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Description
Jean Barnard was born in New York on October 30th, 1918 and graduated from Vassar College in 1940. Jean was a summer visitor in Mill Valley from 1919 to 1930, her family traveling from the East Coast by train to visit her Aunt Ruth Boericke and Ruth's husband, Ralston White, at their "Garden of Allah" estate. During her visits to Mill Valley, Jean's family would take the train up the winding mountain railroad and enjoy Mill Valley's scenic outdoors on horseback. Her stories of her time spent vacationing in Mill Valley paint a vivid picture of what life was once like for its inhabitants. It is no wonder then that in 1946, Jean decided to become a permanent resident of Mill Valley. Once settled, Jean's concern for politics and the environment led her to become deeply involved in local government and environmental causes. Starting out on the Parks and Recreation Commission, Jean would eventually serve as Mayor of Mill Valley from 1972-1974. In this oral history, Jean discusses her time with Aunt Ruth and Ralston White, her involvement in the Community Church, local and national politics from World War II on, changes to Mill Valley, and memories of her many years of civic service, including her involvement in obtaining a bond to build Mill Valley's new Public Safety Building.
Identifier
18349157-905D-456E-AE94-216821392960 1979.005.001
Subject
1929 Fire Baker, Fred Balmer, Bert Barnard, Christopher Lovell Barnard, Geoffrey Symmes Barnard, Jack Barnard, Ralston White Behr, Peter Blair, J. Walter Boericke, Ruth Boericke, William City council members City government Community Church Depression (economy) Estates Fires Garden of Allah Haapa, Alphonse Hall, George Horseback riding Lyon, Laura Marsh, G.T Marsh, Margaret Mill Valley City Council Mill Valley Community Church Mt. Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway MV history - Music and counterculture (1960s and 1970s) Northwestern Pacific Railroad Oral history - Local government, police, firefighters Oral history - Natural disasters Oral history - Railways Parks and Recreation Commission Partridge, Vesta Political issues Politics & government Polk, Willis Railroads Ralston, William Schultz, Vera Symmes, Laurence M., Jr Tamalpais Land and Water Company Trains Travel Walsh, William White, Laura Lyon White, Lovell White, Ralston White, Ruth World War II
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