Published in Anne T. Kent California Room Newsletter·Jan 14Rod Laver Weds in San RafaelBy Jennifer Christensen As the Grand Slam tennis season officially commences this weekend with the 2023 Australian Open, it is fitting to reflect on an Australian National Living Treasure, Rod Laver, and his connection to…Marin County?! Rod Laver is the only player in tennis history to win two calendar Grand…Marin County3 min readMarin County3 min read
Published in Anne T. Kent California Room Newsletter·Dec 30, 2022George Lister, the “Million Dollar Kid”By Brian K. Crawford English-born George Lister, 33 and married, worked for the American Railway Express Company, one of the largest companies in the country, handling most package deliveries by railroad. Lister’s office was in the Northwestern Pacific Ferry Building in Sausalito. Every day shipments arrived by train to be…Marin County6 min readMarin County6 min read
Published in Anne T. Kent California Room Newsletter·Dec 23, 2022When Tomales First Felt a Real Connection to Marin CountyBy Robert L. Harrison Marin County is one of the original 27 counties of California. Marin was created February 18, 1850 just months following the adoption of the California 1849 Constitution and nine months before the state was admitted to the Union. California formally became a state on September 9…Marin County5 min readMarin County5 min read
Published in Anne T. Kent California Room Newsletter·Dec 16, 2022The Saints and Not Saints of Marin ToponymsBy Carol Acquaviva Here’s an SAT word for you: toponymy. It means the study of toponyms which are the formal names of geographic places. In Marin County, there are a great many schools, churches, towns, streets, neighborhoods, and other defined areas and landmarks named for Christian saints. …Local History6 min readLocal History6 min read
Published in Anne T. Kent California Room Newsletter·Nov 23, 2022San Quentin Prisoner Marshall J. MillerBy Brian K. Crawford Marshall Miller was born in Ohio around 1845. He had an adventurous youth, traveling widely around the United States and Mexico. He married, but his wife died young. He lived in the Arizona Territory for some time, then came to northern California. He worked as a…Local History20 min readLocal History20 min read
Published in Anne T. Kent California Room Newsletter·Oct 28, 2022Joseph Mailliard Describes Wildlife in the “Tamalpais Country”Editor’s Note: This essay appeared in the 1923 (Vol. II, no. II) issue of Trails, a yearbook published annually by the California Alpine Club based in San Francisco. Joseph Mailliard (1857–1945) settled in the San Geronimo Valley with his parents in 1873, where young Joseph developed an interest in natural…Marin County6 min readMarin County6 min read
Published in Anne T. Kent California Room Newsletter·Oct 17, 2022San Quentin Prisoner Chun SingBy Brian K. Crawford Little is known about Chun Sing’s origins or motives. He was probably born in China sometime around 1857. In 1895 he was living in the small town of Lundy in Mono County. Lundy, at the west end of Lundy Lake, no longer exists, but at that…True Crime4 min readTrue Crime4 min read
Published in Anne T. Kent California Room Newsletter·Oct 11, 2022The Marin County Civic Center Turns 60By Carol Acquaviva October 13, 2022, marks the 60th anniversary of the dedication and opening of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Marin County Civic Center, including the Civic Center Branch of the Marin County Free Library. In honor of this special and historic occasion, the Library and the County of Marin…Local History5 min readLocal History5 min read
Published in Anne T. Kent California Room Newsletter·Sep 30, 2022History of Marin County’s Water SupplyBy Robert L. Harrison Since California’s statehood in 1850 the supply of fresh water has been an ever growing concern for the state. In recent years issue has been especially severe in Marin County. Inadequate water storage has led to emergency projects to increase the local supply. …Marin County6 min readMarin County6 min read
Published in Anne T. Kent California Room Newsletter·Sep 13, 2022The Tomales Regional History Center Archives Now Open by AppointmentBy Lynn Downey If you are interested in the history of western Marin County then you have probably visited the Tomales Regional History Center on Highway 1 in the town of Tomales (TRHC). This gem of a museum is housed in the 1921 former gymnasium of the original high school…Local History2 min readLocal History2 min read