Collection Guide
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William Nicholas Connolly scrapbook
1905-1969
(bulk, 1925-1923)
SPC.00133
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Table of contents
Title: William Nicholas Connolly scrapbook
Date (inclusive): 1905-1969
Date (bulk): (bulk, 1925-1923)
Accession number:
SPC.00133
Creator:
Connolly, William Nicholas
Physical Description:
1 scrapbook
Language of Material: Materials are in
English
.
Repository:
Petaluma History Room, Petaluma Regional Library
Abstract: This collection contains a single scrapbook compiled by William Nicholas "Will" Connolly (1905-1987), containing photographs
taken between 1905 and approximately 1955 and some newspaper clippings. The vast majority of the photos date from 1912 through
1922 and show Will Connolly, his family, and his friends. Most of the photographs were taken around his hometown of Petaluma
and in other Sonoma County locations, including Rio Nido and the Russian River. The scrapbook also contains photos were taken
in Marin County and feature images of Dillon Beach, Muir Woods, and Mount Tamalpais--including the Mount Tamalpais & Muir
Woods Railway. In addition, the album contains clippings from 1925; several loose photos dated from 1943 to 1955; an undated
and unidentified cabinet card; and a clipping from the San Francisco Sunday Examiner & Chronicle's California Living magazine
of October 26, 1969.
Biography/Organization History
William Nicholas "Will" Connolly was born on August 15, 1905, in San Rafael, California, to Anne Fisher McDonough Connolly
(1864-1934) and Michael D'Arcy Connolly (1861–1917). He was one of five siblings, including his sisters, Mary Josephine Connolly
(1893-1961) and Nora F. (Frances) Connolly (1895- ), and brothers John J. Connolly (1897-1960) and Michael R. (Raphael or
Rafael M.) Connolly (1902-1932). While Will was a young child, his family moved from San Rafael to Bodega, California, and
later, to Petaluma, where he attended the Petaluma schools and St. Vincent's academy. His father passed away in 1917 and by
1920, the family had relocated to San Francisco, where he lived for the rest of his life. After graduating from the University
of San Francisco, he became a well-known sportswriter for the San Francisco Chronicle, and in 1939, married Margaret Agnes
Malone (born in Portland, Oregon on November 27, 1910; died in San Francisco, California, on June 23, 2003). They had three
children together--Edna Connolly Cole (1920-1990), Joan Frances Connolly Dixon (1935-1987), and William Phillip "Bro" Connolly
(1943-2009). He died on June 22, 1987, in San Francisco, California, at the age of 81, and was buried in the Mount Olivet
Catholic Cemetery in his hometown of San Rafael.
Petaluma Argus-Courier columnist Bill Soberanes wrote about Will Connolly a number of times, including a July 1, 1987 piece
following Connolly's death, "Will Connolly--Legendary Master of Sport Prose." See full text on
page 5B
and continuation on
page 12B
A single scrapbook containings photographs of William Connolly's family and friends; includes some newspaper clippings and
related images.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection.
Connolly, William Nicholas, 1905-1987
Connolly family
Petaluma (Calif.)--Photographs
Sonoma County (Calif.)--Photographs
Marin County (Calif.)--Photographs
San Francisco (Calif.)--Photographs
Cloverdale (Calif.)--Photographs
Corona (Calif.)--Photographs
Dixon (Calif.)--Photographs
Petaluma (Calif.)--Photographs
San Francisco (Calif.)--Photographs
Santa Rosa (Calif.)--Photographs
Asti (Calif.)--Photographs
Dillon Beach (Calif.)--Photographs
Inverness (Calif.)--Photographs
Occidental (Calif.)--Photographs
Rio Nido (Calif.)--Photographs
Tomales (Calif.)--Photographs
Mount Tamalpais (Calif.)--Photographs
Russian River (Calif.)--Photographs
Tomales Bay (Calif.)--Photographs
Teenagers--California--Petaluma
Teenagers--California--Sonoma County
Teenagers--California--Marin County
black-and-white photographs
photograph albums
photographic postcards
scrapbooks
archival materials
Important Information for Users of the Collection
Access Information
This collection is fully processed. Please contact the Petaluma History Room for access; for contact info and current hours,
see
https://sonomalibrary.org/locations/petaluma-history-room
Conditions of Use
Collection does not circulate and may be photocopied or photographed by arrangement only.
Property rights reside with the Sonoma County Library. The Sonoma County Library makes no assertions as to ownership of any
original copyrights to digitized work and can claim only physical ownership of the work (s) described in these records. However,
these materials are intended for Personal or Research use only. Any other kind of use, including, but not limited to commercial
or scholarly publication in any medium or format, public exhibition, or use online or in a web site, may be subject to additional
restrictions including but not limited to the copyrights held by parties other than the Library. USERS ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE
for determining the existence of such rights and for obtaining any permissions and/or paying associated fees necessary for
the proposed use. Preferred credit line is: Courtesy, the Sonoma County Library. Please see additional reproduction and reuse
information at
https://sonomalibrary.org/locations/sonoma-county-history-and-genealogy-library/order-photo
[Identification of item], William Nicholas Connolly scrapbook, 1905-1969 (bulk, 1912-1923), SPC.00133, Petaluma History Room,
Sonoma County Library, [Petaluma History Room], Sonoma County Library, [100 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma], CA.
Gift:
Petaluma Museum and Historical Museum
March 30, 2021