Dominican College of San Rafael - Firebrand Yearbook (San Rafael, CA)

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But you can ' l have missed the beauty in the euca- lyptus and locust lined streets, or the sunny peace of the fall and spring afternoons. This beauty has at- tracted many people who could have lived anywhere, but chose San Rafael: the old families, the Dollars, the Colemans, the Freitas ' , the Donahues, the Fosters, people who came in the 1850 ' s and who had stables, orchards, and tracts of land to go with their porticoed mansions, people like Jacob Albert who did so much for the town. The same beauty attracted the Franciscans, who established a Mission here in December of 1817. Father O ' Meara loves to tell how the site for the Mis- sion was found, especially on Sundays that tingle with a new spring and when everyone feels well enough to found his own mission. He describes the sickness that beset the Indians clustered around the Mission in foggy San Francisco and the parties who set out to find a health resort across the Bay. Indians and monks paddled master canoes against the rip tides and landed in Richardson Bay. The lush sweetness of Ross Val- ley did not suit them, nor the richness of Fairfax, nor, I suppose, the marsh tang of Vallejo. All these they by-passed. But San Rafael; ah, there was a place where missionary and follower could thrive on sun and sky and peace and God. So, while the Indians became fat 97

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superior to any resort north of San Francisco. It was comparable in size and atmosphere, but not in Vic- torian elegance, to Berkeley ' s Claremont Hotel, and said not to be inferior to the Del Monte Lodge at Monterey or the Arcadia at Santa Monica although it followed their design in architecture. The hostelry itself was large, artistic, and surrounded by cottages, club houses, bowling greens and lawn-tennis courts; the grounds provided a magnificent grove of cypress, eucalyptus, and pine trees. It was built to provide a restful resort and caravansary, not for travelers, but for wealthy health-seekers, and was the scene of many gay parties, or so they tell me. Now, on those rare occa- sions when you walk to town, you sometimes pass through the grounds, which have been subdivided into the Rafael Gardens. There are other dominions inside and around San Rafael: you may see the lovely homes on Locust Ave- nue; an industrial revolution going on along the high- way; the shipyard on the canal; the sea-cliff dwellings that hang out over the Avater on the road to McNear ' s Point; the community around the brick factory that you ' d be certain is right out of How Green Was My Valley; and China Camp that exudes Oriental mysti- cism and a promise of tong wars and opium dens, but really only offers shrimp for twenty cents a pound. 96

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and rosy-cheeked, the name for the Mission became Mission of San Rafael, Arcangel. Its lands were ex- tensive; orchards, cattle, horses and sheep were used to serve thousands. Now a tin sign marks its prox- imity; it is the only unrestored mission in California. The beauty and peace of San Rafael are still at- tractive, bringing into the town such men as Admiral Chester Nimitz and Lieutenant Colonel Robinson, men who have seen the world and yet prefer San Rafael as a home. Admiral Nimitz has purchased property on the Bret Harte heights; both men have sent their daughters to the Dominican lower school. This article by no means intends to give a graphic picture of San Rafael or its highlights. It only means to show that the town is interesting and stimulating. There are so many diversities you could find yourself and not even miss the time. Marilyn Myers ' 47 LANDMARKS 0 YOU remember the fairy stories you heard when you were very small? They all began with Once upon a time , and immediately you were trans- ported to a golden world where there were no every- day trifles and cares, where everyone was happy and good, and every event was fascinating. So we should 98