Marin libraries to display Marin City history exhibit

The Marin County Free Library will highlight the history of Marin City in an exhibit touring the county.

The exhibit, “The Legacy of Marin City: A California Black History Story (1942-1960),” focuses on Black American life during World War II in Marin City. It runs through Sept. 30.

The exhibit was previously displayed at the Bartolini Gallery in 2022, the Marin Community Foundation in 2023 and the Marin County Office of Education earlier this year.

Marin City’s roots go to the start of World War II with the Marinship manufacturing industry. People from all over the United States moved west, as part of the Great Migration, to work at shipyards in the Bay Area. Marin City was created as temporary workforce housing.

Library staff worked closely with Felecia Gaston, the founder of the Marin City Historical and Preservation Society, who has been curating artifacts, news articles and oral accounts for more than 30 years.

All 10 branches of the library system will display photos, keepsakes, historical artifacts and personal items from shipyard workers and their families. The exhibit details the journey many made from the Jim Crow South to Marin City.

“The exhibit backs everything up,” Gaston said. “Imagine, four libraries in West Marin — Bolinas, Inverness, Point Reyes and Stinson — people are getting Black Marin City history they may have never heard of. They are getting this rich history, but what the exhibit also focuses on is the trials, tribulations and discrimination they had to go through.”

Gaston said her book, “A Brand New Start … This is Home,” inspired the exhibit. The book focuses on Marin City, specifically the relocated workers and families who faced housing and other challenges during and after the war.

During the spring, Marin County educators were introduced to materials based on Gaston’s book to use in their curriculums.

The exhibit is being organized in partnership with the Marin City Historical and Preservation Society, the Marin Community Foundation, the county, Dominican University of California and the Marin County Office of Education.

“I think it’s important to center history at home and introduce many community members to the rich history and incredible stories of families traveling to Marin to contribute to our collective effort in World War II,” said Lana Adlawan, director of the Marin County Free Library.

Gaston said she hopes to find a permanent home for the historical materials she has collected through time.

“I’m just so excited. The goal is to get a permanent exhibit to house all this,” Gaston said. “I believe this is going to happen.”