The Moya Library/Ross Historical Society continued its decades long tradition of talks with informative and interesting topics presented by historians, authors and local personalities. We look forward to more presentations in 2023. The First Thursday Forenoon lectures are held in the Livermore Pavilion at the Marin Art & Garden Center. The programs begin at 11:00 a.m., and last for about one hour. A donation of $10.00 per person is requested.
March 2 With the arrival of a railroad and ferry terminus at Point Tiburon in 1884 the Peninsula became an industrial and maritime center as well as a residential and tourist destination. Join us as Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society Archivist Dave Gotz explores the many industries and pastimes that evolved along the shores of this scenic part of the North Bay illustrated with rare and historic photos.
April 6 Lorri Ungaretti will lead a visual journey of more than 50 places and items that were once found in San Francisco but are gone now. Items include the Embarcadero Freeway, the Montgomery Block, two-toned fog horns, the Sweeny Observatory in Golden Gate Park and a butterfly that went extinct.
May 4 After extensive research, Kambia Moezzi will share a presentation showcasing the rich history of the Marin Society of Artists from its founding in the late 1920s through the late 1960s. Featuring a selection of artists and art across different mediums and genres, and the overall quest of the organization to share art with the community.
June 1 Michael Boland, Chief Park Officer at the Presidio Trust will describe the ongoing transformation of the historic Presidio army base into an urban national park site, culminating in the recently opened Presidio Tunnel Tops.
Sept 7 DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED
Oct 5 Kentfield 150 Years Ago. Recently acquired by the Kentfield-Greenbrae Historical Society, Joseph Lee's beautiful and detailed 150-year-old painting of Ross Landing is a vivid historical document. This presentation by Dewey Livingston and Richard Torney looks at the painting's depiction of life at Ross Landing during that period, adding maps and historical photographs to bring the contents of the painting alive.
Nov 2 Dewey Livingston has been studying West Marin History for 40 years, culminating in a new book on the history of Point Reyes, Tomales Bay and the communities there. In this illustrated program he will bring new research and imagery never before seen, from Nisei pea farmers to outlandish land grabs.
We look back at our talks of 2022...
In November, Scott Fletcher, author and IJ columnist, gave his perspective on Marin History. If you subscribe to the Marin IJ, you can read his work. Or you can still purchase his book, Moments in Marin History, online or from local bookstores.
See more at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60685708-moments-in-marin-history .
In October, Matt Cerkel talked about the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). With work on Mount Tamalpais between 1933 and 1942, shaping the parks that we know and enjoy today, it was one of FDR's most successful New Deal programs. Currently the Senior Park Ranger with the Marin Municipal Water District, we were honored to host him in the home of the Ross Valley Players, a wonderful facility. If you missed our event or want to see more, you can see the similar talk he gave for the Mill Valley Historical Society at The CCC on Mt. Tam .
We also recall the talk we had online with Gray Brechin about the Living New Deal in Marin and Sonoma Counties, available on this page. Just scroll down to find the video, along with several other talks we hosted during Covid.
The Living New Deal does much to celebrate and honor this period in American history and the legacy that lives on today. Find out more at https://livingnewdeal.org/ .
In September, Dean CHRISTOPHER OCKER talked about the beginnings of SFTS, a school founded as an extension of San Francisco’s University College. Rival to Oakland’s College of California (the future University of California) and California Theological Seminary, its beginnings were entangled with the encounter and competition of cultures in the West.
In June, historical consultant John Martini discussed San Francisco's most incendiary landmark, the Cliff House. In its 158-year history, the iconic Cliff House has burned down twice, blown up once, and been closed for wars, Prohibition, Depression and Pandemic. John Martini traced the fabled landmark’s history from its opening during the Civil War through its sad closing on New Year’s Eve 2020. The program also showcased artifacts from the Cliff House collection and the current exhibit in the “Museum at the Cliff”.
In May, we considered the question of what elements of chance and choice brought our ancestors together? In California Bound, local author Peter Pike Jr. tracked his parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents for almost a century from the Gold Rush of 1849 to the Great Depression of the 1930s.
In April, Patrick Goggins presented a talk about The Laurel Tie. On May 10, 1869 at Promontory Summit in Utah, a Gold Spike was driven into a ceremonial railroad tie to commemorate the completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad. That RR tie had been milled from a Laurel Tree harvested on Mt. Tamalpais. Patrick told the story of that tie and also talked about the Irish and Chinese laborers who did the hard work of preparing the roadway and laying the track.
In March, author Judith Taylor talked about the almost forgotten triumphs and obstacles many women had to overcome in history in WOMEN AND GARDENS: Obstacles and Opportunities for Women Gardeners Throughout History.
March 2 With the arrival of a railroad and ferry terminus at Point Tiburon in 1884 the Peninsula became an industrial and maritime center as well as a residential and tourist destination. Join us as Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society Archivist Dave Gotz explores the many industries and pastimes that evolved along the shores of this scenic part of the North Bay illustrated with rare and historic photos.
April 6 Lorri Ungaretti will lead a visual journey of more than 50 places and items that were once found in San Francisco but are gone now. Items include the Embarcadero Freeway, the Montgomery Block, two-toned fog horns, the Sweeny Observatory in Golden Gate Park and a butterfly that went extinct.
May 4 After extensive research, Kambia Moezzi will share a presentation showcasing the rich history of the Marin Society of Artists from its founding in the late 1920s through the late 1960s. Featuring a selection of artists and art across different mediums and genres, and the overall quest of the organization to share art with the community.
June 1 Michael Boland, Chief Park Officer at the Presidio Trust will describe the ongoing transformation of the historic Presidio army base into an urban national park site, culminating in the recently opened Presidio Tunnel Tops.
Sept 7 DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED
Oct 5 Kentfield 150 Years Ago. Recently acquired by the Kentfield-Greenbrae Historical Society, Joseph Lee's beautiful and detailed 150-year-old painting of Ross Landing is a vivid historical document. This presentation by Dewey Livingston and Richard Torney looks at the painting's depiction of life at Ross Landing during that period, adding maps and historical photographs to bring the contents of the painting alive.
Nov 2 Dewey Livingston has been studying West Marin History for 40 years, culminating in a new book on the history of Point Reyes, Tomales Bay and the communities there. In this illustrated program he will bring new research and imagery never before seen, from Nisei pea farmers to outlandish land grabs.
We look back at our talks of 2022...
In November, Scott Fletcher, author and IJ columnist, gave his perspective on Marin History. If you subscribe to the Marin IJ, you can read his work. Or you can still purchase his book, Moments in Marin History, online or from local bookstores.
See more at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60685708-moments-in-marin-history .
In October, Matt Cerkel talked about the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). With work on Mount Tamalpais between 1933 and 1942, shaping the parks that we know and enjoy today, it was one of FDR's most successful New Deal programs. Currently the Senior Park Ranger with the Marin Municipal Water District, we were honored to host him in the home of the Ross Valley Players, a wonderful facility. If you missed our event or want to see more, you can see the similar talk he gave for the Mill Valley Historical Society at The CCC on Mt. Tam .
We also recall the talk we had online with Gray Brechin about the Living New Deal in Marin and Sonoma Counties, available on this page. Just scroll down to find the video, along with several other talks we hosted during Covid.
The Living New Deal does much to celebrate and honor this period in American history and the legacy that lives on today. Find out more at https://livingnewdeal.org/ .
In September, Dean CHRISTOPHER OCKER talked about the beginnings of SFTS, a school founded as an extension of San Francisco’s University College. Rival to Oakland’s College of California (the future University of California) and California Theological Seminary, its beginnings were entangled with the encounter and competition of cultures in the West.
In June, historical consultant John Martini discussed San Francisco's most incendiary landmark, the Cliff House. In its 158-year history, the iconic Cliff House has burned down twice, blown up once, and been closed for wars, Prohibition, Depression and Pandemic. John Martini traced the fabled landmark’s history from its opening during the Civil War through its sad closing on New Year’s Eve 2020. The program also showcased artifacts from the Cliff House collection and the current exhibit in the “Museum at the Cliff”.
In May, we considered the question of what elements of chance and choice brought our ancestors together? In California Bound, local author Peter Pike Jr. tracked his parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents for almost a century from the Gold Rush of 1849 to the Great Depression of the 1930s.
In April, Patrick Goggins presented a talk about The Laurel Tie. On May 10, 1869 at Promontory Summit in Utah, a Gold Spike was driven into a ceremonial railroad tie to commemorate the completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad. That RR tie had been milled from a Laurel Tree harvested on Mt. Tamalpais. Patrick told the story of that tie and also talked about the Irish and Chinese laborers who did the hard work of preparing the roadway and laying the track.
In March, author Judith Taylor talked about the almost forgotten triumphs and obstacles many women had to overcome in history in WOMEN AND GARDENS: Obstacles and Opportunities for Women Gardeners Throughout History.