Corte Madera Memories
  • WELCOME
    • HOW IT ALL BEGAN....
  • EARLY HISTORY
    • WHAT'S IN A NAME?
    • FIRST SETTLERS
    • RACETRACKS IN CORTE MADERA?
    • A VILLAGE EMERGES
    • BITS & PIECES >
      • Views from East Peak
    • 1913 "BOOSTERS"
    • RAILROADS
    • 1899 to 2014 VIEWS >
      • ANNOTATED PHOTO & MAP
    • PUSH FOR GROWTH
  • CORTE MADERA BECOMES A TOWN
    • CHRISTMAS TREE HILL HISTORY >
      • EARLY MAP - CHRISTMAS TREE HILL
    • HOMES ARE BUILT
    • HISTORIC PHOTOS
    • HISTORIC PLACES
    • CORTE MADERA WOMEN'S CLUB HISTORY >
      • CM WOMEN'S CLUB IN THE 2000'S
    • 1926 Aerial View from 15,000 Feet
    • LOCAL GOVERNMENT
    • REAL ESTATE AD
    • FAMILIES GROW
    • SCHOOLS
    • BUSINESSES
    • CHURCHES
    • SPORTS
    • OLD TOWN SQUARE
    • MEADOWSWEET DAIRY >
      • STREETS RENAMED
  • OLDTIMERS' MEMORIES SHARED
    • WILLIAM ISAAC PIXLEY
    • HARRY RICHARDS
    • SONIA DELEW
    • LLOYD REA
    • HAROLD & MARY BATES
    • ELSIE THIERBACH
    • AUDA BORDANARO
    • HARRIET CONOW MADEIROS
    • FRED MORRIS
    • LOUISE LAMB
    • JAN VALK
    • AUGUSTINE HALL
    • ALBERT & JEAN LEVESQUE
    • MARY SCHWERDT
    • EDITH SCHLOBOM
    • WILLIAM TALLEY
    • GERALD GRANUCCI
    • ELVA WILSON
    • A VISIT WITH DOROTHY MALMGREN
  • BIG CHANGES AFTER WW II
    • 1952 MASSIVE GROWTH
    • REC CENTER
    • LIONS CLUB
    • BUSINESS BOOM
    • LIBRARY
    • SCHOOLS
    • NEIGHBORHOODS >
      • CHRISTMAS TREE HILL HISTORY
      • MARINER COVE
      • VISTA DEL BAHIA
      • MADERA DEL PRESIDIO
      • MIRA VISTA
  • PUTTING THE BRAKES ON GROWTH
    • NEW ZONING ORDINANCE CUTS DENSITY
    • PUBLIC OPEN SPACE >
      • CORTE MADERA NORTHRIDGE
      • RING MOUNTAIN OPEN SPACE PRESERVE
      • CORTE MADERA ECOLOGICAL RESERVE >
        • HEERDT MARSH
        • CORTE MADERA MARSHES
  • SHARE YOUR OWN STORY
    • ROBERT CARLETON
    • EARL & DONNA HART FAMILY
    • SUE BIGALL
    • KURT NORSTAD
    • ANNETTE PERRY
    • HARRY RICHARDS
    • BILL & PEGGY THOMAS
    • HARRY & ANNETTE SCHRIEBMAN
    • ANDY VIRENO
    • BOB VOGEL
    • ART DONATI
    • LUIS KUBICHEK & BOYS' SOCCER
  • THE TOWN WE LOVE
    • CORTE MADERA SONG
    • SCENIC VISTAS
    • CELEBRATIONS >
      • 50TH ANNIVERSARY
      • COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE
      • 75TH ANNIVERSARY
      • WOMEN'S CLUB 100TH BIRTHDAY
      • CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
      • MARQUART LAGOON REGATTA
      • JULY 4TH PARADE 2017
      • 4th of JULY PARADES
      • OKTOBERFEST
      • OKTOBERFEST 2018
      • CMWIC SPRING TEA 2019
      • CORTE MADERA WOMEN'S CLUB
  • CENTENNIAL YEAR EVENTS 1916-2017
    • NEW YEAR'S EVE KICKOFF
    • RAGTIME NIGHT
    • HISTORY WALKS
    • VINTAGE CAR SHOW
    • RING MOUNTAIN HIKE
    • WEEKEND100 EVENTS >
      • 75th ANNIVERSARY TIME CAPSULE
      • FAMILY FUN NIGHT >
        • 2016 TIME CAPSULE
      • WEEKEND100 BIKE PARADE, GAMES, MUSIC, CAKE
      • WEEKEND100 VIDEO
      • WEEKEND100 GROUP PHOTO
      • WEEKEND100 FIREWORKS
      • WEEKEND100 CHILI COOK-OFF & BALL GAME
    • FRED ASTAIRE NIGHT
    • ICE CREAM SOCIAL
    • OKTOBERFEST
    • SNOW DAY
    • TURKEY TROT 2016
    • TURKEY TROT 2017
  • THE BOOK: A HISTORY OF CORTE MADERA
  • LEGAL DISCLAIMER
  • CONTACT US
  • Women's Club Photos
  • WELCOME
    • HOW IT ALL BEGAN....
  • EARLY HISTORY
    • WHAT'S IN A NAME?
    • FIRST SETTLERS
    • RACETRACKS IN CORTE MADERA?
    • A VILLAGE EMERGES
    • BITS & PIECES >
      • Views from East Peak
    • 1913 "BOOSTERS"
    • RAILROADS
    • 1899 to 2014 VIEWS >
      • ANNOTATED PHOTO & MAP
    • PUSH FOR GROWTH
  • CORTE MADERA BECOMES A TOWN
    • CHRISTMAS TREE HILL HISTORY >
      • EARLY MAP - CHRISTMAS TREE HILL
    • HOMES ARE BUILT
    • HISTORIC PHOTOS
    • HISTORIC PLACES
    • CORTE MADERA WOMEN'S CLUB HISTORY >
      • CM WOMEN'S CLUB IN THE 2000'S
    • 1926 Aerial View from 15,000 Feet
    • LOCAL GOVERNMENT
    • REAL ESTATE AD
    • FAMILIES GROW
    • SCHOOLS
    • BUSINESSES
    • CHURCHES
    • SPORTS
    • OLD TOWN SQUARE
    • MEADOWSWEET DAIRY >
      • STREETS RENAMED
  • OLDTIMERS' MEMORIES SHARED
    • WILLIAM ISAAC PIXLEY
    • HARRY RICHARDS
    • SONIA DELEW
    • LLOYD REA
    • HAROLD & MARY BATES
    • ELSIE THIERBACH
    • AUDA BORDANARO
    • HARRIET CONOW MADEIROS
    • FRED MORRIS
    • LOUISE LAMB
    • JAN VALK
    • AUGUSTINE HALL
    • ALBERT & JEAN LEVESQUE
    • MARY SCHWERDT
    • EDITH SCHLOBOM
    • WILLIAM TALLEY
    • GERALD GRANUCCI
    • ELVA WILSON
    • A VISIT WITH DOROTHY MALMGREN
  • BIG CHANGES AFTER WW II
    • 1952 MASSIVE GROWTH
    • REC CENTER
    • LIONS CLUB
    • BUSINESS BOOM
    • LIBRARY
    • SCHOOLS
    • NEIGHBORHOODS >
      • CHRISTMAS TREE HILL HISTORY
      • MARINER COVE
      • VISTA DEL BAHIA
      • MADERA DEL PRESIDIO
      • MIRA VISTA
  • PUTTING THE BRAKES ON GROWTH
    • NEW ZONING ORDINANCE CUTS DENSITY
    • PUBLIC OPEN SPACE >
      • CORTE MADERA NORTHRIDGE
      • RING MOUNTAIN OPEN SPACE PRESERVE
      • CORTE MADERA ECOLOGICAL RESERVE >
        • HEERDT MARSH
        • CORTE MADERA MARSHES
  • SHARE YOUR OWN STORY
    • ROBERT CARLETON
    • EARL & DONNA HART FAMILY
    • SUE BIGALL
    • KURT NORSTAD
    • ANNETTE PERRY
    • HARRY RICHARDS
    • BILL & PEGGY THOMAS
    • HARRY & ANNETTE SCHRIEBMAN
    • ANDY VIRENO
    • BOB VOGEL
    • ART DONATI
    • LUIS KUBICHEK & BOYS' SOCCER
  • THE TOWN WE LOVE
    • CORTE MADERA SONG
    • SCENIC VISTAS
    • CELEBRATIONS >
      • 50TH ANNIVERSARY
      • COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE
      • 75TH ANNIVERSARY
      • WOMEN'S CLUB 100TH BIRTHDAY
      • CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
      • MARQUART LAGOON REGATTA
      • JULY 4TH PARADE 2017
      • 4th of JULY PARADES
      • OKTOBERFEST
      • OKTOBERFEST 2018
      • CMWIC SPRING TEA 2019
      • CORTE MADERA WOMEN'S CLUB
  • CENTENNIAL YEAR EVENTS 1916-2017
    • NEW YEAR'S EVE KICKOFF
    • RAGTIME NIGHT
    • HISTORY WALKS
    • VINTAGE CAR SHOW
    • RING MOUNTAIN HIKE
    • WEEKEND100 EVENTS >
      • 75th ANNIVERSARY TIME CAPSULE
      • FAMILY FUN NIGHT >
        • 2016 TIME CAPSULE
      • WEEKEND100 BIKE PARADE, GAMES, MUSIC, CAKE
      • WEEKEND100 VIDEO
      • WEEKEND100 GROUP PHOTO
      • WEEKEND100 FIREWORKS
      • WEEKEND100 CHILI COOK-OFF & BALL GAME
    • FRED ASTAIRE NIGHT
    • ICE CREAM SOCIAL
    • OKTOBERFEST
    • SNOW DAY
    • TURKEY TROT 2016
    • TURKEY TROT 2017
  • THE BOOK: A HISTORY OF CORTE MADERA
  • LEGAL DISCLAIMER
  • CONTACT US
  • Women's Club Photos
  Corte Madera Memories
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Corte Madera Heritage & History Group
Back in 1976, when the Corte Madera Heritage & History Group (CMH&HG) was formed during the American Bicentennial year, a group of about fifteen  original members led by Gerrie Reichard requested Town support for starting a collection of local history photographs, artifacts, and stories about our town’s early years.  With encouragement from the Town, they and others in the community who had a passion for local history began having monthly meetings to plan research efforts and share information.

Gerrie had been a professional photographer with a full darkroom in her basement, and she began contacting longtime residents and  making appointments to visit them in their homes and make copies of their photographs, accompanied by another CMH&HG member who would take notes to record their memories. That way, no one had to let treasured photographs out of their possession, and it was possible to collect the stories that went with the photos.  

The CMH&HG had no funding sources, so expenses were covered by members of the group.  The CMH&HG’s projects included publishing a calendar featuring photos of historic homes, creating displays of historic photos in vacant storefronts at the Town Center, visiting classrooms to teach about local history, presenting slideshows at meetings of civic groups, leading field trip to historic sites, sponsoring informational walks through historirc neighborhoods, hosting teas in historic homes, hand-stitching a quilt featuring scenes from local history, participating in a panel discussion at the library about what life was like in Corte Madera during the Great Depression, arranging for a display of enlarged historic photos at the Marin Civic Center gallery, writing articles about local history for the Twin Cities Times, and more. 

During the 1991 celebration of Corte Madera’s 75th anniversary, the CMH&HG was a valuable participant in the festivities, providing lists and contact information for people who lived in Corte Madera prior to WWII, who would be invited to a special “Diamond Jubilee” gala in their honor.  CMH&HG members  video-interviewed guests at the event, assembled archival materials for displays, and produced packets of historic postcards along with a commemorative poster as giveaways.

Within the following decade, many members of the CMH&HG either moved away or passed away, including Gerrie Reichard, who died in an automobile accident in the late 1990s.   By then, Gerrie and I were the last active members of the CMH&HG.   After her death, Gerrie’s husband, Ken Reichard, handed over all the Corte Madera Heritage & History Group’s archival materials, which had been kept in the basement of their home,  to me for preservation.  Since I didn’t have access to a darkroom, I suggested that the CMH&HG negatives be turned over to the Anne T. Kent California Room at the Marin County Civic Center Library for safekeeping.

Fulfilling Gerrie’s often expressed wish that the CMH&HG would publlsh a book on the history of Corte Madera that contained her photographs and the stories, I devoted a year to selecting and editing historic content with help from Richard Bloch.  The Corte Madera Community Foundation agreed to publish the book, A History of Corte Madera – Weaving into the Flow of Time and Place, in 2002, with the intent to make it as widely available to the community as possible after publishing costs were recovered.  With that in mind, a free PDF version of the 193-page  book is downloadable from the Corte Madera Memories website at http://www.cortemaderamemories.org/the-book-a-history-of-corte-madera.html

A sequel to  A History of Corte Madera was envisioned at one point, but  it became apparent that the more important task was to ensure the permanent preservation of all the CMH&HG’s archival materials.  The CMH&HG was officially dissolved as a 501(c)(3) with permission from the California Secretary of State and Attorney General, and its archival assets were officially transferred to the Corte Madera Community Foundation, which had preservation of local history as part of its mission.  Responsible stewardship of dozens of boxes of archival materials at first led to transferring them to a secure paid storage facility, but that meant they were virtually inaccessible.  Unlike other Marin communities, Corte Madera has no accessible, secure space designated for storage of historic archives.

The Foundation eventually concluded that the only way the archives could be both accessible and securely preserved was to post them on a website that could be maintained in perpetuity, while keeping the original hard copies in a location where there was no risk they might eventually go into a dumpster.  (However, such a location hasn’t yet been found.)  So, during the  late 2015  lead-up to the Corte Madera Centennial Celebration in 2016, we  established a Corte Madera Memories website at www.cortemaderamemories.org.  It is clearly intended to be a grassroots, volunteer effort rather than a professionally designed website, partly because the cost of maintaining and updating it on a paid basis in perpetuity would be cost-prhibitive, and partly because the varied characteristics of the content are more adaptable to an informal format.

There are many more boxes of archival materials yet to be scanned, and dozens of web pages still to be created.  We hope to find additional volunteers with the interest and some basic drag-and-drop skills to produce them.  Such volunteers are enthusiastically encouraged to step forward by contacting the website administrator via e-mail at  grassroots.cortemadera@comcast.net  or by phone at  (415) 265-1105. 
Posted by Jana Haehl.