San Anselmo, California
Encyclopedia
San Anselmo is an incorporated town in Marin County
, California
, in the western United States
. San Anselmo is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of San Rafael
, at an elevation of 46 feet (14 m). It is located about 20 miles (32.2 km) north of San Francisco. Neighboring towns include San Rafael
to the east, Fairfax
to the west, and Ross
to the south. Mount Tamalpais
dominates the view to the south. The population was 12,336 at the 2010 census.
until 1874, when the North Pacific Coast Railroad
(NPC) added to its line a spur track from San Anselmo to San Rafael. In 1875, the railroad completed a line from Sausalito
to Tomales
and north to Cazadero
via San Anselmo. For a few years, the town was referred to on railroad maps as "Junction
", but in 1883 the name San Anselmo came back into use. The San Anselmo post office opened in 1892. Two postal substations were operated: Lansdale, from 1924 to 1962, and Yolanda, from 1924 to 1954.
From 1902 until the early 1940s, San Anselmo was part of Marin's Northwestern Pacific
(in 1907, investors formed the NWP) Electric Train system. The Miracle Mile's and Center Boulevard's current "raised roadbed" were the railroad's right of way.
Becoming unprofitable as a result of competition from the automobile and the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge, the railway was officially closed on March 1, 1941. The last of the major San Anselmo railroad station buildings was razed in 1963, according to the town's timeline.
Interestingly, the 1913 electric train schedule shows a commute time from San Anselmo to the Sausalito Ferry to the Ferry Building in San Francisco of a mere 58 minutes, including the 32 minute ferry transit.
San Anselmo incorporated on April 9, 1907. Its name came from the Punta de Quintin land grant, which marked the valley as the Canada del Anselmo, or Valley of Anselm, Anselm being the name of native American who was buried in the area. San Anselmo was a silent film
capital in the early 1900s. On March 12, 1974, San Anselmo officially became a town.
The town features in the song Snow in San Anselmo
by Irish born singer/songwriter Van Morrison
, about an unusual bout of winter weather that occurred when he was living in Fairfax, near San Anselmo, in the 1970s.
Most of the downtown antique and boutique stores and restaurants, for which San Anselmo is well known, are along the banks of San Anselmo Creek.
All but a sliver of San Anselmo lies within the 28 square miles (72.5 km²) Ross Valley Watershed that flows into San Francisco Bay
. The principal waterway of the town's portion of the watershed is San Anselmo Creek, a branch of Corte Madera Creek. Two of San Anselmo Creek's tributaries, Sleepy Hollow Creek and Sorich Creek, also flow through the town, as do East Fork Creek and West Fork Creek, Sorich Creek's two tributaries.
There are three main roads running through San Anselmo. Their junction is known locally as the Hub, which lies near the central business district. Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
runs north from Ross, turns north-west at the Hub, and then proceeds west to Fairfax. Red Hill Avenue (also called "The Miracle Mile") runs west from San Rafael, after 4th Street and 3rd Street merge, and into the Hub where it becomes Center Boulevard. Center Boulevard runs north-west from the Hub to Fairfax and Sir Francis Drake parallels Center Boulevard to Fairfax, offset to the north.
The town’s natural skyline is dominated by the hills of Ross Valley. To the north are Red Hill and Grove Hill. To the south-west is Bald Hill. To the east is Moore Hill. In the distance to the south is Mount Tamalpais
.
A large part of southern and western San Anselmo is built on a natural flood plain.
About every 15–23 years, heavy rains cause the San Anselmo creek to flood
the center of town by up to 4 feet - 1925, 1940 (11.38" rainfall in 3 days), 1963, January 1982, as well as December 30/31, 2005.
The worst flood, on Jan 2, 1982 (the highest creek water level, according to interviews with longtime creek side residents) was preceded by a rainfall amount that exceeded 8" in 12 hours.
San Anselmo's historic raised railroad bed (now Center Boulevard), acts as a dike, providing some flood protection to the west side houses, upstream of the business district.
A number of homes on the floodplain (called the "Flatlands" by the Town) as far back as at least 1920, have been built with raised foundations to accommodate the minor periodic floods.
was 4,607.9 people per square mile (1,779.1/km²). The racial makeup of San Anselmo was 11,134 (90.3%) White, 106 (0.9%) African American, 40 (0.3%) Native American, 437 (3.5%) Asian, 26 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 164 (1.3%) from other races
, and 429 (3.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 717 persons (5.8%).
The Census reported that 99.6% of the population lived in households and 0.4% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters.
There were 5,243 households, out of which 1,695 (32.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,607 (49.7%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 471 (9.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 173 (3.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 273 (5.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 66 (1.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,564 households (29.8%) were made up of individuals and 484 (9.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34. There were 3,251 families
(62.0% of all households); the average family size was 2.93.
The population was spread out with 2,879 people (23.3%) under the age of 18, 500 people (4.1%) aged 18 to 24, 2,804 people (22.7%) aged 25 to 44, 4,492 people (36.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,661 people (13.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.9 years. For every 100 females there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.
There were 5,538 housing units at an average density of 2,068.6 per square mile (798.7/km²), of which 3,484 (66.5%) were owner-occupied, and 1,759 (33.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.5%. 8,849 people (71.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,434 people (27.8%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 12,378 people, 5,267 households, and 3,191 families residing in the town. The population density
was 4,506.5 people per square mile (1,737.9/km²). There were 5,408 housing units at an average density of 1,968.9 per square mile (759.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town in 2010 was 86.4% non-Hispanic White, 0.8% non-Hispanic African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races
, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.8% of the population.
There were 5,267 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples
living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.
The median income
for a household in the town was $71,488, and the median income for a family was $86,528. Males had a median income of $61,172 versus $47,170 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $41,977. About 2.5% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
form of government, where the elected Town Council creates policy but hires an apolitical town manager to implement the policy. The five-member town council is elected by the town at large. The largely ceremonial posts of mayor and vice-mayor rotate among the council. As of December 2010, San Anselmo's mayor was noted attorney Ford Greene
, and the Town Manager was Debra Stutsman.
During WW2, the Army based a small ammunition storage dump, known as ASP #2 about 2 miles up Butterfield Road from Sir Francis Drake Blvd. The facility was located between the road and a creek and had 23 to 45 men stationed there.
There were two batteries composed of four inch antiaircraft cannon manned by five soldiers on a 24 hour basis. One battery was on Stuyvesant Drive and the other on Oak Springs Hill.
During the war, the Sleepy Hollow Country Club, located in the old Hotaling mansion, was still open and provided a pleasant break from "grueling" guard duty, according to those stationed at the ammo dump.
Air Raid Wardens
During WW2, "Air Raid" wardens, like Zinnia and Alfred Heiden of San Francisco Blvd, patrolled their assigned neighborhood during nighttime "air raid drills" to notify neighbors of any light that showed out of their houses. Windows were covered in cloth or thick paper during the war to deny enemy bombers illuminated night time bombing targets.
Pilot training Accidents
In the late afternoon of November 2, 1941, 5 weeks before the US entered the war, San Anselmo residents were startled when two low-flying Curtiss P-40 warplanes roared up the valley at just above roof level and crashed into the east side of Bald Hill (often incorrectly reported as Mount Baldy or Bald Mountain) at 5:40pm.
Element leader Lt. Thomas “Bud” L. Truax and Lt. Russell E. Speckman were killed when their planes crashed, in low visibility, into Bald Hill, just shy of the peak. It was almost dark, was misty and they were under a low cloud ceiling. They were critically low on fuel and part of a larger training group that had gotten separated. They were under the wintertime marine layer of low clouds that are common in the Marin County area, searching for nearby Hamilton Field
to land.
Truax Field
/ Dane County Regional Airport KMSN, located in Madison, WI was named in memory of Lt. Truax.
A third pilot, Lt. Walter V. "Ramblin" Radovich, had left the formation over San Rafael, almost hit the city courthouse on 4th Street, circled the Forbes Hill radio beacon (37°58'44.73"N,122°32'50.78"W), clipped a tree and then turned northeast, towards Hamilton Field. Unsure of what the oncoming terrain would be and critically low on fuel, he decided to climb up though the typically thin marine cloud layer to 2500 ft, trim the airplane for straight and level flight and bail out. According to USAAF accident reports, his left leg was broken when exiting the plane and he parachuted down, landing near Hwy 101 in Lucas Valley, reportedly near where Fireman's Fund / Marin Commons is currently located (38° 1'10.66"N, 122°32'29.36"W). Ironically, after Lt. Radovich bailed out, the airplane slowly descended back down through the clouds and made a relatively smooth "gear up" landing.
Marin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in the western United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. San Anselmo is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of San Rafael
San Rafael, California
San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
, at an elevation of 46 feet (14 m). It is located about 20 miles (32.2 km) north of San Francisco. Neighboring towns include San Rafael
San Rafael, California
San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
to the east, Fairfax
Fairfax, California
Fairfax is an incorporated town in Marin County, California, United States. Fairfax is located west-northwest of San Rafael, at an elevation of 115 feet...
to the west, and Ross
Ross, California
Ross is a small incorporated town in Marin County, California, United States, just north of San Francisco. Ross is located west-southwest of San Rafael, at an elevation of 36 feet . The population was 2,415 at the 2010 census...
to the south. Mount Tamalpais
Mount Tamalpais
Mount Tamalpais is a peak in Marin County, California, United States, often considered symbolic of Marin County. Much of Mount Tamalpais is protected within public lands such as Mount Tamalpais State Park and the Mount Tamalpais Watershed.-Geography:...
dominates the view to the south. The population was 12,336 at the 2010 census.
History
The land in and around San Anselmo was mostly pastoralPastoralism
Pastoralism or pastoral farming is the branch of agriculture concerned with the raising of livestock. It is animal husbandry: the care, tending and use of animals such as camels, goats, cattle, yaks, llamas, and sheep. It may have a mobile aspect, moving the herds in search of fresh pasture and...
until 1874, when the North Pacific Coast Railroad
North Pacific Coast Railroad
The North Pacific Coast Railroad was a common carrier narrow gauge steam railroad begun in 1874 and sold in 1902 to new owners who renamed it the North Shore Railroad and which rebuilt the southern section into a standard gauge electric railroad.The NPC operated in the northern California...
(NPC) added to its line a spur track from San Anselmo to San Rafael. In 1875, the railroad completed a line from Sausalito
Sausalito, California
Sausalito is a San Francisco Bay Area city, in Marin County, California, United States. Sausalito is south-southeast of San Rafael, at an elevation of 13 feet . The population was 7,061 as of the 2010 census. The community is situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and prior to...
to Tomales
Tomales, California
Tomales is a census-designated place on State Route 1 in Marin County, California, United States. The population was 204 at the 2010 census. The largest employer in Tomales is Tomales High School, which has a student body of approximately 250.-Geography:Tomales is located above Keys Creek,...
and north to Cazadero
Cazadero, California
Cazadero is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in western Sonoma County, California, United States with a population of 354 as of the 2010 Census. Nearby towns include Jenner, Annapolis, Stewart's Point, Duncans Mills, Villa Grande, Rio Nido, Guerneville, Monte Rio, and The Sea Ranch...
via San Anselmo. For a few years, the town was referred to on railroad maps as "Junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
", but in 1883 the name San Anselmo came back into use. The San Anselmo post office opened in 1892. Two postal substations were operated: Lansdale, from 1924 to 1962, and Yolanda, from 1924 to 1954.
From 1902 until the early 1940s, San Anselmo was part of Marin's Northwestern Pacific
Northwestern Pacific Railroad
The Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional railroad serving California's North Coast. The railroad currently runs on 62 miles of the 462 mile main line, stretching from Schellville, California to Eureka, California...
(in 1907, investors formed the NWP) Electric Train system. The Miracle Mile's and Center Boulevard's current "raised roadbed" were the railroad's right of way.
Becoming unprofitable as a result of competition from the automobile and the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge, the railway was officially closed on March 1, 1941. The last of the major San Anselmo railroad station buildings was razed in 1963, according to the town's timeline.
Interestingly, the 1913 electric train schedule shows a commute time from San Anselmo to the Sausalito Ferry to the Ferry Building in San Francisco of a mere 58 minutes, including the 32 minute ferry transit.
San Anselmo incorporated on April 9, 1907. Its name came from the Punta de Quintin land grant, which marked the valley as the Canada del Anselmo, or Valley of Anselm, Anselm being the name of native American who was buried in the area. San Anselmo was a silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
capital in the early 1900s. On March 12, 1974, San Anselmo officially became a town.
The town features in the song Snow in San Anselmo
Hard Nose the Highway
According to Ritchie Yorke, who published his biography, Into the Music in 1975, the album enjoyed rave reviews at the time of release. He cited one dissenting critic Charlie Gillett, who wrote in Let It Rock: "The trouble with Hard Nose the Highway is that although the music is quite often...
by Irish born singer/songwriter Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, about an unusual bout of winter weather that occurred when he was living in Fairfax, near San Anselmo, in the 1970s.
Most of the downtown antique and boutique stores and restaurants, for which San Anselmo is well known, are along the banks of San Anselmo Creek.
Geography
The average high temperature is 85 °F (29.4 °C), in July, and the average low temperature is 41 °F (5 °C), in January and December. The record high was 111 °F (43.9 °C) in July, 1972, and record low was 18 °F (-7.8 °C) in December, 1990. Average rainfall is 47.47 inches (1,205.7 mm), with the rainiest month being January.All but a sliver of San Anselmo lies within the 28 square miles (72.5 km²) Ross Valley Watershed that flows into San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. The principal waterway of the town's portion of the watershed is San Anselmo Creek, a branch of Corte Madera Creek. Two of San Anselmo Creek's tributaries, Sleepy Hollow Creek and Sorich Creek, also flow through the town, as do East Fork Creek and West Fork Creek, Sorich Creek's two tributaries.
There are three main roads running through San Anselmo. Their junction is known locally as the Hub, which lies near the central business district. Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is an east–west arterial road in Marin County, California, running from just west of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to the trailhead for Point Reyes Lighthouse at the end of the Point Reyes Peninsula.It is named for the English explorer Sir Francis Drake, whose...
runs north from Ross, turns north-west at the Hub, and then proceeds west to Fairfax. Red Hill Avenue (also called "The Miracle Mile") runs west from San Rafael, after 4th Street and 3rd Street merge, and into the Hub where it becomes Center Boulevard. Center Boulevard runs north-west from the Hub to Fairfax and Sir Francis Drake parallels Center Boulevard to Fairfax, offset to the north.
The town’s natural skyline is dominated by the hills of Ross Valley. To the north are Red Hill and Grove Hill. To the south-west is Bald Hill. To the east is Moore Hill. In the distance to the south is Mount Tamalpais
Mount Tamalpais
Mount Tamalpais is a peak in Marin County, California, United States, often considered symbolic of Marin County. Much of Mount Tamalpais is protected within public lands such as Mount Tamalpais State Park and the Mount Tamalpais Watershed.-Geography:...
.
A large part of southern and western San Anselmo is built on a natural flood plain.
About every 15–23 years, heavy rains cause the San Anselmo creek to flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
the center of town by up to 4 feet - 1925, 1940 (11.38" rainfall in 3 days), 1963, January 1982, as well as December 30/31, 2005.
The worst flood, on Jan 2, 1982 (the highest creek water level, according to interviews with longtime creek side residents) was preceded by a rainfall amount that exceeded 8" in 12 hours.
San Anselmo's historic raised railroad bed (now Center Boulevard), acts as a dike, providing some flood protection to the west side houses, upstream of the business district.
A number of homes on the floodplain (called the "Flatlands" by the Town) as far back as at least 1920, have been built with raised foundations to accommodate the minor periodic floods.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that San Anselmo had a population of 12,336. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 4,607.9 people per square mile (1,779.1/km²). The racial makeup of San Anselmo was 11,134 (90.3%) White, 106 (0.9%) African American, 40 (0.3%) Native American, 437 (3.5%) Asian, 26 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 164 (1.3%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 429 (3.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 717 persons (5.8%).
The Census reported that 99.6% of the population lived in households and 0.4% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters.
There were 5,243 households, out of which 1,695 (32.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,607 (49.7%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 471 (9.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 173 (3.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 273 (5.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 66 (1.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,564 households (29.8%) were made up of individuals and 484 (9.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34. There were 3,251 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(62.0% of all households); the average family size was 2.93.
The population was spread out with 2,879 people (23.3%) under the age of 18, 500 people (4.1%) aged 18 to 24, 2,804 people (22.7%) aged 25 to 44, 4,492 people (36.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,661 people (13.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.9 years. For every 100 females there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.
There were 5,538 housing units at an average density of 2,068.6 per square mile (798.7/km²), of which 3,484 (66.5%) were owner-occupied, and 1,759 (33.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.5%. 8,849 people (71.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,434 people (27.8%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 12,378 people, 5,267 households, and 3,191 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 4,506.5 people per square mile (1,737.9/km²). There were 5,408 housing units at an average density of 1,968.9 per square mile (759.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town in 2010 was 86.4% non-Hispanic White, 0.8% non-Hispanic African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.8% of the population.
There were 5,267 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.
The median income
Income
Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
for a household in the town was $71,488, and the median income for a family was $86,528. Males had a median income of $61,172 versus $47,170 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $41,977. About 2.5% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government
San Anselmo operates on a council-managerCouncil-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
form of government, where the elected Town Council creates policy but hires an apolitical town manager to implement the policy. The five-member town council is elected by the town at large. The largely ceremonial posts of mayor and vice-mayor rotate among the council. As of December 2010, San Anselmo's mayor was noted attorney Ford Greene
Ford Greene
Aylsworth Crawford Greene III is an American attorney from San Anselmo, California, noted for having successfully conducted litigation against Scientology and alleged cults. Greene is currently the mayor of San Anselmo and a twice-elected San Anselmo town councilman...
, and the Town Manager was Debra Stutsman.
History, WWII
Ammunition Storage in Sleepy HollowDuring WW2, the Army based a small ammunition storage dump, known as ASP #2 about 2 miles up Butterfield Road from Sir Francis Drake Blvd. The facility was located between the road and a creek and had 23 to 45 men stationed there.
There were two batteries composed of four inch antiaircraft cannon manned by five soldiers on a 24 hour basis. One battery was on Stuyvesant Drive and the other on Oak Springs Hill.
During the war, the Sleepy Hollow Country Club, located in the old Hotaling mansion, was still open and provided a pleasant break from "grueling" guard duty, according to those stationed at the ammo dump.
Air Raid Wardens
During WW2, "Air Raid" wardens, like Zinnia and Alfred Heiden of San Francisco Blvd, patrolled their assigned neighborhood during nighttime "air raid drills" to notify neighbors of any light that showed out of their houses. Windows were covered in cloth or thick paper during the war to deny enemy bombers illuminated night time bombing targets.
Pilot training Accidents
In the late afternoon of November 2, 1941, 5 weeks before the US entered the war, San Anselmo residents were startled when two low-flying Curtiss P-40 warplanes roared up the valley at just above roof level and crashed into the east side of Bald Hill (often incorrectly reported as Mount Baldy or Bald Mountain) at 5:40pm.
Element leader Lt. Thomas “Bud” L. Truax and Lt. Russell E. Speckman were killed when their planes crashed, in low visibility, into Bald Hill, just shy of the peak. It was almost dark, was misty and they were under a low cloud ceiling. They were critically low on fuel and part of a larger training group that had gotten separated. They were under the wintertime marine layer of low clouds that are common in the Marin County area, searching for nearby Hamilton Field
Hamilton Field
Hamilton Field may refer to:* Hamilton Air Force Base, a former U.S. Air Force Base located on San Francisco Bay, California, United States.* Hamilton Field , an airport located in Derby, Kansas, United States....
to land.
Truax Field
Dane County Regional Airport
-Statistics:-External links:* Dane County Regional Airport: * Wisconsin Airport Directory: * * - Listen live to Madison's Air Traffic Control...
/ Dane County Regional Airport KMSN, located in Madison, WI was named in memory of Lt. Truax.
A third pilot, Lt. Walter V. "Ramblin" Radovich, had left the formation over San Rafael, almost hit the city courthouse on 4th Street, circled the Forbes Hill radio beacon (37°58'44.73"N,122°32'50.78"W), clipped a tree and then turned northeast, towards Hamilton Field. Unsure of what the oncoming terrain would be and critically low on fuel, he decided to climb up though the typically thin marine cloud layer to 2500 ft, trim the airplane for straight and level flight and bail out. According to USAAF accident reports, his left leg was broken when exiting the plane and he parachuted down, landing near Hwy 101 in Lucas Valley, reportedly near where Fireman's Fund / Marin Commons is currently located (38° 1'10.66"N, 122°32'29.36"W). Ironically, after Lt. Radovich bailed out, the airplane slowly descended back down through the clouds and made a relatively smooth "gear up" landing.
Notable residents, past and present
- David FincherDavid FincherDavid Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
: movie director - Ford GreeneFord GreeneAylsworth Crawford Greene III is an American attorney from San Anselmo, California, noted for having successfully conducted litigation against Scientology and alleged cults. Greene is currently the mayor of San Anselmo and a twice-elected San Anselmo town councilman...
: anti-cult attorney, current Town Councilman and Mayor - Michael JantzeMichael JantzeMichael Jantze is an American comic strip writer, best known as the author of The Norm, a comic strip syndicated internationally to newspapers. Born in 1962 in Middletown, New York, he grew up in Normal, Illinois. He attended Goshen College and California State University, Northridge, then worked...
: syndicated comic strip writer "The Norm" - John Walker LindhJohn Walker LindhJohn Phillip Walker Lindh is a United States citizen who was captured as an enemy combatant during the United States' 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. He is now serving a 20-year prison sentence in connection with his participation in Afghanistan's Taliban army...
: The first "American Taliban" - George LucasGeorge LucasGeorge Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
: film producer, screenwriter, director and chairman of LucasfilmLucasfilmLucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....
Ltd - Brian Leigh MaxwellBrian MaxwellBrian Leigh Maxwell was a Canadian athlete, track coach, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He founded PowerBar, a maker of energy and nutritional products for athletes....
: athlete, coach, entrepreneur, philanthropist, inventor of the PowerBar energy bar - Marc ReisnerMarc ReisnerMarc Reisner was an American environmentalist and writer best known for his book Cadillac Desert, a history of water management in the American West....
: environmental author - Lisa SwerlingLisa SwerlingLisa Swerling is a writer, artist and illustrator. Partnering with her husband Ralph Lazar, they are best known for their cartoon characters Harold's Planet, Vimrod and The Brainwaves....
: artist
Schools
San Anselmo is home to a variety of schools:- Brookside Elementary School (California) of the Ross Valley School District has two campuses, upper (grades 3-5) and lower (grades K-2).
- Wade Thomas Elementary School, Ross Valley School District, grades K-5.
- White Hill Middle School, Ross Valley School District, grades 6-8.
- Saint Anselm's Catholic School, a private school founded in 1924 by the CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Church; grades K-8. - San Domenico SchoolSan Domenico SchoolSan Domenico School is a pre-K-12 independent school in San Anselmo, California.The primary and middle schools are coeducational, while the high school is all-girls.-Background:Founded in 1850, San Domenico is the oldest independent school in California...
, co-ed pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and an all-women school for grades 9 through 12. - Sir Francis Drake High SchoolSir Francis Drake High SchoolSir Francis Drake High School is a secondary school located in San Anselmo, California. It was named for English privateer and naval hero Sir Francis Drake, who purportedly landed in the area in 1579. The school's mascot is a pirate named Petey....
, Tamalpais Union High School DistrictTamalpais Union High School DistrictThe Tamalpais Union High School District or TUHSD provides high school education to students residing in ten elementary districts in central and southern Marin County, California and parts of West Marin: Bolinas-Stinson Union, Kentfield, Lagunitas, Larkspur, Mill Valley, Nicasio, Reed Union, Ross,...
, grades 9-12. - San Francisco Theological SeminarySan Francisco Theological SeminarySan Francisco Theological Seminary is a graduate school affiliated with Presbyterian Church located in San Anselmo, California. Founded in 1871, SFTS is a graduate theological institution that is focused on graduate theological education in the Reformed tradition...
, a part of the Presbyterian Church (USA) system of seminaries.