Settlements in Marin County, California - Mill Valley, California (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 363. Not illustrated. Chapters: Mill Valley, California. Excerpt: Mill Valley, California - The first peoples known to inhabit Marin County, the Coast Miwok, arrived approximately 8,000 years ago, and quite likely as early as 12,000 years ago or earlier. The territory of the Coast Miwok included all of Marin County, north to Bodega Bay and present day Sonoma. More than 600 village sites have been uncovered and identified, and over 100 of those have been discovered on the Point Reyes Peninsula. Nearby archaeological discoveries include the rock carvings and grinding sites on Ring Mountain. The pre-Missionization population of the Coast Miwok is estimated to be between 1,500 (Alfred L. Kroeber's estimate for the year 1770 A.D. to 2,000 (Sherburne F. Cook's estimate for the same year). Cook speculated that by 1848 their population had decreased to 300, and down to 60 by 1880. As of 2004 there are 1,000 members of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria which includes both the Coast Miwok and the Southern Pomo, all of whom can date their ancestry back to the 14 original tribal ancestors. The Lucretia Hanson Little History Room in the Mill Valley Public Library has some oral histories recorded from some Coast Miwok descendants. In Mill Valley, on Locust Avenue between Sycamore and Walnut Avenues, there is now a metal plaque set in the sidewalk in the area believed to be the birthplace of Chief Marin nearly 230 years ago; the plaque was dedicated on 8 May 2009. The specific site, just beyond the driveway of 44 Locust Ave., was traced back to shell mounds of discarded mussels, clam shells and other food remnants also discovered in area. Another famous Mill Valley burial midden exists in the Manzanita area underneath the Fireside Inn (previously known as the Manzanita Roadhouse, Manzanita Hotel, Emil Plasberg's Top Rail, and Top Rail ...