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Community
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- Our Community About the Town of Ross Downtown Plan Town Events Community Calendar Town History
- Churches St. Anselm Catholic Church St. John's Episcopal Church Schools The Ross School The Branson School The Ross Preschool
- Organizations Age Friendly Ross The Jose Moya del Pino Library and Ross Historical Society Marin Art and Garden Center Ross Auxiliary Ross Property Owners' Association
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Government
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- Agendas and Minutes Council Committees Community Protection Committee Finance Committee General Government Committee Town Council Town Goals
- Departments Administration Building Finance Human Resources Planning Public Works Recreation
- Public Safety Police Department Ross Valley Fire Department Emergency Services Community Preparedness Fire Information Flood Information
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Services
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Business Licenses
Marin Humane Society Dog Licensing
Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority Permit Services Building Permits Encroachment Permits Commercial Filming Permit Special Events Permit Community Portal - Plan Review Services Police Home Security Checklist Form Police Vacation Check Form Ross Valley Fire Department Ross Valley Paramedic Authority
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Business Licenses
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- Resources
How We Became a Town
For thousands of years prior to 1800, the Coast Miwok Indians lived and were sustained by the land that is now called Ross Valley. The Coast Miwok revered the land, plants and animals of the Ross Valley through tribal cultural beliefs and practices. European diseases eventually decimated the Indian population. The settlement in 1817 of Mission San Raphael, with its vast land holding, also resulted in further incursions into areas occupied by the Coast Miwok Indians.
After the Mexican Revolution of 1821, the “land grant” system of parceling out land gave rise to what we now know as Marin County. Ross was originally part of an 8,877-acre Mexican land grant to Juan B.R. Cooper in 1840 known as Ranch Punta de Quentin Canada de San Anselmo. The Town of Ross itself was named in honor of James Ross, who purchased the land in 1857 for $50,000. Ross built his home on Redwood Drive and moved there with his wife and three children. When James Ross died in 1862 his wife, Annie Ross, was forced to sell a portion of James Ross’ larger land holdings to pay each of their daughters $10,000. The 297 acres she had remaining make up part of the Town of Ross today.
Once the Town was incorporated one of the first actions of the new Town Council was to make it illegal to cut down trees without Town approval. Soon the streets were paved, streetlights erected, concrete bridges built over the creek and a firehouse constructed. Thanks to the foresight of our early leaders, the Town today rests under a leafy canopy that is unique in Marin County.
