By Carol Acquaviva
For the most part, Halloween passes as a holiday of harmless fun. But there have been notable pranks, thefts, vandalism, and other crimes that historically have caused Marin residents great concern.
Stealing gates and other loose property from homes was a tradition rooted in the folk-belief that…
By Carol Acquaviva
The Victorians liked to party. And newspapers during the “Gilded Age” delighted to report on social gatherings: who hosted, who attended, and what sort of activities were enjoyed. …
By Robert L. Harrison
It was in a London stage performance in 1743 where the first use of roller skates was recorded. Some years later, in 1760, an Englishman named John Joseph Marlin invented the first primitive inline skate with small metal wheels. …
By I. F. McDowell, October 16, 1936
This Federal Writers’ Project narrative was compiled by a writer assigned to document Marin County history in the 1930s. The typescript, and many others on a variety of subjects, is housed at the Anne T. Kent California Room.
Fifty years ago [in the…
By Carol Acquaviva
The Anne T. Kent California Room recently received a donation from Jeff Craemer of a group of historic restaurant menus. One menu is that of the Marvel Mar, a popular supper club and restaurant on the west side of Redwood Highway in Mill Valley, about where the…
By Robert L. Harrison
A little over one hundred years ago, a trip on the train was often great fun. The railroads heavily advertised their passenger getaways. Automobiles were not yet a serious option and for many, the train provided the only choice for all but the shortest leisure trip…
By Lori Deibel
On June 8, 1922, The Marin Journal reported that during graduation ceremonies for The Katharine Branson School in San Rafael, Headmistress Katharine Branson announced that the school would reopen in the Fall at the former estate of John Martin in nearby Ross. The school’s move to the…
By Carol Acquaviva
We are sad to share news of the recent passing of Diane Rosenberger, a treasured member of our local library community.
Diane’s contributions to libraries were innumerable. Diane was a member of the Friends of the Marin County Free Library beginning in 1979, and served as chairperson…
By Dewey Livingston
For millennia the Coast Miwok people lived on the land we now call Marin County, and did not need maps to guide their way or delineate boundaries. The neighboring families and cultural groups recognized ephemeral borders, marked by language variations in addition to physical markers. …
By Dewey Livingston, Map Archivist, Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library
There are many avenues to travel in order to find historical information about your home, large property, neighborhood or wider community: ask a neighbor who has been there a long time; visit the library; join the…
Anne T. Kent California Room
The official Medium account of the archive of Marin County history & culture at the Marin County Free Library http://tinyurl.com/MarinCoSocialMedia
