Mike Read/Pages From The Past
(Editor’s Note: These vignettes of Marin history are taken from the pages of the Novato Advance.)
100 Years Ago
December 1920
— Notice of Sale —John E. Edsberg to Thos. Richardson, fixtures in New Marin Market at Novato excepting stock. Thomas has bought the New Marin Market for $1,250
— J. Trabucci, manager of the Robert Trumbull lumber yards, Novato, was run down by a car in San Rafael recently and his shoulder dislocated. His car was demolished.
— 496 Acre Dairy Ranch WITH ELECTRIC MILKING MACHINE; RANCH FULLY EQUIPPED WITH ALL KINDS OF FARMING TOOLS; SO ACRES IN GRAIN; 200 ACRES LEVEL, AND MARSH LAND; ONE-QUARTER MILE FROM NOVATO ON HIGHWAY; $51,000; $30,000 CASH, BALANCE TERMS. A. D. White.
— Miss Doss and Miss Lleanor Nisson, of Two Rock, who are teaching in Novato, have moved from the McElherron place to the Herman Schulz house on Feliz Street.
75 Years Ago
December 1945
— Novato firemen held election of officers last Monday evening in the fire house. Elected to head the department during 1946 was Walter Hale who succeeds Patrick Warden, recently moved to Turlock. Other officers elected were: Vice president, Jack Sparrow; secretary, Keith Thompson; treasurer, George Gnoss; Chief Engineer, Fred Miller; Assistant Engineer, Charles Peterson; Sgt. at Arms, Walter Simonds, Jr., Property Clerk, Edward Perry. Installation of new officers will be held at the annual banquet on January 5th.
— Miss Agues Pimentel is slowly recovering from poisoning by eating toadstools which she mistook for mushrooms. She was rushed to the Cottage Hospital, by Dr. R.J. Weseman, for treatment.
— Father Joseph McGlave urges his parishioners and others in the community to bring canned and processed foods to the rectory of the Church of Our Lady of Loretto during the drive from Dec. 9th to 16th for immediate shipment to the starving war stricken peoples of Europe and the far east.
— Lt. Woodrow Binford, U.S. Air Force, brother of Mrs. Brown has been released from service and with his wife and two children has rented White cottage No. 6, at Black Point. He is salesman for a San Francisco firm.
50 Years Ago
December1970
— A light turnout of Novato Sanitary District voters yesterday gave the proposed $5,500,000 sewer bond issue a comfortable margin of ballot support: 2,371 unofficial “yes” votes against only 905 “no” votes, for a margin of 72.4 percent. In the first flush of the sewer bond victory, Charles Joseph, manager-engineer of the Novato Sanitary District, was understandably gleeful. Said Joseph, “The community is to be congratulated. It’s obvious that Novato area residents place a high priority on environmental quality.” Joseph said the district probably will award contracts for the treatment and disposal projects under the bond program next summer. He said engineering design of both projects is about 60 per cent complete. Of the $5,500,000 program, $2,900,000 is expected to be granted by state and federal governments and the board has pledged to sell only the balance of the bonds needed to finance a 54-inch outfall line to San Pablo Bay, to improve the pipeline system within the district, and to upgrade the two treatment plants.
— The Pinheiro area has been designated as the primary location for a major regional shopping center serving northern Marin and southern Solano counties. With a total area of 89 acres, this site can initially accommodate a shopping center of 250,000 to 300,000 square feet on the portion west of Redwood Highway, with potential expansion to a 900,000 square foot center using the entire area. Additionally, the area should serve as the location for the central rapid transit station for the Novato area. Motels, a conference center and office facilities are also proposed. The major portion of the site is designated for regional retail use and complementary commercial uses commonly located in a regional shopping center.
25 Years Ago
December 1995
— Old Town Glass has a familiar ownership look and a familiar location. Old Town Glass will officially open Thursday, Dec. 7 at 700 Grant Avenue at the location of the former Novato Glass (which has moved to Reichert Avenue). Old Town Glass is owned by John Pope, former co-owner of Novato Glass. Pope has been in the glass business for more than two decades and has lived in Novato since 1955. After returning home from the Navy, Pope was hired by Glass and Sash and started working in its branch store which, at that time was Novato Glass. He worked there for about four years before becoming owner of the business.
— Three new tenants will occupy almost 9,000 square feet of retail space in the Vintage Oaks at Novato shopping center. The Men’s Wearhouse (5,000 square feet). Pacific Bicycle (2,791 square feet) and Parrot Cellular (1,020 square feet) will add more diversity to the center and continue Vintage Oaks reputation as one of the most successful new retail centers in the Bay Area with an occupancy rate of more than 95 percent.
— Novato may be losing one of its most established automobile dealers to Sonoma County. Novato Nissan, which has occupied a showroom at the corner of Grant Avenue and Redwood Boulevard for 21 years, is opening a new shop at the Petaluma Auto Mall. That’s good news for Sonoma, but the dealer’s future in Novato remains sketchy. Greg Dexter, owner of Novato Nissan, refused to comment on the move, saying “It’s safe to say that I don’t want to make a statement on that” Dexter would not comment on whether this spells the end for the dealership in Novato, but an employee of Novato Nissan said the new Petaluma showroom will be in addition to its Marin location.
Leave a Reply