Born in 1893, Florence Donnelly’s parents and grandparents had come West during the Gold Rush. As a self-described “historical nut,” her love of history came early. Donnelly remembers her grandmother’s stories about the Gold Rush, stagecoaches and Native Americans.
Her father purchased land in 1905, building a house at 117 C St. in San Rafael. After attending the B Street and Fourth Street schools in the area, she would go on to graduate from San Rafael High School and UC Berkeley.
In 1930, Donnelly started at the Marin Independent Journal. She began with county news, which included courthouse coverage at the end of Prohibition, when the courts were filled with rum runners and criminal gangs. Donnelly went on to become the social editor for more than 20 years.
Later, she went on to be the founding editor of the Marin Magazine supplement. In 1935, she was one of the main founders of the Marin County Historical Society, now the Marin History Museum. In addition, she provided the historical research for the county’s centennial pageant produced in 1949.
Donnelly married state Sen. Hugh P. Donnelly and they had one son, James Holland Donnelly.
After divorcing, she moved back to her parents’ home and lived there the rest of her life. It wasn’t just IJ readers who took notice of Donnelly’s writing and community involvement. In 1952, the California News Publishers Association gave her an award for the best women’s page among all the California newspapers.
On March 4.