This Week in Marin History
Archives
June 2009

Varied treasure

On June 14, 1874, San Francisco-bound steamer Prince Alfred struck Duxbury Reef north of Bolinas in a thick coastal fog, eventually running aground just north of Tennessee Cove. (The ship had departed from Victoria, British Columbia.) Fortunately, passengers and crew were saved, as was much of the cargo, including a Wells Fargo shipment of $24,000 that was escorted to the city by “the purser, freight clerk, second mate and four crew members.” Three tugs were eventually dispatched to the wreck, but the steamer finally sank. Bear and elk skins washed up on nearby beaches; however, 75 bags of coal were lost to the sea, as well as a $10,000 organ.

Aerial view of Bolinas with Duxbury Reef at the left side of the frame, 1966. Brady Aerial Photograph Collection.

Troubled town

On June 10, 1916, Corte Madera was incorporated by a vote of 140 to 46, endorsed with the rallying motto “Pull together, boost together, stick together.” Progress didn’t come easy, however. A bond issue to build a new town hall was defeated in 1925. Indeed, in the 1940s Corte Madera almost went bankrupt. The police chief (who was also fire chief, tax collector and court clerk) attributed much of the problem to San Quentin personnel living in town. “They got haircuts and groceries at the prison, and that hurt.  …We became a town of shacks and rundown summer homes. Only bank that would cash our checks was in San Anselmo and we paid it four per cent (sic) for the service…”

View of Corte Madera taken from Christmas Tree hill, c. 1900.

Child care

On June 8, 1895, a group of concerned citizens incorporated to establish an orphanage in San Rafael that would eventually move to the west of Red Hill in San Anselmo. The Presbyterian Orphanage and Farm housed girls and boys between the ages of 3 and 16, schooling them in everything from housework to farm labor. Shipping magnate Captain Robert Dollar was a chief supporter of "The Home," as was the annual Grape Festival. (In 1902 the Festival netted $370 for the children, according to the Marin Journal.) The orphanage was rebuilt after a couple of fires and became Sunny Hills in 1931.

Robert Dollar taking a moment for a picture at the Orphanage, c.1900.

Party like it’s 1849

In June 1949, the Larkspur-Corte Madera Lion’s Club held their fourth annual ‘49er Fiesta to help fund a large playground and pool in Larkspur. Commemorating the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill, the event had something for everyone—parades, contests, dancing, carnival rides and the crowning of “Senorita Marin.” Other highlights included a wandering miner with a gold pan, a mobile “hoosegow” (Spanish jail) and, according to the Marin Independent Journal, “…the judging of the whiskerino contest… …the beard judged the best will bring its owner a cash prize and a handsome presentation from the queen of the fiesta.”

Celebrators hold an advertisement banner for Larkspur’s June ’49er Fiesta, c. 1950s.