with great success: lettuce, spinach and other greens, peas, beans, carrots, beets, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, Brussels sprouts, artichokes, cabbage, pumpkins, Jerusalem artichokes and sweet corn. Undoubtedly all organic. But no mention of any squash or melons. He claimed that his family of five plus the live-in hired hand and maid had more home grown vegetables than they could possibly eat. The milk cow helped consume the surplus in addition to fodder corn and mangel wurzel beets raised especially for her. The Eells vegetable garden was located next to Reed Creek which he dammed for irrigation. The soil consisted of decayed vegetable matter and black gravelly loam—ideal for farming. Previously in March 1906, Eells had planted grape, gooseberry, currant, raspberry and loganberry vines plus pecan, chestnut, lemon, walnut, plum, pistachio, apple, pear, cherry, peach, apricot, nectarine and almond trees. Later entries in his diary fail to report on the success of these vines and trees. His most long lasting crop was eucalyptus which he planted along Montford in December 1905. Santos Farm - April, 2008   The Santos house in 1992 (left), and the barn in the same year. Click on each image to see a larger version. The above photos of the Santos farm house and barn were taken in 1992 just before they were demolished. In 1999, two large houses were built on the property at 35 LaVerne and 112 Homestead Blvd. William and Minnie Santos had five sons and five daughters, all born in Mill Valley between 1895 and 1914.  William did odd jobs for Ralston White, president of the Tamalpais Land & Water Co. In 1908 Ralston White gave William two acres between LaVerne Ave. and Homestead Blvd. A friend built the house in the photo for them.Minnie was born and raised on a ranch near Mt. Diablo and knew a lot more about farming than her husband. She therefore did most of the farm work with help from the children. William did odd jobs for cash and provided part of the food for the family by hunting game and digging clams at the shore near the road to Tiburon. They had a few milk cows, butchered a calf, a pig or a cow once in a while, gathered eggs from laying hens and raised vegetables. Since Minnie did not have an ice box, she used traditional food preservation methods: canning, pickling, and submerging meat in fat. When William died in 1924, Minnie still had four school age children. To make ends meet, she would babysit, something she had a lot of experience in. Her older sons also helped out financially. One worked at Mill Valley Lumber Co. Another drove a cab in Mill Valley. Homestead Terrace - March, 2008  Homestead Terrace soon after its completion in 1969. Click on the image to see a larger version. The above photo was taken in 1969 when construction of Homestead Terrace on Linden Lane was just about complete. It is Federal Public Housing, Elderly/Disabled, for residents at least 62 years old with very low income. There are 27 studio apartments in 5 buildings plus a community building. In 1903, house painter Michael J. Maguire of South Carolina built a large two-story house and a stable for horses on this property. He and his wife Winifred raised their five sons here. The youngest son, Robert (Red) Maguire and his wife Jean, an acclaimed cellist and a co-founder of the Marin Symphony, raised their family here. In June 1966, when project plans for Homestead Terrace were announced, initial reaction of neighbors was negative: density was too high and increased traffic would be a hazard. But in September 1966, the Homestead Valley Improvement Club voted to support the project and a week later it was approved by the Marin County Board of Supervisors. Construction was completed and a dedication ceremony was held in April 1969. In 1974 it received the Bay Area AIA Design Excellence Honor Award. Architecture was by Campbell & Wong. Landscape architecture was by Royston, Hanamoto, Beck and Abey. Both Robert Royston and Eldon Beck still live in Homestead Valley. The Blue House - February, 2008  The Silva family in front of their home at 304 LaVerne in the mid-1920's. The above photo was taken in the 1920's. The Silva family is posing on the front steps of their home at 304 LaVerne on the corner of Melrose. Joaquin A. Silva immigrated from the Portuguese Azores in 1880 at age 19. His wife, Mary V. Silva immigrated in 1896 at age 18, also from the Azores. They were married in 1900. They had two daughters, Mary born in 1906 and Simiana born in 1909. That's Simiana in the photo. The house was probably constructed well before 1920. Before it was demolished in 1999, it was painted blue during the last 30 years of its life, and commonly referred to by Homesteaders as the blue house. Its 15,000 sq. ft. lot borders on the south fork of Reed Creek. The blue house gained historic fame just before it was demolished when it was discovered that the property contained the last privy (outhouse) known to exist in Homestead Valley. The privy was likely in use when this photo was taken. The Homestead Valley Sanitary District did not install a sewer system until 1948. Prior to that time, septic tanks, leach fields and privies were common. The privy was originally placed several yards from the creek. By 1999, however, the banks of the creek had eroded so much that the privy was very close to the creek. A new two-story yellow house with 3971 sq. ft. of living area was constructed on the property in 2000. To prevent further erosion the new owners installed large boulders on both banks of the creek. Ezekiel House - January, 2008  The Ezekiel House, 227 LaVerne, after the January 1922 snowstorm. Click on the image to see a larger version. The above photo was taken after Marin's biggest 20th century snowstorm in January 1922. Edwin Ezekiel, his wife Josephine and their seven children moved into this house at 227 Laverne in 1904. Edwin was a buyer for a fur house in San Francisco. He spent a lot of time in Alaska plying his trade. The 1910 census counted eleven people living in the house. In addition to the Ezekiel family with seven children aged 6 to 28, there were two boarders: Anne Foley, age 34, a bookkeeper for the telephone company and her 4-year old son John. In 1909, the eldest daughter, Florence Ezekiel, age 27, was appointed by Teddy Roosevelt as postmistress of Homestead's first post office located in Cooper's Grocery store. The building is now a residence at #11 Linden Lane. The name of the post office was LaVerne. In announcing the opening of the post office, the Mill Valley Record=Enterprise stated, "Last night, Homestead Valley became a thing of the past and the new town of LaVerne sprang into existence." Although Homestead school was renamed LaVerne, and there was even a LaVerne baseball team, the designation did not last very long. The post office was closed in 1914 with the advent of Rural Free Delivery, when mail to Homestead residents had an address consisting of the name of their street and RFD #1, Sausalito. By 1920, the Ezekiel family had moved away, although the eldest son Edwin lived on Evergreen with his wife and three children. Today, the small 648 sq. ft. house on the 0.84 acre lot at 227 LaVerne is not visible from the street. Back to index The History of Sunnyside Tract The History of Early Mill Valley The History of Homestead Valley, 2007 Articles The History of Homestead Valley, 2006 Articles The History of Homestead Valley, 2005 Articles The History of Homestead Valley, 2004 Articles The History of Homestead Valley, 2003 Articles The History of Homestead Valley, 2002 Articles The History of Homestead Valley, 2000-2001 Articles |