Mike Read/Pages From The Past
100 Years Ago
November 1922
– The meeting called last Friday for the consideration of the creamery project was not well attended. A better understanding of the advantage of a cooperative creamery to Novato would undoubtedly secure hearty support. Dairying will always be one of our important industries and with a creamery here even the man with one cow would have a market for his surplus product.
– Familiar names, like landmarks, are cherished by communities as well as individuals, and for this reason, regret has been expressed that the name Novato lumber yard is likely to be changed by the recent purchasers so as to identify it with similar plants owned by them. The secretary of the Chamber of Commerce has communicated with the manager of the Jensen & Schlosser Lumber Co. asking that the old name of Novato Lumber Yard be retained.
75 Years Ago
November 1947
– Charles R. Anderson, pioneer resident of Marin County, died at the San Rafael General hospital. He had occupied a cottage on the ranch owned by Frank Gustafson, in Indian Valley, having been employed by Gustafson for many years. A native of Sweden, he was aged 89 years. Before the earthquake and fire in San Francisco, in 1906, he had a large tailor shop which was wiped out by the fire. He afterward, moved to Novato to be with his friend and where he remained until taken ill. He had never married and had been a member of Odin Lodge, of Odd Fellows, in San Francisco for 44 years.
– FOR LEASE – WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY – Sheet Metal Shop, fully equipped. Grant Ave. Phone 854-M.
50 Years Ago
November 1972
– Civic Center Caterers, who run the Civic Center cafeteria, have taken over the Alvarado Inn under a lease-purchase arrangement. The firm is headed by Donald Giovannoni and Camille Bamatter. Giovannoni will manage the Alvarado Inn, and Bamatter will concentrate mainly on the Civic Center cafeteria. The firm is leasing the restaurant and the 70 motel unit from a corporation headed by Julius and John Dreyfous of San Rafael.
– Late 1970 Census information reveals that the average adult woman in Novato was white, married, lived as a member of a family household, did not work, and if she did, earned and worked less than her husband, and produced 2.77 children. When the U.S. Census was taken in 1970, there was a population of 31,006 in Novato, of which 15,276 were women.
– If there was any doubt, there was a need for moderate cost housing in Novato the sales being racked up by McKeon Development Company and the Parkhaven Townhouse project ought to dispel it. Only 20 units are left unsold in the fourth phase of McKeon’s Crossroads development which is just now under construction. The fourth phase, like the First three, consists of quadruplexes. Altogether there will be 228 units of quads and most of the 206 that have already been sold are occupied. The first phase of quads sold for $20,950; the fourth phase is selling for $22,500, according to Chuck Nygren, project coordinator for McKeon. The next phase for the Crossroads (located on South Novato Boulevard at Highway 101) will be 182 units of townhouses, but the price on those hasn’t been nailed down yet, according to Nygren.
– The Moose Club finally won approval of a use permit from the county zoning administrator Monday to operate its club in an existing building on “H” Lane. The building was formerly a portion of the Atherton Stables property and in the past neighbors had opposed locating the club there because of traffic considerations.
– The remains of the charred main building of the Reichert Villa will soon be demolished, according to fire chief Jack Kidder. The decision was reached Saturday when Kidder met with George and Ed Wilson, the owners of the property who now live in Davis. The remaining structures will be boarded up to prevent trespassing. The demolition costs will be paid by the Wilsons. The house was destroyed in a massive fire earlier this month, and the cause of the blaze remains undetermined. The historic 105-year-old mansion has been uninhabited since 1970 when the Wilson family moved away, and it had fallen into disrepair.
25 Years Ago
November 1997
– Services will be held Saturday, Nov. 22 for D. Lamar Hale at First Missionary Baptist Church, 501 Drake Ave. in Marin City. Mr. Hale, a popular Novato hair stylist for 20 years, died Saturday, Nov. 15. He was 57. He was the owner of Lamar’s Hair Design in Novato for 20 years where he developed a loyal following and was a friend as well as a stylist to his many customers. Mr. Hale was born in Sylacauga, Alabama. He lived in Novato for 24 years prior to his death. He worked for PG&E and the Fourth and C Pharmacy in San Rafael before attending the Moler Hair Design School in San Francisco and beginning a new career. He was an active and much-appreciated member of the Novato Lions Breakfast Club, the 7-Uppers, serving as president of the club in 1979.
– David Packard Jones, who made many friends in his 10 years in Novato, died Saturday, Nov. 15, 1997 in San Francisco. He was 43. Mr. Jones was a partner in D & D Billiards in Novato and was a popular wine broker and wine connoisseur. He also was a man of diverse interests. A fine judge of wine, he also was an avid reader, a gifted photographer, and an animal lover who had lost his beloved cocker spaniel, Angel. He loved sports—from billiards to skydiving. The love of his life, Shirley Dalton of Novato, was his strength and his joy and supported him in his last days, his friends said.
Leave a Reply