Local History Videos

Tiburon Town Historian and former Archivist Dave Gotz has been creating short films about local history for over 15 years. Below you will find many of them linked to Vimeo (click on the four arrow square, bottom right to view full screen). Please leave a comment on the Vimeo page and send links to your friends. Thank you and enjoy!

The Iron Horse Comes to Tiburon
A short introduction to the history of the railroad yard at Tiburon, California. The yard was opened in 1884 and remained active until the mid 1960’s. The photos and maps used in this video are from the Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society History Collections.

Turning the Tide
This is the introduction to the full length documentary “Turning the Tide – Saving Richardson Bay”. Using historic images, period film and video oral histories, the film chronicles the efforts by local citizens in Tiburon, Belvedere and Strawberry who stopped a 1950’s project to fill in part of the San Francisco Bay. The film was originally created in for DVD in 2006, but has been updated to include higher quality widescreen images.
The film is composed of this introduction followed by eight chapters and an epilogue, presented in order at: https://vimeo.com/album/4638033.

Railroad to Condos – The Development of Downtown Tiburon
Downtown Tiburon was the site of a huge railroad yard from 1884 until 1967. Using images from the Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society’s History Collections, this film by Tiburon Town Historian David Gotz shows the extent of the railroad operation and describes the struggle the city faced in transitioning the 38 acres from it’s industrial past to the successful mix of residential and public spaces with a dramatic view of the San Francisco Bay and skyline.

Tiburon Boulevard: A Path to a Highway
Using images from the Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society’s History Collections, this film by Tiburon Town Historian David Gotz traces the history of Tiburon Boulevard from its origin as a Native American path to the busy road that it is today.

Tiburon’s Golden Anniversary
A commemorative video celebrating the 50th anniversary of the incorporation of the Town of Tiburon composed of photographs from 1964 and 2014 in matching pairs, as well as drone video fly-overs of Tiburon. (courtesy of http://mikejetter-aerials.com).

About Coming About
This documentary, made up of eight short films, reveals the design and construction process for the iconic Downtown Tiburon Plaza Fountain “Coming About”. Town of Tiburon Historian Dave Gotz spent the spring and summer of 2006 filming sculptor/builders Jeff Reed and Jennifer Madden as they toiled over every detail — the result is a fascinating look at what went into this beautiful work of public art. Part 1 is a look at the site of the fountain at the corner of Main St. and Tiburon Blvd. through history using  maps and photos from the Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society Archives. The other seven parts will play in order after Part 1.

 

Crossing Guards at Reed School circa 1968
This is a transfer from super 8mm film shot in about 1968 in Tiburon, California. Located on the corner of busy Tiburon Blvd. and Lyford Drive, school crossings guards were and still are essential.
At the time Reed School hosted 3rd through 6th graders, it is now for Kindergarten through 2nd grade.

Did I Ever Have Fun in Tiburon (1976)
This unofficial promotional song was produced in 1976. Archivist Dave Gotz has created a music video with period photos from the Landmarks Archives. The full story of the song can be found on the Vimeo web page.

Construction of the Boardwalk Shopping Center and Post Office Opening in Tiburon, California
The Belvedere Land Company built the Boardwalk Shopping Center in 1955 in an area that was the Tiburon Lagoon only 30 years earlier. The unique foundation of concrete beams resting on concrete footings over thousands of tons of compacted fill has been remarkably stable for 60 years. The design of the building was by architect John Lord King who was also a Belvedere resident.
The film was shot by Land Company president Harry B. Allen and narration was added by his son Howard Allen.
The opening of the Belvedere-Tiburon Post Office across the street from the shopping center occurred with great fanfare about a year later. Before this grand opening, the two cities had separate post offices.
Film transfer and editing by Landmarks Archivist David Gotz.

Meet Mrs. T
Introduction to Mrs. Terwilliger, beloved San Francisco Bay area naturalist and teacher. This clip is the introduction to a series of five films made in the 1970’s which highlight Mrs. T’s interactive, multi-sensory teaching techniques. The films have recently been transferred to DVD, the complete DVD is available from the Terwilliger Nature Education Legacy at terwilligerfilms.org.

Marin Conservation League 75th Anniversary
This is the beginning of a short film celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Marin Conservation League. For more information about this organization visit: marinconservationleague.org.