The story of how Juanita Musson moved her Galley onto the Charles Van Damme ferry is as colorful as the old girl and the old boat themselves. By 1959, Juanita was a nationally known restaurateur. The Fort Worth Press reported on how she found her way onto the old ferry:...
Juanita Musson, Sausalito’s favorite fun, feisty restaurateur, first laid eyes on our town in 1952 when she joined her husband Dick, who had been stationed at the Presidio Army Base, on the west coast. After his release from the army, the couple decided to stay in Sausalito while Dick began...
On the morning of Friday, July 31, 1846, Samuel Brannan sailed boldly into the mist-shrouded headlands of San Francisco Bay. His ship, the Brooklyn, carried 238 fellow Mormons, known as Saints. Their goal was to build a Mormon kingdom in the Mexican territory of California without the conflicts they had...
We’ve written previously about Donlon Arques, the legendary Godfather of the Waterfront in postwar Sausalito. Now, thanks to research from Knapp & VerPlanck Preservation Architects and the Sausalito Historical Society, we know that the Arques family has roots as deep as the eel grass in Richardson’s Bay. Don’s father Camilo...
Krystal Gambie is a native of the legendary Gates Co-Op at Waldo Point. Her father, the late Charles Michael Haas II, also known on the waterfront as Michael Woodstock, was an editor, shop owner and teacher. Her mother, Penny Bernardi, was the co-op office manager, and also helped found the...
The Charles Van Damme spent 40 years as a working ferry and 25 years as the social hub of the Waldo Point waterfront. She appeared in several feature films and was a unique magnet for the rich and famous, the up and coming, and even the down and out. In...
The Sausalito Historical Society’s Mike Moyle, who’s also the Historian at the Sausalito Portuguese Cultural Center, will give a Zoom program on October 30 presenting a set of historic photos taken throughout Sausalito, juxtaposed with current counterparts that Mike has taken from a drone. The photos highlight both significant changes...
We’ve occasionally referred to Donlon Arques as the “Godfather of the Waterfront,” but there’s another man who was known by that honorific title back in the ’60s: Lindsay Cage. Lindsay came to Marin County from his native Louisiana to work at Marinship, and settled in Marin City. According to waterfront...
Sunday, October 15 will be a day of nostalgia for the legendary ferry Charles Van Damme. A festive event at Waldo Point Park from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. will feature live music, delicious lentil soup and bread by Davey Jones, and shared memories of the old ferry through her...