Vignette > Hides and Tallow

Spanish missionaries brought cattle to Marin in the early 19th century. In 1838 William Richardson acquired Rancho Sausalito. The 1847 census showed that he had 2800 head of cattle. Ranches…

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Vignette > Tam High Courts

Orange Court Sometime before World War I, four orange trees were planted in the courtyard near the Clock Tower at Tam High. In 1937, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed…

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Vignette > Train Crash

The worst accident in the history of the Northwestern Pacific Railway occurred a few minutes before three o’clock Thursday afternoon September 9, 1915. A collision of two trains occurred in…

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Vignette > Low Cost Skiing

Fifty years ago, bay area ski clubs were popular. Annual membership fees were modest. A one-day ski trip cost $10. For Marin kids, the Mogul Ski Club bus would leave…

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The Great White Fleet

The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the powerful United States Navy battle fleet that completed a journey around the globe from 16 December 1907, to 22 February 1909, by order of…

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Vignette > Suey Kee’s

Suey Kee was born in Canton China. In the 1890s, he immigrated to Mill Valley as a laborer for the North Pacific Coast Railroad. He later ran a Chinese washhouse.…

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