Related Records

1. Oral History of Betsy Andresen - Oral History

   Betsy Andresen, nee Betsy Anne Brown, begins her oral history with the story of her parents meeting and recounts her family uprooting and sailing from Seattle to San Francisco in 1918, one year after her birth. Betsy describes a move in 1924 to San Anselmo, and fondly recalls how during the family's three-year stint in Marin they would take the electric train from San Anselmo's Lansdale Station to Sausalito, and then the ferry into "The City." Th...

   Record Type: Archive

   
2. Oral History of Bob and Walter Filippi - Oral History

   Brothers Bob and Walter Filippi came to Mill Valley in 1929 from San Francisco, where their father had a garage. Once the family moved to Mill Valley, their father opened the Elroy Garage, named for the property owner's sons Al and Roy, at Camino Alto and Sycamore. During their years growing up in Mill Valley, Bob and Walt saw the town grow from dirt roads and pastures to foreign cars and restaurants. The brothers also saw the change and growth o...

   Record Type: Archive

   
3. 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

   
4. Oral History of Catherine Shaw - Oral History

   In this oral history, Mill Valley resident Catherine Shaw recounts her "life in the woods" with her husband and their two daughters. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1943, Catherine moved out to the West Coast with her family as a child, living first in San Diego and then Bellingham, Washington. Catherine recalls meeting her future husband, Larry Shaw, at Reed College in Portland, and their wedding a few years later in 1963 on Mount Diablo in the...

   Record Type: Archive

   
5. Oral History of Cyra McFadden - Oral History

   In this oral history, author Cyra McFadden recounts her life in Mill Valley and the creation and reception of her satirical novel The Serial. Born into a rodeo family in Montana, Cyra describes moving out to San Francisco with her young daughter Caroline in the late 1950s and then subsequently over to Mill Valley after marrying her second husband, John McFadden. She recalls how in 1977 she started writing The Serial, which was initially published...

   Record Type: Archive

   
6. Oral History of Gary Fisher - Oral History

   In this oral history, mountain bike pioneer Gary Fisher recounts his participation in the development of the sport and the industry for which Marin County has become world famous. Gary describes how he got into racing bicycles at the age of 12 while living in Burlingame. His passion for bicycles initially set him apart from his peers, he recalls, making him something of an "outcast." After two years at Burlingame High School, his family moved to ...

   Record Type: Archive

   
7. Oral History of Lorraine Goddard - Oral History

   Lorraine Goddard was born Lorraine Roux at her family home at 35 Sycamore Avenue in 1914. Her parents George Francois Roux and Mary Agnes Johnson, immigrants from France and Ireland, respectively, met in San Francisco. Lorraine attended Park School, Summit School, and Old Mill School. She graduated from Tamalpais High School and majored in French and History at Dominican College. She later received her teaching credential from the University of C...

   Record Type: Archive

   
8. Oral History of Lynda Crain - Oral History

   In this oral history, third-generation Mill Valley resident Lynda Crain recounts her family history in Mill Valley and describes her own experiences growing up in the town. Lynda relates several stories passed down to her by her mother Helen Benson, such as a local outbreak of smallpox that occurred in the 1920s and the Great Fire of 1929. She recalls the various historic homes that her parents and grandparents lived in over the course of many de...

   Record Type: Archive

   
9. Oral History of Norman Ortman - Oral History

   Longtime Mill Valley resident Norman "Bud" Ortman recounts how his family first came to Mill Valley after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. When a fire destroyed the family wood and steel business, Bud's grandfather moved his family to Mill Valley and built the house in which Bud would eventually be born. In this oral history, Bud describes daily life as a kid in Mill Valley, attending school and goofing around; sledding down Mill Valley's grass...

   Record Type: Archive

   
10. Oral History of Peter Coyote - Oral History

    In this thoughtful dialogue, Peter Coyote shares the evolving personal philosophy that underscores his roles as actor, writer, activist and Buddhist lay priest. Peter first encountered Mill Valley in 1959, when he visited Mount Tamalpais on a trip from San Francisco. The memory of the mountain stayed with him and in the early 1960s, Peter returned to the area. For the next 10 to 15 years, Peter moved fluidly back and forth between San Francisco a...

    Record Type: Archive

    
11. Oral History of Rob Moitoza - Oral History

    In this oral history, musician Rob Moitoza shares his memories of growing up in Mill Valley and participating in the local music scene since the 1970s. Rob recounts his first gigs as a teenager performing Hawaiian music with his parents while his two sisters hula danced at venues such as the Outdoor Art Club and the Marin Art and Garden Center. He describes getting into rock ‘n’ roll in the early 1970s and recalls his favorite bands of the time, ...

    Record Type: Archive

    
12. Oral History of Shirley Hasley - Oral History

    In this oral history interview, beloved elementary school teacher Shirley Hasley discusses not only her 38-year career in Mill Valley, but the people, experiences and attitudes that helped shape her steadfast convictions. Shirley (nee Andrews) moved with her family from Oklahoma to California in 1943. Growing up in a farm-like environment on the edge of Bakersfield, Shirley learned to work hard and take pride in what she did. Shirley tells how, e...

    Record Type: Archive