Summary: John Cosso was interviewed by Julie Sullivan in October, 1994. John’s uncle, who had emigrated from Genoa, Italy, bought 55 acres in Happy Valley in 1920. Members of his family operated a truck farm for almost thirty years, after which they sold most of the land to developers who built homes. Individual lots were […]
Oral History: Louis Persico — June, 2005
Summary: Louis Persico was interviewed in June 2005. He was born in Oakland in 1918, but a year later his family moved to Lafayette, where they at first operated a farm on the present day site of Acalanes High School. After serving as a mess sergeant in World War II, including the Battle of the […]
Oral History: Ray Peters — October, 2005
Summary: Ray Peters was interviewed by Julie Sullivan in October, 2005. He came to Lafayette in 1962 when he co-founded a civl engineering and surveying firm, and he soon became fascinated with its history. Ray used his skills to locate the sites of the three homes built by Lafayette’s founder, Elam Brown, and in 1978 […]
Oral History: Bill Eames — October, 2004
Summary: Bill Eames was interviewed by Julie Sullivan in October, 2004. Bill was only two years out of pharmacy school when he and his wife Karin opened Acalanes Pharmacy in Lafayette in 1959. There were three other pharmacies operating in town at that time, but due to Bill’s talents and hard work—he worked all the […]
Oral History: Oliver Hamlin — July, 2004
Summary: Oliver (Ollie) Hamlin III was interviewed by Julie Sullivan in July of 2004. His great-grandfather came to California from Quebec during the Gold Rush and eventually bought a 200-acre ranch in Lafayette in 1871. Ollie Hamlin, who himself was active in the real estate business and also in civic affairs in Lafayette, tells how […]
Oral History: Curran Family
A History of the Curran Ranch, Glenside Drive, Lafayette Most people in Lafayette, especially those who live in Burton Valley, drive by land that once belonged to the Curran family. Today, it is still a cattle ranch where Reliez Station Road joins Glenside Drive. Open acres extend into the hills above Michael Drive, all the […]
Oral History: James Rossi — June 11th, 2021
Summary: James S. Rossi was interviewed by Andree Duggan on June 11th, 2021. He is the grandson of Serafino Rossi Sr., who emigrated from Italy at age 16 in 1906 and eventually farmed pears, peaches, plums, apricots, figs, and grapes on his 158-acre farm in Reliez Valley. James tells how his father, Angelo, who was […]
Oral History: Sherril Lercari – Barber
A memory walk up Springhill Road Sherril Lercari – Barber A primary entertainment activity in the l940’s was to take a Sunday ride into the country with a picnic lunch. Our family was living in Oakland and enjoyed our weekend rides and picnic lunches. One Sunday in 1945, we came from Oakland through the tunnel […]
Oral History: Russell Bruzzone — November 20th, 1984
Summary: Russell Bruzzone was interviewed by Oliver Hamlin on November 20, 1984. Russell’s grandfather, Frank Ghiglione, was a truck farmer who came to Lafayette in 1906. He previously ran vegetable farming operations in San Pablo and in the Rockridge district of Oakland. In this interview Russell looks back over his long career as a homebuilder […]
Oral History: Maria Hjelm — May 29th, 2009
Maria Hjelm was interviewed by Brenda Heppler on May 29th, 2009. She joined the Friends of the Lafayette Library Board soon after arriving in the city in 2003. She took over management of the very popular literary speakers program, known as Sweet Thursdays. Maria also managed the library’s relationships with its Glenn Seaborg Learning Consortium […]
