Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lafayette Library & Learning Center’s Community Hall, The Gold Coast Chamber Players presents: Aaron Copland’s evocative Appalachian Spring and Alan Louis Smith’s Vignettes: Covered Wagon Women in a full display of American spirit. Mezzo-soprano Catherine Martin is featured in a moving portrayal of pioneer life. More […]
The Seal of Lafayette
Lafayette was founded in 1848 by Elam Brown, but it wasn’t until the city’s incorporation in 1968 that our 15 square mile patch got some of the privileges associated with being a ‘real’ city. Foremost among these was the chance to design and display a city seal. The seal, which would grace everything from city signs to […]
President’s Message
Update: The owner of the diploma has been found. Happy 2013!! All of us at the Historical Society hope you had a wonderful holiday season and we look forward to bringing you more interesting programming in the new year. Our first program will shed some light on a local landmark and the next speaker […]
The Rossi Story
Volunteers at the Lafayette Historical Society know history is around every corner, sometimes quite literally. Take Rossi and Angelo Streets in Lafayette. Some citizens might be familiar with the immigrant pioneer Rossi family, but Angelo Street owes its name to a son of the Rossi clan, named, what else, Angelo Rossi. The history behind these […]
Meet Our Board and Volunteers
Sherril Barber Sherril was raised in Lafayette and went through her school years in local schools. She studied at San Jose State where she received her California teaching credential. She returned to Lafayette and worked in special education in the Lafayette and Acalanes Union High School District schools. She retired from the Acalanes Union High […]
February 13, 2013 — The History of Diablo State Park (Speaker Series)
Dr. Gallagher will speak to us about the history of one of the most remarkable landmarks in our region. Mount Diablo is an isolated peak of 3,864 feet (1,178 m), visible from most of the San Francisco Bay Area and much of northern California. Mount Diablo appears to be a double pyramid. North Peak […]
December 2, 2012 — National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Event (Speaker Series)
In honor of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the Lafayette Historical Society will be hosting two speakers who will discuss the causes and effects of Pearl Harbor on December 2nd at 1 pm in the Community Hall. Pearl Harbor Day, celebrated on December 7th, honors those who served and gave their lives on the day […]
An Oldtimer’s Reflections of Lafayette (Oliver Hamlin)
I was asked by the Lafayette Historical Society to jot down some of my memories of the Hamlin property in Lafayette. My first remembrance of my life in Lafayette started in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s when I was growing up in Piedmont. Those were the days before the Caldecot tunnel was opened. You […]
December 2, 2012 — “How Could it be Pearl?” The Japanese Surprise Attack – December 7, 1941 (Speaker Series)
Americans were stunned by the attack on Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941; but why were our national leaders so shocked despite the fact that they received so many clues that indicated that an attack could occur at any time? Wayne Korsinen taught the lessons of Pearl Harbor at Antioch High School for more than 30 years. […]
“Voices of Lafayette” Book Now Available
Due to popular demand, the Lafayette Historical Society has had a new round of the Voices of Lafayette book printed. Written by Julie Sullivan, it contains a collection of oral histories that goes beyond objective images and artifacts to flesh out life in Lafayette. The book contains recollections from people like Lou Borghesani of Lou’s Bar […]
