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Oral History of Bernice Mattos Schneider - Oral History

A longtime resident of Mill Valley, Bernice Mattos Schneider was an accomplished soprano and participated in many local operas and plays. In this oral history interview, she recalls the range of her musical experiences, including her direction of the St. Hilary's choir and her part in the marching band that played across the Golden Gate Bridge on its opening day. Bernice also describes daily live in Mill Valley and her classroom experiences at lo...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of Betsey Cutler - Oral History

In this oral history, retired public servant Betsey Cutler recounts her life in Mill Valley and decades of service to the community. Born in New Jersey in 1942, Betsey moved to Mill Valley in 1969. Betsey first got started in public service when her two daughters, Karen and Susan, were growing up in the 1970s and she became President of the PTA. Betsey went on to serve for several years on the Planning Commission and then the City Council, includ...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of Carl Mosher - Oral History

Carl Mosher was born in December 1910 in the "wheat belt" of Alden, Kansas. In 1928, Carl came to California with his parents, and eventually began his professional career as a high school teacher in Compton, Los Angeles County. During World War II, Carl served in the Pacific Theater with Army intelligence. He gave up a teaching career to open Mosher's Shoes, which he ran in downtown Mill Valley for nearly three decades. In addition to his involv...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of Carol Wilson - Oral History

In this oral history, Mill Valley native and fifth-generation Californian Carol Wilson recounts her life in Mill Valley and her family's history in Marin. Carol tells the story of her great-grandfather who bought land in Larkspur around 1850, and of her maternal grandparents who moved to Mill Valley as refugees from San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. Born in 1931, Carol was baptized at Mt. Carmel, attended Park School and Tamalpais High Sch...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of Eleanor "Dolly" Jenkins - Oral History

In this oral history, Eleanor Jenkins recounts her life in Mill Valley and the many contributions her family has made since the earliest days of the town's history. She discusses her two famous grandfathers: Dr. Cushing, who built the 300 acre Blithedale resort, and John Oscar Eldridge, who built the 11 mile wagon road up Mt. Tamalpais. She also discusses her father, Sidney B. Cushing, who built the Mill Valley and Mt. Tamalpais Scenic Railway. E...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of Lucy Mercer - Oral History

In this oral history, founder of the Throckmorton Theatre Lucy Mercer recounts her life and the story of the Mill Valley cultural institution she created. Born in Santa Rosa, Lucy grew up in various towns and cities throughout the Bay Area. After graduating from high school, Lucy moved to Sausalito; and then in the early 1980s, with a family of her own, she moved over to Mill Valley. Lucy recounts how she was initially drawn to the site at 142 Th...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of William Provines - Oral History

William "Bill" Provines was born on July 4th, 1908 in Willits, California. His father was a locomotive engineer on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad operating from Sausalito to Willits. In 1916, they moved to Mill Valley to provide more advantages for the family. Bill attended Summit School and Old Mill School and was part of the first eighth grade graduating class from Old Mill School in 1921. He then attended Tamalpais High School and Marin Jun...

Record Type: Archive