Lafayette Historical Society

Lafayette, California

  • Home
  • Archives/Oral Histories
    • Index By Name
    • Index By Category
    • 2009 Library Project Oral Histories
  • Lafayette History Rabbit Holes
  • Celebrating 175+ Years
    • Bay Miwok People
    • Early Downtown
    • Pioneer & Farm Life
    • Mt. Diablo Boulevard
    • Early School Days
    • Leisure Pastimes
    • Tunnels, Roads & Rails
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Mission
    • Officers
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
    • Membership
    • Volunteering
  • Town History
    • Pictorial History
    • Preface
    • Lafayette’s First Inhabitants
    • Mexican Ranchos
    • Speculators
    • Yankee Settlers
    • Early Days
    • The Farmers
    • Village Life
    • From Wagon Roads to City Highways
    • School Days
    • The Leisure Life
    • Historic Houses
    • The Changing Pace
    • The Town
    • The City
    • References
  • Local Sites
    • Tour
    • Cemetery
  • Newsletters
  • Links

In Case You Missed It…You Can Now Watch Our Program On Prohibition In Lamorinda

August 8, 2025 Leave a Comment

Prohibition In Lamorinda Speaker Series

In case you couldn’t make it on July 31, 2025 to see Leslie Crenna speak about Prohibition In Lamorinda–you can now watch it. Please consider making a donation so that we can continue to do programs like this one.

Filed Under: 2025, Events

Speaker Series: Prohibition in Lamorinda: Temperance leaders, law enforcement, and the saloons, resorts, moonshiners, and blind pigs they shut down

July 7, 2025 Leave a Comment

Prohibition In Lamorinda Speaker Series

Update: You can now watch the presentation here. Join the Lafayette Historical Society for a presentation by Leslie Crenna at the Lafayette Branch of the Contra Costa County Library in the Don Tatzin Community Hall, 3491 Mount Diablo Blvd, Lafayette, CA, Thursday, July 31, 2025. Doors open at 6:30pm. Presentation and questions: 7:00pm to 8:30pm. […]

Filed Under: 2025, Events

Acalanes DAR Events: Join Us in Honoring the Marquis de Lafayette!

March 5, 2025 1 Comment

Marquis de Lafayette Events Flyer

Lecture by Guy-Noël Benoit: April 3, 7:00 PM, Don Tatzin Community Hall, Lafayette Library Delve into Lafayette’s remarkable story, including his vital contributions to the American Revolution, his friendship with George Washington, his involvement in French politics, and his celebrated return to the U.S. in 1824 as the “Nation’s Guest.” The lecture closes with a […]

Filed Under: Events

Speaker Series: Building the Caldecott Tunnel

October 15, 2022 1 Comment

Cover of the Building The Caldecott Tunnel book

The Lafayette Historical Society, The Moraga Historical Society, and The Orinda Historical Society invite you to attend a program on   “Building the Caldecott Tunnel” presented by Mary Solon and Mary McCosker Sunday, November 6 at 2 pm Garden Room, Orinda Community Center.   Alison Burns will introduce the newly published Orinda history book. Admission […]

Filed Under: 2022, Events

WOW (Wonders of the World) Presentation – Mt. Diablo State Park Centennial

November 16, 2021 Leave a Comment

Rising almost 4,000 feet form the valleys of Contra Costa County, Mount Diablo is one of the most recognized geological features of the San Francisco Bay Area. This year, Mount Diablo State Park is celebrating 100 years since being established in 1921. They did a webinar on November 10th, 2021 that explored the human history […]

Filed Under: 2021, Events Tagged With: 2021, Events, Mt. Diablo, Wonder Of The World, WOW

Speaker Series: “The Evolution of Interurban and Commuter Rail Travel in the Bay Area”

October 5, 2021 Leave a Comment

People waiting for a rail train in a city.

Join Us For A Virtual History Program With Speaker Extraordinaire Stuart Swiedler Sunday, November 7 from 2:00-3:30 PM Stuart Swiedler will present a talk entitled “The Evolution of Interurban and Commuter Rail Travel in the Bay Area.” Dr. Swiedler, a physician-scientist by training, created the East Bay Hills Project in 2009, providing presentations and an […]

Filed Under: 2021, Events

(January 26, 2020) Speaker Series: “How Eminent Domain Changed Lamorinda”

December 19, 2019 Leave a Comment

Our program has been rescheduled and will be of interest to everyone in Lamorinda! Imagine being told that the land your home sits on will become part of a reservoir that will not even benefit local residents. Or that your back yard was needed for a freeway. Eminent domain refers to the power of the […]

Filed Under: 2020, Events

From Local Food Adventures, Breakfast With Santa (an Event Benefiting the Lafayette Historical Society)

November 7, 2019 Leave a Comment

Breakfast with Santa: Sunday, December 15 8:30 – 10 am Sideboard Lafayette $29 for adults, $20 for seniors, and kids 12 and younger In addition to a delicious pancake breakfast, you’ll have the opportunity to meet with Santa and take part in a silent auction. 100% of the proceeds go to the Lafayette Historical Society. […]

Filed Under: 2019, Events

(Cancelled, but will reschedule) Speaker Series: “How Eminent Domain Changed Lamorinda”

September 26, 2019 5 Comments

So sorry to have to inform you that our Program has been cancelled do to the probable power outage. We are very disappointed and will reschedule this at another date. “How Eminent Domain Changed Lamorinda” – Stuart Swiedler This Program is of interest to everyone in Lamorinda Imagine being told that the land your home […]

Filed Under: 2019, Events

Speaker Series: “Place Names of Contra Costa”

March 30, 2019 2 Comments

You’ve Seen the Book – Now You Can Meet the Author Why are place names important? From the Native Americans to the various European settlers, each wave of migration left their mark upon the land. Many names have long since disappeared but are still found on old maps and documents. Some names have interesting or […]

Filed Under: 2019, Events

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 6
  • Go to Next Page »

Location and Hours

History Room
open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Lafayette Library
& Learning Center,
enter on Golden Gate Way
925-385-2297


Mailing Address: PO Box 133 Lafayette, CA 94549

Donations

Your Memories Tell The Story of Lafayette

Memories of living and working in Lafayette are precious. Let us help you share those memories with others who value the town’s history. Call the Lafayette Historical Society’s Oral History line to set up a brief oral history phone interview with one of our friendly volunteers. Together, we can preserve the vibrant narrative of our town for generations to come.


Call 925-297-5397

Potential Member and Volunteers

  • I would like to become a member
  • I would like to become a volunteer

Building the Caldecott Tunnel

Available now in the History Room and in the online store

Follow Us

Facebook

LHS Store

Recent Posts

  • Oral History: Marty Brinckerhoff — August, 2024
  • Oral History: Kim Conti Clutts — August 7, 2024
  • Oral History: John D. (Johnny) Marchant — March 23, 2025
  • In Case You Missed It…You Can Now Watch Our Program On Prohibition In Lamorinda
  • Speaker Series: Prohibition in Lamorinda: Temperance leaders, law enforcement, and the saloons, resorts, moonshiners, and blind pigs they shut down

All photographs on this site are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of the Lafayette Historical Society.

Copyright © 2026 by Lafayette Historical Society · Site by Last Laugh Creative