Laura grew up in the Navy, which is to say on both coasts of the U.S. as well as Istanbul and Japan. Her father’s last duty station was Treasure Island at which time her parents bought a house in Lafayette. She came to Stanley in 8th grade from Yokosuka, Japan. After graduating from Acalanes High School, she went off to Cal. She then moved to Seattle where she met her […]
July 18, 2012 — Special Presentation in the Library & Learning Center
Mr. Drew’s talk will trace the history of one of America’s richest short line railroads which operated between Reno, Carson City, and the Nevada Comstock Lode at Virginia City. After 80 years of operation, the last train ran on May 31, 1950. But in 1976, Orinda resident Robert C. Gray began bringing the Bonanza Railroad “back to life!” A well regarded railroad historian, Stephen Drew recently retired […]
President’s Message
Thanks and welcome to those of you who have recently joined the Historical Society. We hope you will enjoy receiving our newsletter and will plan to attend our upcoming programs. Should you have comments or suggestions to send our way please contact us at lafayette.history@comcast.net. Speaking of programs….we are appreciative of those people who have entertained […]
Virginia & Truckee Railroad Rolls Again
Stephen Drew is passionate about railroads and about the Virginia & Truckee short line railroad in particular, which is only natural since he recently retired after 35 years as Chief Curator of the California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento. On Wednesday, July 18 at 3 p.m. the Lafayette Historical Society Speaker’s Series offers the chance to hear Mr. Drew trace the history of what he calls “one of America’s […]
A Dam Club in Lafayette?
An inquiring Lafayette resident recently dropped into the historical society with the closest we’ve ever gotten to an aquatic engineering question: when was the Weir at the end of 4th Street built and why? Luckily for our curious visitor, the weir at 4th street not only has a story, it has a partner at Victoria Court. Weirs, which are a […]
Pleasant Hill Annexed to Lafayette!
The dirty deed actually happened on November 24, 1980. Thirty-one years ago. And Pleasant Hill has been part of Lafayette ever since. Don’t believe it? City Resolution Number 40-80. Look it up. The story begins back in 1821, coincidentally the same year Mexico declared her independence from Spain. A British ship named Lady Blackwood slipped into Bodega Bay, which was, of course, Mexican territory at the […]
Meet Our Board and Volunteers
Nancy Flood, Board Member Nancy is a local gal having grown up in Lafayette. She attended Lafayette Elementary School and Acalanes before receiving her college degree and teaching credential from San Francisco State. Before her retirement she taught Kindergarten at Burton School and Montecito School (both now closed) and then at Springhill School until her retirement. Nancy is from two local historical families, the Lamps and the Floods. The Lamps arrived from Germany […]
