Nicasio Historical Society
Welcome!
Welcome to the Nicasio Historical Society. Our mission is to research, document, preserve, share and celebrate Nicasio’s rich history and legacy with our members.
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A Visit to Sandy Wallace’s Alpaca Ranch
Membership
Join the Nicasio Historical Society today!
The Nicasio Historical Society welcomes anyone who has an interest in Marin history. Your membership helps support our efforts to preserve, share and celebrate Nicasio's history with our members. Your membership includes two issues annually of the Nicasio Historical society Newsletter, which features articles and photographs about Nicasio past and present, updates regarding our Society's progress, advance notice of upcoming events and interesting and informative interview transcripts.
If you share our interest in the history of Nicasio, please become a member of the Nicasio Historical Society.
Download the Membership Application Form
Send your completed form and a check for $40 payable to NHS to:
Nicasio Historical Society
PO Box 111
Nicasio, CA 94946
Nicasio Historical Society Board of Directors
President: Elaine Doss
Vice President: Amy Morse
Secretary: Sue Loar
Treasurer: Marcy Shone
Historian: Dewey Livingston
Sergeant-at-Arms: Stan Loar
Directors-at-Large: Robin Allen, Rick Lafranchi, Mimi Lewis, Stephen Lewis, Sue Loar, Mary Jo Maendle, Rocky Shone, Arden & Thomas Wood
NHS History in Words & Images
Due to the persistent urging of centenarian Boyd Stewart, a group of Nicasio residents, convened by Joe McNeil, founded the Nicasio Historical Society in July of 2003. We are a non-profit, public benefit California Corporation that already has significant archives consisting of photographs, documents and written and recorded material relating to life in Nicasio throughout its history. Our Directors are a dedicated group of unpaid volunteers devoted to pursuing our Mission: Research, document, preserve, share, and celebrate the rich history and Legacy of the Nicasio Valley.
Our initial endeavor was assembling information for a book on the history of the Nicasio Valley, which was Boyd Stewart’s ultimate dream. Local historian Dewey Livingston, who helped guide our efforts both regarding this five-year book project as well as our nascent historical society, continues to guide us as NHS director. He initially trained a core group of our members in interviewing and official records researching techniques. Thanks to the efforts of all involved and to the generosity of our members, Nicasio: The Historic Valley at the Center of Marin, written by Dewey Livingston, was published in 2008 and is available for all to read and enjoy.
Our next grand endeavor was the compilation (another five-year project) and publication in 2012 of a photo history book by Elaine Doss, entitled Nicasio Children Through the Years, which coincided with our Grand Sesquicentennial Celebration (150th anniversary) of both Nicasio Township and Nicasio School District on May 12, 2012. The event activities included a parade (with the Wells Fargo stage coach and four-horse team, vintage farm equipment, horse-drawn conveyances, vintage automobiles and many Nicasio residents and schoolchildren in vintage attire), tours of town square buildings, early California music and dances, snack food and soft drinks, a display of art depicting Nicasio, a model of the town square in 1900 and dramatic presentations of notable pioneers of Nicasio in St. Mary’s Church by students of Nicasio School.
In addition, Elaine Doss and Dewey Livingston have conducted live interviews in a series called Recollections before audiences of 50 – 75 Society members and guests. Joe McNeil spearheaded a series of Ranch Tours, which began at the historic Nicasio Gallagher Ranch in 2004 and which continue into the present. A dramatic and well-attended event was the Historic Town Square Buildings Tour, conceived by Joe McNeil and held in August 2005, October 2006 and May 2012. During this event, Society directors and volunteers dressed in period costumes and conducted tours in and around the buildings that historically graced our town square. The NHS booklet entitled Around the Square, a self-guided tour written by Joe McNeil and edited by Elaine Doss and Dewey Livingston, was published and revised for these events.
Our best-attended event to date was the Grand Opening of the NHS Museum in October 2014, during which guests enjoyed a new museum exhibit on Nicasio’s Coast Miwok village, an illustrated talk by Betty Goerke entitled The Symbolism and Significance of Native Art in Nicasio, an illustrated talk by Dewey Livingston on Nicasio’s early settlers, a display of art depicting Nicasio, a model of the town square in 1900, carriage rides, refreshments including local wine and cheese tasting, Miwok games, live music and more. Many of our past events have had attendance of between 50 and 75 people, the Grand Sesquicentennial Celebration attendance in 2012 was 100-150 people. when the Museum Grand Opening attendance numbered between 150 and 200, we realized that as an organization we had honed our skills of promoting our events and planning attractive and engaging activities.
Nicasio Historical Society Store
Nicasio baseball cap — $35
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Our NHS caps are made of 100% washed cotton and the design is embroidered. Available in black (pictured) and stone.
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Available for purchase at the Rancho Nicasio store and by mail. Send a check for $35 for one cap or $65 for two payable to:
NHS, PO Box 111, Nicasio, CA 94946
Don't forget to include your name and mailing address along with whether you prefer a black or stone color cap. Price includes sales tax, shipping and handling.
Nicasio: Hidden Valley in Transition — $60
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Prepared between 1968 and 1972 by several Marin County entities, including the Marin County Planning Department
The Nicasio Historical Society recently made 10 copies of this historic work. This report of Nicasio Valley’s proposed developments, presents a study with the intent of experimenting with new approaches to preserving the amenities of the Nicasio Valley. A number of factors relating to the valley are presented, including its history of settlement, natural environment, geology, climate and visual characteristics.” - - Marin History Museum
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THE BOOK IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ON THIS WEBPAGE.
Please send a check for $60 (the cost of the book) + $12 payable to NHS and mail to:
NHS, PO Box 111, Nicasio, CA 94946
Don't forget to include your name and mailing address along with the title of the book. Shipped books’ prices include sales tax, shipping and handling.
Nicasio’s Oldtimers, Newcomers & Remarkable Guests — $25
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This new book contains 68 interviews of interesting people, conducted and written by Elaine’s Nicasio School students between 1994 and 2012. It chronicles life in Nicasio from the early 20th century to the early 21st. The entertaining and informative text is interspersed throughout with a portrait photo of each interviewee as well as eye-catching historical photos. In addition, this delightful book is beautifully laid out thanks to the professional assistance of Troy Alders of Lucasfilm and with a striking cover photo of the Nicasio 2012 Sesquicentennial celebration thanks to Art Rogers
“Nicasio’s Oldtimers, Newcomers & Remarkable Guests is a testament to the uniqueness of the tiny town and the people who live there.” - Point Reyes Light, November 24, 2021.
“Elaine’s classroom newspaper wove a network of connection between young and old, antiquated and contemporary, in such a way that each interviewed member of Nicasio felt a renewed sense of their value, and each child was able to deepen their understanding of the different dimensions of life in their community.” - Pacific Sun, December 1 - 7, 2021.
“This inspired book presents in-depth interviews that were conducted, written, edited and published over eighteen years by the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade class at Nicasio School. These personal stories of life in West Marin illustrate the diversity and spirit of our community.” - Dave Goelz, Nicasio School Parent.
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THE BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT THE RANCHO NICASIO STORE AND THE NICASIO VALLEY CHEESE COMPANY.
You can purchase any of our books by mail. Please send a check for the cost of the book + $7 payable to NHS and mail to:
NHS, PO Box 111, Nicasio, CA 94946
Don't forget to include your name and mailing address along with the titles and quantities of each book. Books will be shipped book rate. Shipped books’ prices include sales tax, shipping and handling.
NICASIO: The Historic Valley at the Center of Marin — $25
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NICASIO: The Historic Valley at the Center of Marin tells the story of Nicasio from days when local Miwok owned it by land grant, through the pioneer settlers who engaged in beef raising, timber cutting and dairying, and onto the post-dam era with the advent of high tech industry and a new demographic. Nicasio’s rich, complex and surprising history comes to life through informative text, entertaining anecdotes, historic newspaper clippings, elders’ recollections and scores of vintage photos.
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THE BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT THE RANCHO NICASIO STORE AND THE NICASIO VALLEY CHEESE COMPANY.
You can purchase any of our books by mail. Please send a check for the cost of the book + $7 payable to NHS and mail to:
NHS P O Box 111 Nicasio, CA 94946
Don't forget to include your name and mailing address along with the titles and quantities of each book. Books will be shipped book rate. Shipped books’ prices include sales tax, shipping and handling.
Nicasio Children Through the Years — $20
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Nicasio Children Through the Years is a photo history of Nicasio's children from 1887 to 2012.
This is what Nicasio resident Dave Goelz had to say about our book:
“The essence of the school is conveyed in a lively fashion by simply using short quotes in large italic type, which perfectly compliments the black and white photos. There's no chance anyone will see this as dry. The combination of the two is visually arresting and keeps the reader turning pages.”
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THE BOOK IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ON THIS WEBPAGE.
You can purchase this books by mail. Please send a check for the cost of the book + $7 payable to NHS and mail to:
NHS P O Box 111 Nicasio, CA 94946
Don't forget to include your name and mailing address along with the titles and quantities of each book. Books will be shipped book rate. Shipped books’ prices include sales tax, shipping and handling.
Around the Square — $10
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Around the Square is an illustrated self-guided tour of 14 historic buildings, many of which are still standing around our town square and along the roadway heading north to Nicasio School. It explains the history of each building, whether home, school, ranch house or business, including many colorful and surprising anecdotes
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THE BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT THE RANCHO NICASIO STORE.
You can also purchase this books by mail. Please send a check for the cost of the book + $3 payable to NHS and mail to:
NHS P O Box 111 Nicasio, CA 94946
Don't forget to include your name and mailing address along with the titles and quantities of each book. Books will be shipped book rate. Shipped books’ prices include sales tax, shipping and handling.
Nicasio Historical Society
P.O. Box 111, Nicasio, CA 94946
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Nicasio Historical Society
P.O. Box 111, Nicasio, CA 94946
All Nicasio Historical Society research, materials & photos may be used
only with written permission. All rights reserved.
SEND ANY EMAIL INQUIRIES TO ELAINE DOSS AT EDDOSS@MAC.COM
