Vignettes

In January 1908, Homestead School opened. In 1947, the Homestead Progressive Club approved the first uniform house numbering system.  Even numbers were on the right.  In 1948, there was the first day of city mail delivery for Alto, Almonte, Homestead, Tamalpais Valley and Marin Heights.   No more RFD.  The Post Office Department would henceforth consider…

In 1907, the streets of Mill Valley were overrun with unattached dogs, and only a small portion of them had licenses. Town authorities decided to enforce the law. Unless a license was on the dog it would be taken to the pound [animal shelter] at Reed and Ethel. The streets had to be cleared of…

In1951, the Air Force built a radar station on top of Mt. Tam. It was part of a network of posts on both coasts that served as a warning system against a surprise air attack. The Mt. Tam radar station was linked to Hamilton Field, 10 miles away, where fighter jets could be mobilized in seconds…

Since 1956, the crossing of Richardson Bay from Manzanita to Strawberry has been an elevated six-lane bridge.  It replaced a four-lane drawbridge made of redwood logs the construction of which in 1930 had involved dynamiting away the west side of Silva Island. Much earlier, sometime before 1910, Walter J. Bartnett had built a spacious residence…

The United Nations Conference on International Organization (UNICO), a convention of delegates from 50 nations took place from April 25 to June 26, 1945.  President Roosevelt had died just before the conference on April 12. The war in Europe ended during the conference on May 8.  The war in the Pacific would not end until…

On May 14, 1908, Ye Village Theatre opened on Miller Ave. across from the railroad depot. Next-door was the bowling alley. The Mill Valley Record reported that the show was well worth the ten-cent admission charge. There were full houses every night. Grown-ups found the performance a pleasant hour’s relaxation, but youngsters were especially enthusiastic, and they…