The Last Tie of the Transcontinental Railroad – Patrick Goggins
Mill Valley Public Library 375 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley, CAIn 1869, the last tie used for the ceremonial completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad was harvested from a California Laurel Tree on Mt. Tamalpais. Goggins will talk about the tie and the ceremonial spikes which were exhibited in Sacramento, Utah and SF, along with a Gold Spike provided by capitalist financiers. Destroyed in the…
March 2020 First Wednesday Talk – Marincello Revisited with Huey Johnson
Mill Valley Public Library 375 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley, CAMarincello Revisited with Huey Johnson, Doug Ferguson, Bob Praetzel and Dr. Martin Griffin *** It is recommended you register for this event HERE:
October “First Wednesday” (Thursday) Talk – Fire on the Mountain by Mike Swezy
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January 2021 First Wednesday Talk – Spirits of San Francisco, Voyages through the Unknown City
On Your Computer>> Register in advance HERE <<
February First Wednesday Talk – Flying High with Big Brother and the Holding Company & Janis Joplin with David Getz
On Your ComputerClick HERE to register.
March 2021 First Wednesday Talk – Japanese Gardens with Steven Pitsenbarger
On Your ComputerJapanese Gardens with Steven Pitsenbarger - You must register in advance for this event HERE Steven has worked as a gardener at the Japanese Tea Garden in SF since 2007. He has presented on Japanese gardens and history in the garden and at conferences and workshops around the country. He is currently on the board…
April 2021 First Wednesday Talk – Tamalpais Engine No. 9 Turns 100 with Historian Fred Runner
On Your ComputerTamalpais Engine No. 9 Turns 100 with Historian Fred Runner Registration required. Click here to register online. Registrants will be sent a Zoom Link with registration confirmation. For more information, call (415) 389-4292 or visit millvalleylibrary.org
May 2021 First Wednesday Talk – Indigenous Peoples of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, with David Stuart
On Your ComputerRegister in advance for this event (required) HERE Join the Mill Valley Historical Society for a night of illumination as anthropologist and museum director David Stuart provides an overview of California’s unique Delta region and the lifeways and history of the many Native nations that lived there for thousands of years. The heart of the…
June 2021 First Wednesday Talk – Stairways of San Francisco, with Alexandra Kenin
On Your ComputerRegistration in Advance is Required - Register HERE Stairways of San Francisco, with Alexandra KeninWhen a pandemic hits and far-off travel is no longer possible, what is one to do? San Francisco resident and avid urban hiker Alexandra Kenin asked herself this question and decided to explore the wonders of her own backyard on foot.…
July 2021 First Wednesday Talk – Following Alan Watts with Mark Watts
Please register in advance HERE
August 2021 First Wednesday Talk with David and Margaret Talbot: By the Light of Burning Dreams: The Triumph and Tragedies of the Second American Revolution
On Your ComputerFirst Wednesday: By the Light of Burning Dreams With David Talbot and Margaret Talbot Wednesday, August 4th | 7:00pmVirtual event on Zoom. Registrants will be sent a Zoom link upon registration. Click here to register. The first American Revolution was fought to secure representation and freedom from an unwanted empire, a monarchy stretching its tentacles across…
September 1st Wednesday Talk – To Build a Trail with Brian Crawford
On Your ComputerRegistration is required for this event - register HERE
CANCELED – This event will be rescheduled! – October 2021 First Wednesday Talk – Landscape Transformations in the Corte Madera Wetlands, with Dewey Livingston and Richard Torney
On Your ComputerRegister in advance HERE Using historic maps and aerial photos, Dewey and Richard offer a unique before-and-after visual history of the Corte Madera Creek marshes, including the long-lost Richardson's Island and the once-threatened and still-thriving Greenbrae Boardwalk. The geography & landscape of the area will transform before your eyes, through comparisons and overlays of historic…
November 2021 First Wednesday Talk – Highway on the Water: Ferryboat Eureka to Marin County before the Golden Gate Bridge, with Christopher Edwards
On Your ComputerRegistration in advance is required HERE Built in 1890 in Tiburon, CA by the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad, the Ferryboat Eureka is a legacy of transportation to and from Marin County. Though she ended her operational life in 1957 running to Oakland for Southern Pacific, it was her 51 years (1890-1941) carrying rail…
December 2021 First Wednesday Talk – What Happened to the Ghost Blimp? A Bay Area Mystery with John J. Geoghegan
On Your ComputerPre-registration is required for this event: REGISTER HERE
January 2022 First Wednesday Talk – The Civilian Conservation Corps on Mount Tam: A Lasting Legacy with MMWD Ranger Matt Cerkel
On Your ComputerRegistration is required for this Zoom event: Register now
February 2022 First Wednesday Talk – The Arequipa Tuberculosis Sanatorium of Fairfax: a history and a family story, with Lynn Downey
On Your ComputerPlease preregister HERE As San Francisco recovered from the devastating earthquake and fire of 1906, dust and ash filled the city's stuffy factories, stores, and classrooms. Dr. Philip King Brown noticed rising tuberculosis rates among the women who worked there, and he knew there were few places where they could get affordable treatment. In 1911,…
March 2022 First Wednesday Talk – Unmitigated Gal: An Evening With mountain biker pioneers Jacquie Phelan and Friends
On Your ComputerRegistration required. Click HERE to register online. Registrants will be sent a Zoom Link with registration confirmation. For more information, call (415) 389-4292 or visit millvalleylibrary.org
April 2022 First Wednesday Talk – What Happened at Port Chicago? with Eric Stearns and Tory Starling
On Your ComputerPlease register in advance HERE
Unveiling design for expanded plaza + Engine No. 9 display
Depot Plaza 87 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley, CAThe Mill Valley Historical Society and the Friends of No. 9 invite you to join us for an unusual event: On Saturday, July 23, 11am - 1pm at the Depot Plaza, we will be unveiling a proposed design concept for expanding the plaza and displaying Engine No.9 -- the only remaining piece of the once-famous…