Jeanie Patterson Sweetwater Papers
Finding aid created by Mill Valley Public Library staff using RecordEXPRESS
Mill Valley Public Library
2021
375 Throckmorton Avenue
Mill Valley, California 94941
415-389-4292 x203
refdesk@cityofmillvalley.org
http://www.millvalleylibrary.org/
Title: Jeanie Patterson Sweetwater Papers
Dates: 1979-2001
Collection Number: MS.2019.070
Creator/Collector:
Extent: 45 linear feet (30 document boxes)
Online items available
Repository:
Mill Valley Public Library
Mill Valley, California 94941
Abstract: Material collected by Jeanie Patterson, owner of Sweetwater, a music venue in Mill Valley California.
Language of Material: English
Collection is open for research. Original materials may be viewed with permission from staff. Digital copies of materials
may be available. Materials in this collection do not circulate.
Jeanie Patterson Sweetwater Papers. Mill Valley Public Library
The collection was donated to the Mill Valley Public Library by the family of Jeanie Patterson after her death in 2019.
Biography/Administrative History
In 1978, Jeanie Patterson’s then husband, Jay Patterson, purchased a bar called Sweetwater in Mill Valley, California. Jeanie
was in charge of running the 81 seat venue. She began booking musical performers and Sweetwater acquired a world-wide reputation;
performers there included Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, John Lee Hooker, Elvis Costello and Bonnie Raitt among many others.
When the Pattersons divorced in 1985, Jeanie retained ownership of Sweetwater. Sweetwater consistently struggled to be profitable,
and Patterson sold it in 1999 to Tom and Becky Steere.
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection includes Patterson’s scrapbooks spanning the time of her involvement with Sweetwater which contain clippings,
correspondence, ephemera, and photos; both from the club and sometimes her personal life. The collection also contains appointment
books, photographs, video and audio recordings, artist files, posters, ephemera and artifacts.