Early Mill Valley

Images of America: California

by Claudine Chalmers

Mill Valley rests in the shadow of Mount Tamalpais, the tallest peak of the Coast Range. Ancient redwood groves cloaking the mountain's flanks and nearby canyons attracted a pioneer sawmill that gave the town its name. As the timber industry was replaced by dairies, Mill Valley became a destination for those drawn to beauty: hikers, campers, naturalists, artists, writers, and dreamers who gave the town its early bohemian atmosphere. Tamalpais Scenic Railway once ran the "crookedest railroad in the world" to the summit, where passengers exulted in the taste of salty ocean winds, rolling fog, and stunning vistas of the inner bay and ocean shores. Pres. Theodore Roosevelt reserved some of the area's majestic trees, now national parkland webbed with 200 miles of scenic trails, and named them Muir Woods for naturalist John Muir.

Genres: History

128 pages, Paperback

First published November 9, 2005

Reviews

[Bob H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've worked as a docent in the Mill Valley Library history room, and I can testify that this little book is a brilliant collection of photos and snippets of the town's history. Not only does it have a surprising number of photos for a book this small, but its selection shows a splendid sense of editing. The book covers the period from native American days before the arrival of the Spaniards -- it does not neglect the Coast Miwoks who were the original settlers, after all -- up to the WWII period. It's a book worth having, and worth giving as a gift.

I do also recommend Barry Spitz'Mill Valley: The Early Years, which has more narrative material on the period from 1890, the time of the town's formal founding, to 1929 and the big fire. Also, The Crookedest Railroad in the World, by Theodore Wurm, concentrates on the railroad up Mt. Tamalpais from Mill Valley to the summit, also a must-have. But this book is a nice introduction to Mill Valley's feel and its past.