Summary: In the late 1940s, Patricia’s grandfather purchased 4 acres, and her father one acre, in Happy Valley. They chose the location because they wanted to live in the country, with walnut trees and plenty of land. She discovered a fossilized turtle on the property. The industrialist Henry J, Kaiser, along with other neighbors, attended […]
Oral History: Barbara Langlois — March 24th, 2016
Summary: Barbara Langlois was appointed to the City’s Planning Commission in 1973, only five years after moving to Lafayette from El Cerrito. The next year, she won election to the City Council, and in 1975 she became the first woman to serve as Mayor. In addition to her duties as an elected official, Barbara was […]
Oral History: Ed Stokes — January 26th, 2007
Summary: Longtime owner and operator of Diablo Foods, as well as a prominent community leader, Ed Stokes has been Citizen of the Year and won many awards for civic involvement. In this interview, he talks about his early experiences in business and shares some of the management principles that have led him to be successful […]
Oral History: Dawn Eames — March 4th, 2014
Masaji “Harry” and Shigeko Ides were married shortly before the start of World War II. During the war they were sent to internment camps in California, Arkansas, and Texas. In the 1950s, they established a nursery at 3295 Mt. Diablo Boulevard. Dawn and her three older sisters were raised in a house on the same […]
Oral History: Bill McNeil — June 8th, 2016
This interview took place at the time that an antique barrel, which once held corn syrup, was added to the Lafayette Historical Society’s collection. The barrel had originally been in use at the general store in Lafayette that was owned and operated by Bill’s grandfather Robert McNeil. Bill, now 93 years of age, recalls some […]
Oral History: Marianne Millette (Malley) — March 5th, 2014
Summary: Marianne talks about growing up in Lafayette when it was a small, mostly farming community where everyone knew each other by name. In 1932, she moved here with her family from Oakland when she was 2 years old. In 1910, her grandparents Francis and Agnes Malley had purchased land east of Upper Happy Valley […]
Oral History: Theodore “Ted” Murphey — 11-29-1976
Ted Murphey opened Murphey’s Valley Prescription Pharmacy in downtown Lafayette in 1947. He and his wife Linda lived above the store. They describe their business and also many of the other businesses in the community, giving a picture of the commercial side of Lafayette in that era.
Oral History: Charles Reynolds — March 20th, 1979
Summary: Charles’ father bought a farm on the west end of Mt. Diablo Boulevard in 1905. His well-illustrated interview describes what it was like to grow up at a time when fruit orchards and ranches were the dominant businesses in the town. Oral History: Angela Broadhead: Mr. Reynolds, will you tell us when you and […]
Oral History: Guy Atwood — May 19th, 2016
Summary: In this interview, Guy Atwood—Lafayette’s 1994 Citizen of the Year honoree—looks back on his 43 years of active involvement in civic affairs. As a 5-year member (also serving two terms as chair) of the Planning Commission, Guy drafted Lafayette’s original Hillside and Open Space Ordinances. He was also closely involved with the effort to […]
Oral History: Adelaide Gerow (Allen) — June 28th, 1962
In one of our oldest oral histories, conducted in 1962, Dorothy Mutnick interviews Adelaide Gerow (Allen) at age 94. “Aunt Addie” shares her own memories of Lafayette at the end of the 19th century, and also recounts stories which were told to her by family members who actually accompanied Elam Brown and Margaret Allen on […]
