The Greening of Marin

In the 1800s, the Irish flocked to the United States to earn a living and worship in peace. As new citizens, they contributed much to America and Northern California.

The Ducks are Cackling in the Pond

FIRE! When flames consumed the city of San Francisco, the 1851 Committee of Vigilance fought fire with violence.

Not Silk, Plaid

When not intimidated by his second wife, James Black railed against her spendthrift habits. “I’ll not cover her back in silk out of my money,” he thundered during an atypically long monologue. After Black’s death in 1870, the oft-wed Widow Black traded her usual taffeta for a riotous plaid dress, immortalized in a luxurious setting