January 2025 - History Corner

Once Upon a Hillside: 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 years ago

January 1900

The Hillside Club was founded on 5 October 1898. No newspaper articles about the young Hillside Club could be found for this month.

January 1925

Business Meeting, January 5

Professor Herbert E. Bolton will give a talk on “California under Mexican Rule”; a picture of hacienda life during the Mexican period. [Herbert Bolton was first profiled in this department in May 2012, then again in September 2020. A mini-biography also appears in the recently-published “Hillside Companion.”]

Social Evening, January 19

The social evening for members and guests will have for its title “The Home Library.” In order that all may participate, it is requested by the Committee that each member of guest appear in dress which will portray either a title of a book, a piece of music or some character in a book. An opportunity will be given members to act the characters they have chosen. Put away evening clothes and come à la mode.

News Notes

Mr. Chester H. Rowell has been elected to the presidency of the California Academy of Social Sciences. Mr. C. W. Whitney has been elected chairman of the Berkeley chapter of the American Red Cross. Mr. Bernard R. Maybeck has returned from an extensive Eastern trip.

January 1950

The Hillside Club has a nearly complete archive of monthly newsletters. Unfortunately, there is a gap from October 1949 through January 1951.

January 1975

Fireside Meeting, January 6

For our first fireside meeting of 1975, the Photographic Arts Section will present our Hillside traveler to unusual places, Gordon Whitehead. He will show slides taken on his trip in October 1973 to Surinam, which is the new name for Dutch Guiana. Included will be pictures of the oldest wooden cathedral in the Americas, as well as “how easy it is to turn over a hollowed-out wooden canoe.”

Civic Affairs, January 13

The subject will be “Community Property.” Appearing before the Club will be our own Louis Piccirillo, who will draw on his extensive and lengthy practice as an attorney. What does Community Property mean to us? What is ‘ours,’ ‘yours,’ or ‘mine’? In this brief session, Louise will not attempt to exhaust the subject, but will endeavor to aid us in our appreciation and knowledge of it.

Afternoon of Art, January 19

Tea will be served at 4:00, followed by a beautiful program titled “Our California Art Heritage: Early California Through the Eyes of the Artist,” given by Mr. and Mrs. Roy Farrington Jones or Ross, Marin County. They have developed this program as a result of their love of our California heritage, and have traveled extensively to museums and galleries, as well as other sources, for their fine reproductions of paintings of our State by early California artists. Their collection is now arousing the interest of the Smithsonian Institute, and this program will be an unforgettable one for us all.

Assembly Dance, January 25

By popular demand, we have invited the Rich Torre Trio back again to provide the music. The Trio will become a foursome this time as they will feature a woman vocalist. You must come out for this dance as these musicians provide the kind of danceable music that is reminiscent of the tunes we used to hear in the Tommy Donato era. Don’t miss this event.

January 1999

The Club’s archive of printed monthly newsletters ended with the May 1994 issue. If you know of a source for any newsletters between 1994 and the Club’s renaissance in the early 2000s, your historian would love to hear about it!