Back in January of 2022, we published an article in our newsletter about the old 1920s mail arrow in the Acalanes Ridge Open Space. Recently History Hunters did a video featuring the arrow. We thought we’d share it along with our original article. There are some photos of the Mail Arrow from the past 10 […]
Highway 24 Opening Ceremony ~ Lafayette CA ~ 1957
Miss Vera Richardson, Dean of Girls at Acalanes was asked to select three senior student women to be princesses to celebrate the opening of the new freeway. Betty Clark, Dolores Roeschen and Patricia Whitehead were selected, one of whom would be chosen queen after participating it all the festivities of the Fiesta. There were luncheons […]
Oral History: E. G. Craig – November, 2004
Summary: E.G. Craig was interviewed by Julie Sullivan in November, 2004. He moved to Lafayette and opened an architectural office in 1956. Over the next 4 decades he developed over 30 homes in the city, along with three office complexes. He practiced for 12 years before Lafayette became a city, then for three decades after. […]
Oral History: Miler Magrath – October, 2005
Summary: Miler Magrath was interviewed by Julie Sullivan in October, 2005. In 1990 Miler took over management of Diamond K Supply from his father William, who had operated the business for over 40 years. Miler describes how the customer base shifted over the years from farmers and ranchers to builders and developers, and how Diamond […]
Lafayette Reservoir Display At Whole Foods
The Lafayette Reservoir, whether one goes there often or rarely, is in the communal mind of Lafayette…right now, more so, with the controversy over the height of the tower. The display by the Lafayette Historical Society on the side of Whole Foods across from Blue Gingko, follows the saga of East Bay Mud, the organization […]
Oral History: Mark Silverman — October, 2022
Summary: Mark Silverman was interviewed by Andree Hurst in October, 2022. Mark’s parents, Herman and Eleanor Silverman, bought the “Lafayette Sun” newspaper in 1947 when they were both in their mid-twenties. From the beginning they were both involved in the editorial and business activity required to put out a weekly paper. They were not afraid […]
Oral History: Mary-Louise Lynch and Timothy Lynch, Jr. — October 25th, 2022
Summary: Mary-Louise and her son Timothy Lynch, Jr. were interviewed by Andree Hurst on October 25, 2022. Mary-Louise and her husband Timothy John Lynch, Sr. built a house in Lafayette in 1953 and raised 7 children, one of whom is Tim. Her husband worked as a liquor wholesaler supplying local restaurants like Petar’s and the […]
Oral History: Hirsh Morton – April, 2006
Summary: Hirsh Morton was interviewed by Julie Sullivan in April, 2006. Hirsh came to Lafayette in 1952 as the designer for well-known builder Jack Marchant. Later he operated an architectural firm in partnership with Frank Essert. Hirsh served on the city planning commission, and he also sought out opportunities to contribute his services to public […]
Lafayette History Rabbit Holes – Acalanes Radio Station KCEQ: Las Lomas Memorializes Del Valle & Additional Info On The Closure
In the 1980 El Caballero, Las Lomas devoted a section of the yearbook to memorializing the closure of Del Valle. They talk about how the closure affected a lot of students and faculty who ended up at Las Lomas. We’ve included the relevant sections below. At the end, there is also an excerpt from The […]
Oral History: Sallie Gavey Rasmussen – July, 2008
Summary: Sallie Gavey Rasmussen was interviewed by Julie Sullivan in July, 2008. Her father, Warren Gavey, operated an auto body shop at 3442 Mt. Diablo Boulevard from 1946 to 1965, on a lot which contained both their home and the auto repair business. Sallie remembers what it was like to grow up and go through […]
