The Tomales Regional History Center Archives Now Open by Appointment
By Lynn Downey
If you are interested in the history of western Marin County then you have probably visited the Tomales Regional History Center on Highway 1 in the town of Tomales (TRHC). This gem of a museum is housed in the 1921 former gymnasium of the original high school and has exhibits on everything from area founders, to railroads, to famed local photographer Ella Jorgensen. The TRHC now has something else to offer: a newly-organized archives ready for researchers to use.
The collections are fascinating and far-ranging. There are materials about local schools, the history of dairy farming and ranching, fraternal organizations and businesses, family histories, letters, photographs, clothing, and artifacts, dating all the way back to the 1850s. The archives also has a substantial collection of books and articles written about local history. Sonoma County is represented too, as the TRHC’s mission is to document and share stories from the Point Reyes peninsula to Bodega Bay (with a few side trips to Petaluma).
If you would like to do research in the TRHC archives, send your request via the website’s contact form. Archivist Lynn Downey will then get back to you to set up an appointment. You can also ask questions via the form. Contact — Tomales Regional History Center (tomaleshistory.com)
Hope to see you there!
