Mill Valley makes a striking first impression, especially to anyone approaching from the main road. The grand shape of Mount Tamalpias unfolds proudly and cradles the idyllic town Mill Valley at its foothills. It's proximity to San Francisco, distinugished schools and notable residents makes Mill Valley a mecca for anyone from rock stars to film makers to artists. The fictional character B.J. Hunnicutt from the TV show M*A*S*H was from Mill Valley as well as in the fictional Star Trek universe, it is home to the 602 Club.

As of the 2000 census, Mill Valley had a total population of 13,600 inhabitants, not to mention out-of-towners who come for excellent shops, restuarants, theater, music and especially the festivals. Today, several of the towns festivals have gained an international reputation including The Mill Valley Art Festival, The Mill Valley Film Festival and The Dipsea Race. But even on an everyday level the town lives and breathes with a creative spirit.

Perhaps that is why Money Magazine named Mill Valley 10th best place in 2005 to live in the United States. "Home prices in Mill Valley are nearly as breathtaking as the views from nearby Mount Tamalpais. For $800,000 you get a teardown. Dotcom millionaires and power couples in the film and music industries are flocking to what not so long ago was a hangout for artists and reformed hippies just 14 miles from the Golden Gate."

"Yet most residents are interested in maintaining the town's low-key, back-to-nature atmosphere. Think fleece and flip-flops, not fur and stilettos. For those working toward that first million -- not counting real estate -- downtown San Francisco is a 30-minute commute."

Mill Valley people, working together with public agencies, such as the Marin Municipal Water District, have permanently saved much of the open lands which buffer our town from the other towns of southern Marin. This saves our city from becoming a part of continuous suburbs like those that exist in other parts of the state.

One group whose efforts should be noted for maintaining our oral history is The Mill Valley Historical Society, formed in 1977 with the primary purpose of preserving and educating the community about local history. Another excellent resource for information about Mill Valley's past is the Lucretia Hanson Little History Room. The History Room contains a growing collection of historical materials about Mill Valley and its environs, including old photographs, newspapers on microfilm dating back almost a century, more than one hundred oral histories and other historical memorabilia. The History Room is domiciled and managed by the Mill Valley Public Library.

Learn more about Mill Valley.