January 5th, 2013 Louise Boyd Calendar Blog Post

Louise Boyd 'Honored' by Hometown of San Rafael

Louise A. Boyd, only woman explorer to receive the Cullum Medal of the American Geographical Society, will be welcomed home at a reception by the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce and civic officials. Miss Boyd was awarded the Cullum Medal in New York on December 20, 1938. She has been decorated for her arctic explorations by the Swedish Geographical Society, The King of Norway and the French government.
   -- S.F. Chronicle - Jan. 5, 1939



Louise Arner Boyd, famed Arctic explorer, came home last night to receive, not a medal or ribbon or "honor", but the acclaim of her friends and neighbors and the highest honor in the power of the city to bestow, the title of "honorary citizen". It was a gay and happy party of Marinites, a group drawn into one family by affection and admiration for Louise Boyd, which gathered at the Marin Golf & Country Club to attend the homecoming reception and dinner given by San Rafael to honor the intrepid woman explorer. It was Mayor William S. Nock of San Rafael, who expressed the city's deep regard for Miss Boyd, who by harvesting rare honors in scientific fields by her explorations into the far north has brought great honor to the city which is her home...The city council at its recent meeting passed formal resolutions proclaiming Miss Boyd an honorary citizen. Mayor Nock made formal presentation of this proclamation to Miss Boyd as cameras clicked a permanent record of the impressive ceremony.

Dr. Lynn T. White... who has known her for so many years said: "She might have stayed home, enjoyed the comforts of her fine home, enjoyed the company of her friends, but she could not. There was no choice left to her....Miss Boyd has the disposition which makes idleness impossible, that she must always be doing "...He concluded: "Our hands are empty but our hearts are filled with affection. Our most distinguised citizen, we ask you to accept these gifts"

Speaking as though she were talking to a small group of friends in the drawing room of her own home, Miss Boyd made her gracious response. "No recognition from any foreign country of the world could bring me the happiness that this (referring to the standing ovation in her honor) does." Of her work, Miss Boyd said: "It has not been a hobby. It has been a fascinating and delightful, sometimes hazardous delving for material of scientific value...I hope that Fate will allow me to continue my work and that in 1940 or 1941 I will be back in the polar region again"
   -- Marin Independent Newspaper - Jan. 5, 1939

 

The 2013 Louise Boyd Calendar is a re-launching of the Museums historic calendar series. This years 2013 calendar is themed around arctic explorer and San Rafael heiress Louise Arner Boyd. MHM Calendars are available at the Museum Store locations (at the Boyd Gate House - 1125 B Street, and the History Center - 1026 Court Street) or to order online and ship click here.

This post was created by Scott Fletcher, volunteer at the Marin History Museum.

Piercy Vs. Showalter

The 1860 election was the most divisive in history, literally splitting the union when the results came in. However, the election also affected Marin County, where two representatives who backed different candidates decided to settle a disagreement like gentlemen – by shooting each other.

Charles Piercy and Daniel Showalter were representatives on different levels in California politics. Piercy, a state assemblyman, backed Stephen Douglas in the election. Showalter, who was a representative from Mariposa County, supported Pro-slavery Southern Democrat John Breckinridge. During the election for Assembly Speaker, Showalter insulted Piercy. As a result, Piercy challenged Showalter to a duel.

In the 1850s and 60s, politics in America often became violent. Brawls, fisticuffs, and, most famously, caning incidents cropped up every now and then in congresses and assemblies across the country. However, duels had been outlawed, and the local authorities did not want to see two politicians firing guns at one another. Despite this, the duel went ahead, and both men settled on Marin County as the site of their honorable battle.

The duel began with Showalter getting arrested for attempting a duel. Piercy hid in the county until everything was clear. After Showalter was released with a warning, the duelists and their parties went to Charles Fairfax's house, then walked to a site not too far from the estate, where today San Anselmo and Elm Avenues meet in an intersection. The weapons chosen were standard gauge rifles, and the men dressed in black. The duel would be done in front of a crowd of dozens, 200 at most.

At forty paces, the men aimed their rifles and fired. Both missed, though some in the crowd claimed Showalter's cheek was grazed. Piercy could have, and should have, declared the duel over. But Showalter had none of it, and ordered the rifles to be reloaded.

The second shots were fired. Showalter hit Piercy square in the mouth, killing him instantly with a bullet through the brain. Piercy fell dead, and Showalter was now wanted for murder.

Needless to say, Showalter fled as quickly as he could. He and some accomplices escaped to the Confederacy, where he fought as a Confederate soldier in Texas. He survived the war, traveled to Mexico, and died in 1866, either from sickness, or from getting himself shot.

Thus ended the story of the last political duel in California.

This post was created by Jason, an intern at the Marin History Museum.

The Crookedest Railroad in the World

Back in the Gay ol’ Nineties (the 1890s, mind you), a train track was built to the top of the tallest mountain in Marin. It linked up to the main line, which started at the ferry station in Sausalito, and diverged in Mill Valley. The line ran up to the top of the mountain, and stopped at a tavern. The railroad also had a track that went to Muir Woods. If you lived in Marin from the Gay Nineties to the Roaring Twenties, you could catch a ride up Mt. Tam on the Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railway.

In the mid-1890s, the winding railroad was constructed along Mt. Tamalpais’s south slope. The railroads had come to Marin in previous decades, linking the county and acting as its principle form of transportation until the 1920s. Scenic railways were becoming popular, and the one up Mt. Tam was constructed during the height of their popularity.

The railroad opened in 1896 and became very popular. From around 1897 to the early 1920s, the railroad enjoyed its heyday. Tourists and residents would ride the rails up the mountain, then take gravity cars down. They sent out postcards displaying the views from the railway, landmarks that were scattered along the track, pamphlets that were distributed. The railway achieved a very large, very positive reputation, earning its nickname “The Crookedest Railroad in the World” due to its winding track.

If you were to ride the railroad, you would start in Mill Valley. There, the trains would board at a stop along the main north-south route. Once on, the train traveled along the gentle reaches of Blithedale Canyon. Back then it wasn’t covered in houses, as Mill Valley was far less developed than today. The railroad passed by one of Mill Valley’s most prominent hotels, the Blithedale Inn.

Once you passed Bridge # 7, the grade got steeper, and the winding began. The railroad twisted up the mountain, passing a section named the “McKinley Cut” after the president who, had it not been for illness, would have ridden up the mountain in 1901. The railway eventually reached Mesa Junction, where another line ran to Muir Woods. This branch wasn’t built until a decade after the original railroad was constructed, but proved to be a more than worthy addition to the system. This railroad went to the Muir Inn, which was nestled in the middle of the massive Redwood forest on the southwestern slopes of Mt. Tam.

Continuing on the main route, the railroad wound around 4 sharp curves that became known as the “Double Bowknot” due to its shape. This section was built as a switchback section to avoid the rather steep section in the railroad’s midsection. It became the most well known part of the railroad, and to this day forms a distinct shape on the mountain.

Above the Double Bowknot, the railroad climbed higher up the bare slopes of the mountain until it reached the West Point Inn. The Inn is the only part of the railroad still in operation. It was built in 1904, and served as one of the stops for the railroad itself, finding new life with the hiking community in later years. The Inn building itself was accompanied by multiple cabins, forming a nice spot right before the final stint to the summit.

After the inn, the railroad climbed to a small plateau-like region between the East and Central Peaks. There stood the destination: the Tamalpais Tavern. A distinct archway welcomed guests to the summit. The tavern had a covered deck for viewing the vista to the south. Bedrooms, kitchens, a dancing hall, and a lounge greeted the guests in the two taverns, which were linked by the archway over the railroad. In 1923, the tavern burned to the ground after a kitchen fire spread out of control, and a replacement tavern was built, which featured an enclosed deck, but was far smaller and less grand than its original counterpart.

Now that you were at the top of the mountain, the best way to get down was to take a gravity car. These cars were small and carried passengers down the winding railway fast. The locomotives also carried people and supplies down; there was only one way to go on the railroad, and the engines were never turned around.

The railroad operated from 1896 to 1929. During its life, it saw attendance rise and fall multiple times, with its peak being in 1915. But by the late 1920s, things were starting to turn against it. Ridgeway Boulevard was constructed, and people could now drive a crooked street to the top instead of ride it in a train. The second tavern was far less attractive than the first. Trains themselves were on the way out, as buses and cars themselves gradually became the norm. But still, the railroad was popular.

Then in 1929, a massive fire swept across Mount Tamalpais. It destroyed the railroad, melting railway cars where they stood. While the destroyed portions were hastily replaced, it was at great cost and to little benefit. In 1930, the entire railway was stripped off the mountain and sold for scrap. It had operated for 34 years as one of the most iconic features of Marin. But it could not escape the decline of the railroads as a transportation medium. Ten years after the last rails were yanked out of the soil, the railroad from Sausalito itself fell into disuse. Buses and cars took over, and the age of the railroad ended.

But the Crookedest Railroad in the World is still remembered. Every map of Mt. Tam features a winding fire road called the “Old Railroad Grade.” It traces the steps of the Mt. Tamalpais Scenic Railway, from above Blithedale canyon all the way to the summit. The Muir Woods route is now the Old Stage Grade, which links itself to the Panoramic Highway. The second Tamalpais Tavern was torn down in the 1950s, but its stone foundations are now popular with hikers, who use them to admire the view. A locomotive engine sits on the slopes of Mt. Tam, a permanent tribute to the railroad. And today, if you want to ride down the railroad in a gravity car, you can do it with the next best thing - a mountain bike.

Looking south to Richardson Bay from the tavern. 

The Double Bowknot is in the foreground.

This post was created by Jason, an intern at the Marin History Museum.

Get in the Holiday Spirit at Marin History Museum's FREE Holiday Handmade (Mini) Craft Fair!

What could be better than crafting, eating, drinking, and supporting local artists and artisans at the Marin History Museum's Holiday Handmade (Mini) Craft Fair? Doing it all for FREE! Come join us on Friday 12/14 and get in the holiday spirit!

When: Friday 12/14 5-8 PM
Where: 1026 Court Street on Court Plaza, off of 4th street in downtown San Rafael (right next to Coldstone Creamery, Barney's, and Arizmendi)
Cost: FREE

 * A participating event of ArtWalk Downtown San Rafael

The event will feature crafters and artists from Marin and the Bay Area, and a portion of each sale will benefit the Marin History Museum's public programs and educational outreach initiatives. Come shop jewelry, accessories, decorative items, handbags, and so much more!

Featured artists and crafters include:

• Chasing Clouds Studio
• Compass Rose Design Jewelry
• Magpie Studio Design
• IMPRESSED by Nature
• Marin Handmade Collective
• Laughing Devil Designs
• G Studio Shop
• Innerglow Designs
• Rose Garden
• Luxe Fabric and Yarn
• Vichelle Mixon

Entertainment will be provided by The Paper Dolls and Uni and her Ukulele:



Enjoy tasty treats and holiday cider. Festive music and a drop-by craft table for visitors to make their very own handmade holiday gifts.

All proceeds benefit the MHM.

Want a Sneak Peek of What the Marin History Museum Has to Offer? Check Out Our Trailer!

Take a look at all that the Marin History Museum has to offer, and help save our history!

The Marin History Museum App Receives Praise

We are thrilled that the Marin History Museum app is receiving such good reviews! Check out the recent guest op-ed piece, "Marin History Museum is Full of Hidden Treasures," by Carleton Prince for the Marin Independent Journal, and a piece by Christopher Laddish in the Marin Scope, "A Little Known History."

Want to see our informative app in action? Take a look at the review it received from the Daily App Show on YouTube. They will take you through several screens of the app's features, showing you how to best utilize the app for maximum enjoyment.


We invite you to experience the Marin History Museum app for yourself, by downloading it to your Apple or Android device.

Marin History Museum Featured in the Bohemian

The Marin History Museum, and program manager Shelly Jackson, were featured in a fantastic piece in the Bohemian. Check it out!