Reminiscences of Charles Lauff by Brian Crawford

"Memories of an Early Marin County Pioneer"

In 1916, 94-year-old Charles Lauff published a series of newspaper articles telling about his long life as one of the earliest white pioneers of Marin. He knew all the notable people of Alta California and saw the gold rush first hand. His vivid descriptions bring back the early days of California.

In 1916, at age 94, Charles August Lauff (1822- 1917) narrated the reminiscences that follow in a series of articles for the San Rafael Independent. The picture he paints of Marin County provides us with a glimpse of the County’s early topography and settlers, bringing to life the rancho era and the personalities of such original land grantees as Timothy Murphy, John Reed and William Richardson. In addition, he recounts his experiences during the Gold Rush and provides details about life in San Francisco, Sacramento and other burgeoning towns in Northern California. 73 pages, with a portrait of Lauff, a map of the Mexican land grants in Marin County, and extensively annotated.