Related Records

1. Oral History of Alan and Ruth Barnett - Oral History

   After meeting in New York City and marrying in 1955, Alan and Ruth Barnett took a long time to find the perfect place to live. Alan had grown up in Chicago and Ruth in Germany and Czechoslovakia. It was a job as secretary to Grace Morley, the first woman director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, that brought Ruth to the Bay Area. Alan served in the National Guard and wound up working for the military in the public information sector. He...

   Record Type: Archive

   
2. Oral History of Andy Berman - Oral History

   In this oral history, former Mayor and City Council member Andy Berman recounts his life of public service in Mill Valley. Born in Stamford, Connecticut in 1959, Andy recalls that he always loved public service, and was even chosen in high school to be his town's "mayor for a day". Andy recounts attending the University of Michigan and later law school at the University of Miami. In 1989, he moved with his wife Sabra to San Francisco, and four ye...

   Record Type: Archive

   
3. Oral History of Anne Layzer - Oral History

   In this oral history, longtime League of Women Voters member and activist Anne Layzer recounts her community and political involvement over the course of five decades of living in Mill Valley. The great-great-granddaughter of abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, Anne was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Anne recalls getting political in high school, and then going on to major in American Government at Radcliffe. She recounts moving with her husband...

   Record Type: Archive

   
4. Oral History of Anne Solem - Oral History

   In this oral history, passionate journalist, political campaign manager, consultant, and former Mill Valley mayor and city council member Anne Bardwell Solem recounts the details of her career and delves deep into the issues and implications of local government action. Anne was born in 1938 in Berkeley, California and was a product of Berkeley public schools, including the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in journalism. Afte...

   Record Type: Archive

   
5. Oral History of Barry Spitz - Oral History

   In this oral history, author, outdoorsman, and running enthusiast Barry Spitz recounts his adventures, encounters, and investigations over the course of more than 40 years of living in Marin County. Born in Brooklyn in 1948, Barry moved to California at the age of 22 after completing an MBA at Columbia University. He settled initially in San Francisco where he worked in the banking industry for a few years before buying a house in San Anselmo and...

   Record Type: Archive

   
6. 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

   
7. Oral History of Bob Burton - Oral History

   In this oral history, longtime Mill Valley resident and former mayor Bob Burton recounts his life and discusses his involvement in the community. Born in 1930 in New York City, Bob was educated at Fieldston and Yale. After college, he worked for the New York Life Insurance Company, which gave him the opportunity early in his career to transfer to San Francisco. In 1966, Bob moved to Mill Valley with his wife, Elza, and their two children, Kenneth...

   Record Type: Archive

   
8. Oral History of Bob Canepa - Oral History

   Son of Mill Valley Market founder and owner Frank Canepa, Robert (Bob) Canepa is a lifelong resident of Marin County. Born at Ross Hospital in 1947, Bob recounts his memories of working in his family grocery store and what life was like growing up in Mill Valley with his older siblings, Jim and Marilyn ("Patsy"). Bob discusses the impact of serving in the U.S. Marine Corps following his graduations from St. Ignatius High School and the Universit...

   Record Type: Archive

   
9. 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

   
10. Oral History of Dart and Esther Cherk - Oral History

    In this oral history, visionary architectural and choral duo Esther and Dart Cherk recount their lives, their work, and their reflections on community. Esther and Dart describe growing up in San Francisco's Chinatown during World War II where they attended the same elementary school. Remarkably, they continued to attend the same schools all the way through college, both studying to become architects at U.C. Berkeley. In 1956 they got married, and...

    Record Type: Archive

    
11. Oral History of David Talbot - Oral History

    In this oral history, writer, media entrepreneur and social activist David Talbot shares a life of political commitment and historical engagement. Born in Los Angeles in 1951, David first came to San Francisco as a teenager when his father, a famous Hollywood actor, was performing in theater productions in the city. David recalls falling madly in love with San Francisco at that time. He later attended college at U.C. Santa Cruz, after which he be...

    Record Type: Archive

    
12. Oral History of Dennis Fisco - Oral History

    In this oral history, longtime Mill Valley resident, real estate developer, and former mayor Dennis Fisco discusses his life and work in the community. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Dennis moved to Mill Valley in the 1980s with his wife Pam, with whom he raised three children. Dennis recounts his path into community involvement. Dennis first served on the planning commission for a number of years, then the city council, and finally became m...

    Record Type: Archive

    
13. Oral History of Dorothy Killion - Oral History

    In this oral history, California native and longtime Mill Valley resident Dorothy Killion recounts with laughter and depth some of her wide-ranging life experiences, along with her memories of the wilder, less-developed Mill Valley of the mid-20th century. Born in Oakland, California in 1920, Dorothy grew up in the East Bay and completed a degree in political science at the University of California, Berkeley in 1941, the year of the attack on Pea...

    Record Type: Archive

    
14. Oral History of Doug Ferguson - Oral History

    In this energetic oral history, attorney, activist and arch-storyteller Doug Ferguson recounts a remarkable life of political and cultural engagement. Born in Oakland in 1939, Doug attended public schools in Berkeley before attending Harvard as an undergrad and then going to Stanford Law School. Initially drawn to Marin by its rural character, he moved to Sausalito with his wife Jane in the late 1960s, and soon after to Mill Valley where they sta...

    Record Type: Archive

    
15. Oral History of Edward Reichmuth - Oral History

    This oral history interview with longtime Mill Valley resident Edward Reichmuth was conducted at his home at 21 Hilarita Street. Edward evokes daily life in Mill Valley over the decades, recounts his work volunteering for the fire department as well as his work as a lithographer, and shares stories about many local residents and shops. Edward was the commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Mill Valley. During World War II he worked as an aut...

    Record Type: Archive

    
16. 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

    
17. Oral History of Elizabeth Cooper Terwilliger - Oral History

    The legendary "Mrs. Terwilliger", who taught generations of Mill Valley kids about local ecology and inspired the appreciation and protection of nature, was born Sept. 13, 1909 in Honolulu. She went to the prestigious Punahou School and earned her B.S. at the University of Hawaii. She received an M.A. from Columbia and an R.N. from Stanford University. She married Calvin Terwilliger, M.D. and they had two children, Lynn Ellen (1947) and John (194...

    Record Type: Archive

    
18. Oral History of Fredrik Cassee - Oral History

    In this oral history, Fredrik "Frits" Cassée recounts his life as a postwar wanderer and cosmopolitan baker who ended up rooting himself firmly in the community of Mill Valley. Born in Haarlem, Holland, in 1936, Frits came to the United States in 1957 as a trained and certified baker. Initially settling in Coalinga in the San Joaquin Valley, he soon moved north to San Francisco for better employment opportunities. After getting married in 1963 an...

    Record Type: Archive

    
19. Oral History of Gary Yost - Oral History

    In this oral history, filmmaker and visual storyteller Gary Yost recounts a life of openness to the opportunities that arise, devotion to Mount Tamalpais as his spiritual home and creative muse, and commitment to a place-based though temporally-extended sense of community. Born in 1959 in Bergen County, New Jersey, Gary left the East Coast at the age of 19, driven westward by an especially intense winter spent in Boston. He settled in San Francis...

    Record Type: Archive

    
20. Oral History of Greg Moore - Oral History

    Greg Moore retired in 2011 as Mill Valley Fire Chief after 37 years in the Fire Department. Greg moved to Mill Valley from San Francisco at a young age and attended Tamalpais Valley Elementary School, Edna Maguire, and then Tamalpais High School, where he explored his love of automobile mechanics and racing. After high school, Greg got a job working at Marin Auto Body in Mill Valley and married his high school sweetheart, Kathy Reynolds. While wo...

    Record Type: Archive

    
21. Oral History of Huey Johnson - Oral History

    In this oral history, environmentalist Huey Johnson recounts his lifelong work to preserve open spaces and wilderness areas throughout the United States and beyond. Born in Michigan in 1933, Huey moved out to California with his wife after graduate school to take a dream job as the Western Regional Director of the Nature Conservancy. He recalls how they spent their first few nights in California camping on Muir Beach, which "captured his soul," a...

    Record Type: Archive

    
22. Oral History of Jill Young - Oral History

    In this oral history, Jill Young describes the emergence of a soccer culture in Mill Valley that was importantly shaped by Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments federal law, which opened the doors for women to participate in sports. Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada in 1941, Jill moved down to the Bay Area with her husband in 1968, initially living on a houseboat in Sausalito before moving to Mill Valley, which she has called home eve...

    Record Type: Archive

    
23. Oral History of Larry "the Hat" Lautzker - Oral History

    In this oral history, Mill Valley merchant and community events organizer Larry "the Hat" Lautzker recounts the story of his life and how he came to find his home in Mill Valley. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Larry came out to California on a LSD-fueled bus trip in 1970, and moved into the Good Earth Commune in the Haight-Ashbury district. Larry shares wild stories from this period, giving a detailed description of the Commune's resistance to the "...

    Record Type: Archive

    
24. Oral History of Margaret "Kett" Zegart - Oral History

    In this oral history, longtime Mill Valley resident, artist, and retired teacher Margaret "Kett" Zegart recounts the story of her life. Born in Michigan, Margaret grew up in East Lansing in a family with Scandinavian roots. She attended Cranbrook Academy of Art and Michigan State University. After college, she moved to New York City, where she worked for magazines and made art. Margaret recounts living as a young artist in New York City and the p...

    Record Type: Archive

    
25. Oral History of Marilyn and Kimberly Jessup - Oral History

    In this oral history, Marilyn Jessup and her daughter Kimberly recount their lives and community involvement in Mill Valley over the years. Born in 1928 in Phoenix, Arizona, Marilyn moved to Mill Valley with her husband Richard Jessup in 1956. Marilyn and Richard went on to have five daughters together, Kimberly being the youngest. Marilyn and Kimberly - the latter of whom followed in her father's footsteps in becoming an architect - describe Ric...

    Record Type: Archive

    
26. Oral History of Marilyn Price - Oral History

    In this oral history, bicycling enthusiast and social entrepreneur Marilyn Price recounts the path that led to her life’s work as founder of the nonprofit Trips for Kids. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1940, Marilyn moved to California in 1966 after completing a degree in sociology at the University of Michigan. In the early 1980s, Marilyn set down roots in downtown Mill Valley. Marilyn describes her decades-long work in progressive nonprofits, ...

    Record Type: Archive

    
27. Oral History of Martin Griffin - Oral History

    In this oral history, physician, naturalist, champion of open spaces and bane of developers Martin Griffin recounts with warmth and humor his long and extraordinarily active life. Born in Ogden, Utah, in 1920 to nature-loving parents, Martin moved with his family to Portland, Oregon, when the Great Depression hit, and then down to Los Angeles and finally up to Oakland, where he attended elementary school through high school. Martin recalls some e...

    Record Type: Archive

    
28. Oral History of Martin Rosen - Oral History

    In this oral history, lawyer and conservationist Martin Rosen recounts his life and his work in conservation. Of Eastern European Jewish heritage, Martin was born in Los Angeles in 1931. He attended UCLA and then moved up to the Bay Area to go to law school at UC Berkeley. After a stint in the Air Force, Martin moved to Mill Valley in 1963 with his wife Joan and their two young children, Dirk and Marika. Martin gives a detailed account of the Mar...

    Record Type: Archive

    
29. 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

    
30. Oral History of Ruth Lescohier - Oral History

    In this oral history interview, Ruth Lescohier recounts a long career steeped in local history and political activism. Ruth first moved to Mill Valley with her husband after his naval service during World War II. The couple eventually built a home in Blithedale Canyon with two decks and a "beautiful view" of the Bay. Ruth was teaching elementary school in Marin City when a credentialing requirement led to a serendipitous discovery of her passion ...

    Record Type: Archive

    
31. Oral History of Shirley Larkins - Oral History

    Shirley Claire Dias was born on November 8, 1931 in San Rafael and spent her early childhood on her father's dairy farm in Petaluma. When her family moved to Mill Valley in 1942, Shirley enrolled in Old Mill School and later, Park School. She went on to attend Tamalpais High School, working part-time as a waitress at the Mountain Home Inn. In 1951, Shirley graduated from College of Marin and went to work at the American Trust Company Bank in San ...

    Record Type: Archive

    
32. Oral History of Susan Reynolds - Oral History

    In this oral history, retired teacher and gardening enthusiast Susan Reynolds recounts her life in Mill Valley. Born in Richmond in 1940, Susan grew up in Kensington and attended school in El Cerrito. Susan describes how she and her family would often come over to Marin for hiking and picnics on Mt. Tam when she was growing up. Susan attended San Jose State University, where she developed her child-centered approach to teaching. In 1964, Susan an...

    Record Type: Archive

    
33. Oral History of Tia Smirnoff - Oral History

    In this oral history, longtime Mill Valley resident and tireless contributor to the community Tia Smirnoff discusses her life, family, work, hobbies, and the changes she has witnessed in town over the decades. Born in San Diego, Tia moved up to Mill Valley more than 50 years ago after marrying her husband Andrew. She and Andrew raised four children together, but because of her work in after-school care for many decades Tia's "children" number man...

    Record Type: Archive

    
34. Oral History of Timothy Eldridge Wood - Oral History

    In this oral history, Timothy Eldridge Wood shares stories from his family history that shed light on the prehistory and early development of Mill Valley. Born in San Francisco in 1948, Timothy grew up in Woodside on the Peninsula, though recalls frequently coming to Marin during his youth to visit relatives. Timothy attended college at U.C. Santa Barbara and graduate school at Yale before moving to Salt Lake City where, at the time this intervie...

    Record Type: Archive

    
35. Oral History of Trubee Schock - Oral History

    In this oral history, longtime Mill Valley resident and energetic citizen Trubee Schock recounts her civic involvement in Mill Valley over several decades. Born in New York in 1935, Trubee grew up in Southern California. Trubee recounts attending Beverly Hills High School, where she became very involved in student activities, swimming, and social life. After graduating from high school, she moved up Northern California and attended San Jose State...

    Record Type: Archive

    
36. Oral History of Verna Parino - Oral History

    Born in 1917 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Verna Parino lived in Mill Valley for more than 60 years until her death in 2015. In this oral history, Verna recounts how she moved to San Francisco in 1942, and soon after made her first visit to Mill Valley with her church youth group to spend a weekend at the Alpine Hiking Club Lodge. She tells the "romantic tale" of how Mill Valley's first Youth and Community Center was brought into being in 1962 - a p...

    Record Type: Archive