Mike Read/Pages From The Past
100 Years Ago
August 1923
– Unavoidable Accident – An inquest was held in the Community House Tuesday evening before Coroner Keaton to inquire into the cause of the death of Charles Miller, a native of France and 66 years old, who was killed in an automobile accident near R.H. Trumbull’s ranch on July 13, when the Ford truck driven by Abe Mengens struck a tree. Mr. Mengens, who is just out of the hospital, testified that Miller caught the wheel of the machine just before the accident. Several witnesses testified to the fact that an urgent call was sent to San Rafael for an ambulance, but it never came. After waiting an hour and a half, a call was sent to Petaluma, and in twenty-five minutes the ambulance arrived but unfortunately Miller had breathed his last. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased had met death in an unavoidable automobile accident.
75 Years Ago
August 1948
– The Marin County Planning Commission approved building permits for a $350,000 resort type motel which is scheduled for immediate construction on a section of the Anderson and Rowe 500-acre tract at Ignacio on 101 Highway. Walter J, Carrol Realtor representing the Anderson and Rowe ultra-modern motel on the 101 Highway, stated that the 40-unit motel will include an administration building and a swimming pool. The administration building will house a cocktail lounge, restaurant, kitchen, lobby, manager’s office, and manager’s living quarters.
50 Years Ago
August 1973
– Haul road, built by the freeway contractor firm, Freeman Sondgroth, extends north from the Atherton Avenue interchange, along the east side of the railroad tracks. The road was built to truck fill material from quarries north of town. All or a portion of the haul road is now being eyed as a frontage road leading to Gnoss Field. The state wants to close the present highway access to Gnoss Field because it’s considered too dangerous. The county is agreeable if the state makes construction of a nearby future interchange a matter of top priority. The county is also concerned that the haul road once converted into a permanent facility doesn’t become a flood control problem in the low-lying fields it crosses.
– After 25 years the 84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron left Novato, the last of the jets roared off the Hamilton runway this morning for their new home at Castle Air Force Base. With their departure an era ended in North Marin. The planes remaining at Hamilton are of the more prosaic cargo and passenger type, hardly comparing in romantic spirit to the fast pursuit and fighter aircraft and their restless pilots which have dominated Hamilton’s skies since 1942. Some will be glad the planes are gone; increasingly over the years, their big jets and powerful take-offs have irritated more people. The residents of Bel Marin Keys will be particularly relieved. The 84th skipped a 12-plane flyby this morning so as not to antagonize the residents there further. What the present picture at Hamilton is now, as the role of the base is reduced and changed.
25 Years Ago
August 1998
– Showing both pleasure and pride, the Novato Historical Guild presented to the City of Novato a new arbor in back of the historic Postmaster’s House that is the Novato History Museum. The arbor was designed by the guild to provide an area for hands-on demonstrations of artifacts out of Novato’s past, as well as a snack and lunch area for the 600-plus Novato third-grade students that visit the museum annually as part of their study of Novato history.
– The Novato Advance takes a major technological leap today with the launch of its online community newspaper, novatoadvance.com The site can be accessed with any web browser. (The website today is MarinLocalNews.com.)
My father flew from Hamilton Field to fight the Japanese in WW2 out of New Guinea. … two DFC while flying his P47