September 2025 - History Corner

#192 in an ongoing series about the history of the Hillside Club

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

September 1900

“Berkeley’s Progress” — a letter from O. G. May published in the Berkeley Daily Gazette on 6 August 1900:

It is claimed that Berkeley is expending a quarter million dollars on street improvements this year. Also, as is well known, a hundred thousand dollars have been voted and is now in hand for new school buildings. Besides this, the Southern Pacific Company is extending its electric system, regardless of cost, to West Berkeley and to North Berkeley,, thus making our car facilities the best of any town of its size in the world.

We have a “Good Government Club,” a “Hillside Club” in Scenic Park, “Improvement Clubs” in West Berkeley and in North Berkeley and are likely to have them soon in East Berkeley, Ashby and Lorin.

During the past year, by popular vote and town ordinance, saloons have been prohibited within the town limits. For many years there has been a “State Mile Limit Law,” which has been fairly enforced and had a very salutary effect. But, as Palo Alto and other college towns generally excluded the saloons entirely, it was evident that Berkeley must do the same or fall into the rear of the procession.

Now, in every important respect, Berkeley is rapidly improving and taking her place in the front rank of university towns. This is as it should be. The State has conferred a great favor on our town by locating the University in our midst. In return, we owe it to the State to make the town as worthy of the institution as possible.

We should not only improve our streets, parks, public building, car lines, etc., but, above all, should make the town a safe place for the thousands of young people who come here for education. We should do all possible to make Berkeley the most beautiful and in every way the most desirable place on earth in which to live.

September 1925

Club Picnic, September 12

Again we are invited to picnic as guests of Mr. and Mrs. Frank T. Swett, at their delightful ranch in the Alhambra Valley. Bring the family and a full basket for lunch at two o’clock. Coffee and ice cream will be provided; bring cup and spoon. Contests, games, and entertainment for young and old in the afternoon. Please tell Mrs. Omer Denny whether or not you will go and how many others you can take. She will arrange transportation for those who have no cars.

September 1950

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

September 1975

President’s Reception, September 21

In accordance with an old tradition, Hillsiders will open the fall social season this afternoon by honoring their new president and first lady, Bayard and Dorothy Rucker. Arrangements for furnishing the Hall and providing musical talent were undertaken by the McKibbens, decorations by Doris Foster, refreshments by Mildred Keyes and Marian Conklin, tea table and punch bowl by the Hydes, corsages by Maybel Hoyt, and hosts and hostesses by the McWilliams. Robert Underwood is the official photographer. Pianists providing background music include Edward Field, Peg Flanders, Richard Hillman, Russell Prescott, and Lenore Stacy.

Potluck Supper, September 28

Something new has been added: a potluck supper at the Club on a Sunday evening for members and guests who are prospective members. Entertainment will be slides, conversation and/or bridge.

New Custodians

We were sorry to lose the Lindemanns, our devoted friends for many years, but we are fortunate in having found Juan and Rosalina Dolorfino. They were engaged as Club custodians July 1, coming to us from the same position with Trinity Church in Oakland. Both are graduates of the university of Manila, Juan with a Master of Arts degree and Rosalina a Bachelor of Science in Education. Juan’s career was with the Department of Labor in the Philippine government, from which he retired in 1970. Rosalina was a personnel supervisor in the Manila schools until last year. Since then, she has been in charge of nurses’ payroll at Highland Hospital. Their two children, John, 12, and Babyling, 10, attend a parochial school in Berkeley. We look forward to a long and pleasant association with the Dolorfinos. You will meet them at the Fireside Meeting. [Rudolph and Frances Lindemann were Club custodians from 1945-50, then again from 1962-75. The Dolorfinos were custodians from 1975-86.]

September 2000

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!