Guest Speaker Program
MVHS President Tim Amyx introduces Barry Spitz at the First Wednesday event “The Dipsea Race: The First 100 Years”
The Mill Valley Historical Society proudly presents what has come to be affectionately known as the “First Wednesday” programs. During the winter and spring (February through June), each first Wednesday of the month a guest speaker is invited to talk to the MVHS members. Generally the talks focus on some historical aspect of Mill Valley or southern Marin. Occasionally a guest will speak on a historical event that took place in Northern Marin (The history of Olompali) or San Francisco. (The earthquake, or the Panama–Pacific International Exposition of 1915).
Some of our regular guest speakers and their topics have been: Local Historian Barry Spitz talking about the history of the Dipsea Race… Railroad Historian, Richard Torney talking on the many aspects of how the railroad has touched Mill Valley. There have been talks by Betty Goerke, sharing her expertise on the coastal Miwoks and Chief Marin. Descendents of the Portuguese farmers from the 1800’s have spoken abut their families histories in early Marin.
Slide from Barry Spitz’s First Wednesday event “The Dipsea Race: The first 100 Years”
The Spring calendar of 2013 is looking with great anticipation to talks on the history of Marincello, and a talk on the history of Druid Heights, on the other side of Homestead Valley. The themes are endless, and yet there are dozens more to come. Stayed tuned in and mark off your FIRST WEDNESDAYS of each month in the spring.
The First Wednesday talks begin at 7:30 and are held in the Creekside room of the library. They are free of charge.
2013 Guest Speakers
February 6, 2013 Guest Speaker – Bob Flasher
Former Community Programs Manager Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
Beat Poets, Drugs and Zen at Druid Heights
March 6, 2013 Guest Speaker – Richard Torney
Railroad & Marin Historian
History of Greenbrae & Kent”eld
April 3, 2013 Guest Speaker – Doug Ferguson
Attorney – Former counsel to the Nature Conservancy
“Marincello – The Grand City that Never Was”
May 1, 2013 Guest Speaker — Jack Gibson
Director, Marin Municipal Water District
History of the Water District
June 5, 2013 Guest Speaker – Barry Spitz
Marin & Dipsea Race Historian
Dipsea Race – History and Lore of the Greatest Race