Lafayette Historical Society

Lafayette, California

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Oral History: Scotty Loucks — April, 2006

July 21, 2022 1 Comment

Title card for Scotty Loucks

Summary: Scotty Loucks was interviewed by Julie Sullivan in April, 2006. Scotty was a trail breaker in her role as an independent insurance broker–she was both the first woman in the Lafayette area to own her own agency and also the first to be president of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. She came to the […]

Filed Under: Oral History Tagged With: Business, Oral History

Oral History: Stan Pedder — July, 2021

June 30, 2022 8 Comments

Stan Pedder Title Card

Summary: Stan Pedder was interviewed by Andree Duggan Hurst in July, 2021. He had just retired after practicing law in Lafayette for 62 years. Stan was born in 1935, 2 years before the Caldecott Tunnel opened, and he has been a close observer of developments in the life and character of the town and its […]

Filed Under: Oral History Tagged With: Business, Early Resident, Oral History

Oral History: Lou Borghesani — April, 1977

May 18, 2022 Leave a Comment

Lou Borghesani Title Card

Summary: Lou Borghesani spoke about his history as construction foreman on the Lafayette Reservoir dam, and later as operator of an inn, at a Lafayette Historical Society potluck dinner in April, 1977. Lou was born in Martinez in 1902. He had been employed on a construction job in Florida in 1927 when work on that […]

Filed Under: Oral History Tagged With: Early Resident, Oral History

Oral History: Wendell G. Pleis — May 21st, 2021

April 25, 2022 2 Comments

Title Card for Wendell G. Pleis

Summary: Wendell G. Pleis was interviewed by Andree Duggan on May 21, 2021. Mr. Pleis was born in Fairbury, Nebraska, in 1929. He served for three years with the U.S. Air Force in Europe, starting his education and training in electronics during that time. He then continued his studies in this field when he returned […]

Filed Under: Oral History Tagged With: Education, Oral History

Oral History: Mickey Meyers — April, 1977

April 14, 2022 Leave a Comment

Mickey Meyers Title Card

Summary: Mickey Meyers, who operated Meyers Groceteria on the site of the present-day Starbucks for many years, discussed his history in Lafayette in a speech in 1977. He came to town in 1936. He was originally recruited to help upgrade the main road through town in anticipation of the opening of the Bay Bridge and […]

Filed Under: Oral History Tagged With: Early Resident, Oral History

Oral History: Shigeko and Harry Ide, Jiro Nishimoto, Harry’s Nursery — April, 2006

April 9, 2022 6 Comments

Shigeko and Harry Ide, Jiro Nishimoto Title Card

Summary: Shigeko Ide and Jiro Nishimoto were interviewed by Julie Sullivan in April, 2006. Harry’s Nursery, which had been founded over 50 years earlier by Shigeko and her late husband Harry, was thriving under the management of Jiro Nishimoto. Jiro had begun working at the nursery as a teenager and had been careful to continue […]

Filed Under: Oral History Tagged With: Early Resident, Oral History

Oral History: Mickey MacPherson — August, 2004

March 24, 2022 Leave a Comment

Title Card for Mickey MacPherson

Summary: Mickey MacPherson was interviewed by Julie Sullivan in August, 2004. He was very industrious from a young age, hauling and delivering first coal, then gas and diesel to businesses and homes in Alameda County. In 1940 Mickey moved from Oakland to Lafayette where he and and his wife Helen built a house in Happy […]

Filed Under: Oral History Tagged With: Early Resident, Oral History

Oral History: Nick Trujillo — September, 2005

February 17, 2022 Leave a Comment

Nick Trujillo Title Card

Summary: Nick Trujillo was interviewed by Julie Sullivan in December 2005. Nick was a barber in Lafayette for 58 years. He started in 1947 with a shop on Mt. Diablo Boulevard, and then moved to a location in the Plaza Shopping Center in 1963. In this interview he shares his memories of the many customers […]

Filed Under: Oral History Tagged With: Early Resident, Oral History

Oral History: Angelo Rossi — July, 2005

February 12, 2022 1 Comment

Summary: The Rossi brothers, Frank, Serafine, and Angelo, grew up on their parents’ farm on Reliez Valley Road. Each of them developed skills for woodworking and furniture making in high school, and in 1949 they opened Rossi Brothers Furniture Shop on Mount Diablo Boulevard. Their shop was located next to a lumber yard that is […]

Filed Under: Oral History Tagged With: Early Resident, Oral History

Oral History: Gary Bedsworth — October 22nd, 2021

December 28, 2021 3 Comments

Gary Bedsworth Title Card

Gary Bedsworth was interviewed by Andree Duggan on October 22, 2021. Gary’s father, Jay Bedsworth, operated the Tunnel Inn Restaurant and also performed professional-level magic tricks on its stage in the 1940’s and 1950’s. In one trick Gary’s mother would be raised four feet into the air, then made to disappear. Gary later worked alongside […]

Filed Under: Oral History Tagged With: Early Resident, Oral History

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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

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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

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Recent Posts

  • Oral History: Maeve Pessis — July 22, 2009
  • Lafayette Library Display – Honoring the Bicentennial Farewell Tour of the Marquis de Lafayette
  • Oral History: Gwen Lennox — August 8th, 2009
  • Oral History: Lois Laine — June 12th, 2009
  • Out Of The Archives: The 1942 Acalanes High School Yearbook

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