Transportation in 1910

November, 2009

Undated photo of the train depot – click to enlarge

How did Homestead Valley residents get around a hundred years ago? Edwin and Josephine Ezekiel lived in a big house on Laverne at Scott. They had seven children ages 7 to 27 in the house plus a boarder, age 34, and her 4 year old son. They got around by walking, train and ferry. Automobiles were rare.

Edwin worked in San Francisco. He left home at 7:30 am, walked to Locust Ave. Station, boarded the 7:47 train and arrived at the San Francisco Ferry Building at 8:35. He took a street car up Market St. to his office. In the evening he took the 5:45 ferry, and arrived home before 7 pm.

The oldest daughter, Florence, age 27, walked over to the post office in Cooper’s Grocery on Linden Lane. She was the Postmaster of LaVerne, California. Twice a day she carried a heavy sack of mail to and from the Locust Ave. Station to meet the incoming and outgoing trains.

Mill Valley Train Depot c. 1905-1910.
MVN1684 – Courtesy of the Lucretia Little History Room, Mill Valley Public Library

To get to work, Edwin, age 22, walked to Locust Ave. Station and boarded the 8:02 am train for a three minute ride to the Mill Valley Depot. He walked to Dowd’s Fashion Stables on Throckmorton Ave. to get his two horses, and led them to his nearby warehouse. He hitched the horses up to the Emporium’s delivery wagon, drove it to the railroad freight shed on Miller Ave. and loaded up merchandise that had been shipped over from San Francisco. He then delivered packages to Emporium customers.

One fine day, Eve, age 25, and Sarah, age 19, both unemployed, walked to Locust Ave. Station, took the train to the Mill Valley Depot, crossed the platform to board the mountain train, had lunch at the top of Mt. Tam, rode down on a gravity car, took the train back to Locust Ave. and walked home.

Six days a week, Ann Foley, the boarder, took the 8:32 am train to Sausalito where she worked as a bookkeeper for the telephone company.

Mrs. Ezekiel stayed home with the younger children. Throughout the day, various horse drawn vehicles would deliver groceries, milk, bread, ice, vegetables and supplies. Her friend Carrie Eells would come for tea in her horse drawn cart.