Community Guide 2017
Home Builder Harlan Floyd by Anne McClain Harlan Floyd documented some interesting times in the Valley through his photographs and some interesting Valley characters. He also built many homes in the Valley. It was a real treat to work on Harlan’s crew. Not only did he hire and train women to work as carpenters, he made it a point to have women on his crew. (I was one!) He had a certain sensibility that he brought to the houses that he built, some- thing of the English countryside. Shingles cut in special shapes and made into patterns was another hallmark of his work. When I worked for Harlan, Friday was chili cook-off day and the crew competed to see who made the best chili. Recipes were often the lunchtime topic of conversation.
The Lagunitas Brewery by Bob Baker It should come as no surprise to anyone in the Valley that the now world-famous Lagunitas Brewery had its origins in Lagunitas. How this came about, though, is an interesting story. Tony Magee and his wife Carissa began brewing in their home on Rodeo Drive at the suggestion of Tony’s brother who worked at a brewpub in Oregon. Intrigued, Tony purchased a kit and gave it a try. His first attempt turned out to be “pretty vile,” but fortunately for us, he brewed a second batch which he says “was transcendent.” After perfecting a few recipes, he began selling his kegs to various West Marin establishments, including the Paper- mill Saloon, the Sand Dollar and the Pelican Inn. Carissa soon tired of the boil overs on the kitchen stove, and after it actually caught fire one day just before Thanksgiving in ’92, she “strongly suggested” Tony look for other venues for his brew house. Conveniently, the House of Richard building (now Marin Tack and Feed) in Forest Knolls had a space available, so Tony packed up his equipment and moved a few hundred yards down the road. (If you visit the Tap Room in Petaluma today, you will see the old House of Richard sign on the wall.) With some used equipment scrounged from here and there, the nascent Lagunitas Brewery got going in ear- nest in early ’93 in the back of this huge building, where the concrete floors could support the heavy fermenting tanks. It is here that the Pale Ale and Cappuccino Stout brews were developed. More and bigger equipment was further scrounged and the production rose dramatically. Unfortunately, Tony had not considered that Valley septic systems and breweries are not always compatible, and one fateful day the “kettle runoff” overflowed the septic tank and into the little apartment next door. The yeasty bubbling ooze didn’t stop there, but continued down Sir Francis Drake Blvd., which naturally alarmed the Forest Knolls denizens. After this setback, Tony and Carissa were at a cross- roads. . . . Should they fold and go back to their day jobs, or say “damn the torpedoes” and give it a go at another location? Fortunately for us beer lovers, they chose the latter, and moved the operation to Petaluma. They say it was the gorgeous drive along the West Marin back roads that was the deciding factor in their choice. That, and the fact they had a city sewer system. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, Lagunitas Brews can be found in all 50 states, increasingly worldwide, and are a source of pride for us in the Valley.
(Photos by Harlan Floyd)
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