The time to rename Sir Drake Boulevard is right now
Over the past few months, the two of us have participated in a public process to consider the renaming of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.
That process has focused on a reassessment of the significance and history of the name of Marin County’s most important east-west thoroughfare.
This is not a trivial exercise. The naming of important features of a community’s infrastructure reflects community values and conveys important information.
We came to this conversation in the context of a nationwide movement to acknowledge and address historic racism and injustice. The process that we have pursued to date has included members of the Marin County Board of Supervisors and municipalities throughout Marin’s Ross Valley, local historians, and representatives of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. Next steps will include engagement at the local community level.
By way of background, what follows is some history regarding the current road name.
Both before and after Drake’s brief visit to Marin’s coast, the area was home to the Coast Miwok.
What is now Sir Francis
Drake Boulevard was likely a system of trails and pathways they used to traverse the Ross and San Geronimo valleys from the bay to the ocean.
Only in the mid-19th Century did this important east-west route take on European names. Over time, various sections were called Ross Landing Road, Red Hill Road, the San Rafael-Olema Road, or simply, the Olema Road.
In 1929, upon completion of the road’s upgrading to concrete to the coast and in anticipation of the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, a local merchant from Point Reyes Station campaigned for the roadway to be renamed Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in hopes of attracting tourists and new residents to Marin and its coast.
The name that the boulevard has held since the 1930s has no deep local historical significance. In fact, it was instead just a mid-20th Century marketing ploy.
Whether or not the name is changed, the discussion itself is important as it provides an opportunity to take a fresh look at the history of the road, of this place we live, to consider the message that names (even street names) convey for those who use it today and will tomorrow.
The time is right to consider renaming Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. The road is undergoing a substantial renovation of the main stretch between Larkspur and Ross. This project will modernize the functionality of the boulevard through Larkspur, Greenbrae and Kentfield, where it is most heavily used by Marin residents.
Some will object to renaming the road for various reasons — minor costs associated with new road signs, or inconveniences in making address changes. Others will claim “cancel culture” or an attempt to erase history.
None of those reasons justify retaining the status quo. And no one is disputing Drake’s landing on Marin’s coast.
What we recognize and suggest here is that if there were ever a time to consider the renaming of this important piece of public infrastructure, it is now.
Restoring the community’s use of original place names (like Olema Road) might make sense. But as we proceed with consideration of that and other options, all possibilities remain on the table.
We encourage everyone to keep an open mind on this matter and invite you to participate in community forums planned in the coming months.
Whether or not the name is changed, the discussion itself is important as it provides an opportunity to take a fresh look at the history of the road, of this place we live, to consider the message that names (even street names) convey for those who use it today and will tomorrow.