In 1941, the principal of the new Acalanes High School hired Millicent Hamburger, a trained and talented dance instructor from New York City, to be an English teacher and to establish a dance program for interested students. She would go to inspire and direct the Acalanes Dance Group for 30 years, after which she returned […]
From The Archives: Acalanes Class of 1968 Reunion, August 25, 2018
On August 25, 2018, the 50th reunion class celebrated in grand style at the Orinda Country Club. The well-attended event featured a full buffet dinner, dancing to a live band, and a solemn tribute to the 56 members of the class who were no longer living. It was an unforgettable evening for a cohort of […]
From The Archives: 2001 Acalanes 50th Reunion Classes of 1951-1952
The Acalanes High School classes of 1951 and 1952 celebrated their 50th reunion on September 29, 2001 at the Marriott Hotel in Walnut Creek. In this video made at the event several of the attendees speak about their lives and careers, and look back upon their high school experiences.
Oral History: Chris Young – April, 2024
Summary: He was born in 1950 and was raised in Burton Valley. His parents founded and ran a coin-operated laundry and dry cleaning business on Golden Gate Way called Sunshine Cleaners. Chris worked in the business while he was growing up after his father taught him how to maintain and repair the equipment. The business […]
Oral History: Chuck Baumann – March, 2024
Summary: Chuck Baumann was interviewed by Andree Hurst in March, 2024. He came to Lafayette in 1955 at age 6 when his father relocated the family to this growing community to establish and run a company that built swimming pools. He discusses growing up in the community with great schools and social activities and he […]
Oral History: Edith Hunt Shirling – June, 1983
Diablo Valley College History 155, covering Local History, has brought back memories of when I was a child of about nine years old. Our family, who lived in Pt. Richmond, Contra Costa County-which also is the city where I was born in 1908–became the proud owners of a new Dort automobile in 1917. It was […]
Oral History: Tony Lagiss – November, 2004
Summary: Tony Lagiss was interviewed by Julie Sullivan in November, 2004. A Port Costa native, his career in the sale and development of Lafayette real estate started when he was 25, in 1946, when he bought twenty acres of “billie goat land” on Deer Hill Road near Pleasant Hill Road. Tony’s timing was good, as […]
Lafayette History Rabbit Holes – Acalanes Radio Station KCEQ: 1980-1981 Acalanes Radio Club
It’s the 1980-1981 school year at Acalanes, and we have our first proper mention of the Acalanes Radio Club. While they don’t have a devoted section in the main part of the yearbook, they’re brought up in an article called “Quadrophonic Sound”. As soon as the lunch bell rings, students straggle into the Quad. Within […]
Oral History: Sheldon Cook – July, 2005
Summary: Sheldon Cook was interviewed by Julie Sullivan in July, 2005. Dr. Cook set up his office in Lafayette and began to practice pediatrics in 1953. He practiced for the next 28 years, always making house calls–as many as 52 in one weekend. He says that people would recognize his car and request that he […]
The Park Theater Trust (TPTT) Needs You For The Park Theater Documentary
Thanks to a generous 2023 Excellence Grant from the Community Foundation of Lafayette, The Park Theater Trust (TPTT), in partnership with the Lafayete Historical Society, will be producing a documentary on the Park Theater’s past, present and exciting future. We are looking for community members who have fond memories of the Park Theater from before […]
