Marin History Museum - History Watch

The Boyd Gate House

1125 B Street San Rafael
Open: Wed-Sat 11 am - 3 pm

History Watch

History Watch was a regular feature in the Marin Independent Journal written by Museum staff. Older articles can be viewed on our Collections Catalog. Newer articles can be viewed on the Marin IJ website.

All of the images are from the Marin History Museum collection, and can be purchased online.

Recent Articles

	All Aboard for the Lee St. Local! December 19, 2023 In 1905, the Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railway built a feeder line from upper Blithedale Canyon to the North Shore Railroad Depot in downtown Mill Valley. This not only served residents’ local needs but also connected them with the North Shore Railroad trains that ran south to Sausalito where riders could connect with the ferry to San Francisco.

	Jacob Albert’s “Gift” to San Rafael December 5, 2023 Walking or driving down Fourth St. in San Rafael can still evoke memories of a mid-twentieth century town with tangible touchstones to the city’s past such as The Albert Building, Marelli Brothers Shoe Repairing, and of course, the Rafael Theater. However, The Rafael Theater (originally named the Orpheus) was not the only luxurious movie palace in town. Two blocks down Fourth Street, the El Camino Theatre also welcomed movie-goers into its plush interior to ‘suspend their disbelief’ for a few hours and enjoy the latest Hollywood fare.

	“Raise One” for the Kappenmann Legacy of San Rafael November 21, 2023 Brothers Joseph and Attlian Kappenmann came to San Rafael when it was “little more than a hamlet” and owned and operated numerous drinking establishments over the years.

	A Little Known Memorial Hidden in the Redwoods November 7, 2023 In a small, secluded amphitheater in Camp Taylor’s Orchard Hill campground is the Sarah Washington Irving Taylor Campfire Center. In September of 1958, the Daughters of the American Revolution and the California State Park honored Ms. Taylor by naming the amphitheater after her and placing a memorial plaque near the site.

	Tomales Bay’s Link in an Early, World-Wide Communication System October 23, 2023 On a lovely, forested hillside overlooking Tomales Bay, just south of the town of Marshall, sits the 110-year-old Marconi Conference Center.

	The Mahon House is “La Casa Grande” of San Rafael October 9, 2023 Like many buildings in Marin, the Casa Grande building in San Rafael harkens back to an earlier period and invites us to learn more about its history. Originally known as The Mahon House, it was built by early Marin resident Timothy Mahon in the 1870s.

	Louise Arner Boyd: “The World’s Most Enterprising Woman Explorer” September 25, 2023 The incredible life story and extraordinary accomplishments of San Rafael native Louise Arner Boyd are worthy of the term legendary. Geography historian J.K. Wright summed up Boyd’s legacy when he wrote that Louise was, “the world’s most enterprising woman explorer.”

	The Healing Hills of Fairfax September 12, 2023 Nestled in the hills just west of Fairfax is the Bothin Youth Center (Camp Bothin), a Girl Scout summer camp that has been in existence since 1948. However, in the first few decades of the twentieth century, the site was partially home to the Arequipa Tuberculosis Sanatorium. It owed its existence to the remarkable work and dedication of caring nurses and doctors and their philanthropic friends who wanted to provide long-term, quality care for wage-earning women suffering from the early stages of tuberculosis.