The Boyd Gate House 

1125 B Street San Rafael
Open:  W-F 10 am - 2 pm     Sat 11 am - 3 pm 

      

   History Watch   

History Watch is a regular feature in the Marin Independent Journal written by Scott Fletcher,
a volunteer at the Marin History Museum. Older articles can be viewed on our Collections Catalog.

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

Recent Articles

  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.

   
  Marin County Star Athlete, Sam Chapman
August 29, 2023

A number of Major League players have called Marin County home, but the very first was Sam Chapman, a star center-fielder for the old Philadelphia Athletics. Chapman was born in Tiburon in 1916 and attended Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, where he was a standout athlete playing five varsity sports.
   
  The ‘Landmark’ Cottage That is Home to Children’s Love, Laughter and Learning
August 15, 2023

Long-time Marin residents may remember the old Hutchinson Quarry complex that used to sit just east of the 101 freeway on the borders of Corte Madera, Larkspur and Greenbrae. The Remillard Cottage was lifted off its foundation in December of 1984 and moved a few hundred yards up Larkspur Landing Circle to serve as the new home of Larkspur’s Children’s Cottage Co-op Preschool that had been established in 1948.
   
  A Land of Opportunity for the Borello Family
August 1, 2023

The history of early California is abundant with stories of immigrant families from Europe who, through hard work and determination, rose from poverty to become landowners, ranchers and farmers.
   
  Angel Island’s Long and Varied History
July 18, 2023

Angel Island received its name in 1775 when Juan Manual de Ayala of Spain sailed into the bay and anchored on the large island that he would name, Isla de Los Angeles. The cove where his ship berthed now bears his name, Ayala Cove. The uninhabited island had been a hunting and fishing ground for the Coast Miwok tribe for many generations. 
   
  "Haying" In Bear Valley
July 6, 2023

Marin’s early agricultural importance to a growing San Francisco, especially the raising of dairy and beef cattle, required farmers and ranchers to dedicate enormous amounts of land to hay and pastureland. Accounts of “haying “ could be found in the summer issues of Marin newspapers as early as the 1860s.

   
  Herman Zopf’s West End “Wine Gardens”
June 20, 2023

A November 1878 edition of the Marin Journal newspaper ran the following advertisement: “Zopf’s Wine Gardens: Beautiful flower gardens with rustic harbors and retreats, a delightful resort.” The winery, tavern and restaurant had been established the previous decade by Herman Zopf, a native of German-speaking Prussia.

   
  Sausalito’s “Flirtation Group” and the Reed Legacy
June 6, 2023

By today’s standards, this group of happy young couples seems rather proper and sedate. However, in the latter part of the nineteenth century such clubs where young, unmarried men and women would gather for socializing were thought by many to be indiscreet, if not downright improper. The image captures the warm and playful spirit of the Sausalito Flirtation Group.


Older Articles

2023

Enjoying Marin’s Forests, Mountains and Beaches (May 15, 2023)

San Rafael’s Early Canal Landing (May 1, 2023)

“The Play’s the Thing” and it’s Atop Mt. Tamalpais (April 19, 2023)

“Life-Saving” was Dangerous Work (April 4, 2023)

The State Highway Comes to Marin County (March 20, 2023)

Snow-capped Tamalpais Tavern (March 6, 2023)

Meagor’s Garage in Ross (February 20, 2023)

San Francisco’s Theological Seminary Moves to San Anselmo (February 6, 2023)

San Rafael's Cottage Hospital (January 23, 2023)

The Dream of the “Redwood Empire” (January 9, 2023)

2022

The Lyford's Eagle Dairy (December 26, 2022)

1925 Storm Wreaks Havoc (December 12, 2022)

Tiburon’s U.S. Naval History (November 28, 2022)

Santa Venetia's Past (November 14, 2022)

The Quan Family Legacy of China Camp (October 31, 2022)

The Historic Porteous Log Cabin in Ross (October 17, 2022)

Lake Lagunitas, “A Clear and Polished Gem” (October 01, 2022)

The Evolution of the Cal Park Hill Tunnel (September 19, 2022)

Elizabeth Terwilliger – Nature’s Passionate Advocate! (September 5, 2022)

The Early History of Bolinas (August 22, 2022)

Historic Black Point Inn (July 11, 2022)

July 4th, 1899 - Goddess of Liberty! (June 27, 2022)

The Story Behind Boyd Park, San Rafael (June 13, 2022)

St. Vincent’s School – 167 Years of Care for Boys (May 30, 2022)

‘Ark’ Living on Corte Madera Creek (May 16, 2022)

May Day Fairies & Flowers (May 2, 2022)

Hollywood Comes to San Domenico School (April 18, 2022)

Fallon Creamery Cheese ‘Catches’ the Train (April 4, 2022)

San Rafael Volunteer Fire Department, c. 1910 (March 21, 2022)

Eleanor Garatti, Swim Star and Olympic Champion (March 7, 2022)

San Quentin’s Shady Past (February 21, 2022)

Marin Sais Rode to Fame in the Silent Film Era (February 7, 2022)

The Brief, Troubled History of the Hotel Bon-Air (January 24, 2022)


Marin History Museum

1125 B Street
San Rafael, CA 94901

info@marinhistory.org

415-382-1182

 

The Marin History Museum is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization.

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