Summary: Ted and Linda Murphey were interviewed in November, 1976. They had operated Murphey’s Valley Prescription Pharmacy on a site near the present-day Wells Fargo Bank from 1947 to 1964. Twelve years later they described for their interviewer the other principle businesses–mostly restaurants and gas stations–that existed on Mount Diablo Boulevard at that time. Oral […]
Oral History: Ken & Sue Nagel, SFO Helicopter – November, 2004
Summary: Ken Nagel and his wife Sue Nagel were interviewed by Julie Sullivan in November, 2004. Ken was an attorney, and later also a member of the Board of Directors, for SFO Helicopters. This service carried passengers from Lafayette to and from San Francisco International Airport and also six other locations around the Bay Area. […]
Oral History: Dr. Gloria Duffy — May 10th, 2021
Summary: Dr. Gloria Duffy was invited to speak at the May 10, 2021 meeting of the Lafayette Youth Services Commission. She described how she and two other high school seniors had combined their efforts to create the Youth Commission, which was at that time celebrating its 50th anniversary. While members of the founding group had […]
Oral History: Stan Pedder — July, 2021
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 […]
Oral History: Lou Borghesani — April, 1977
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 […]
Oral History: Mickey Meyers — April, 1977
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 […]
Oral History: Shigeko and Harry Ide, Jiro Nishimoto, Harry’s Nursery — April, 2006
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 […]
Oral History: Mickey MacPherson — August, 2004
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 […]
Oral History: Nick Trujillo — September, 2005
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 […]
Oral History: Angelo Rossi — July, 2005
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 […]
