Before Hollywood emerged as the film capital, Fairfax was an
established location used in several films. Broncho Billy rode
through its streets from a nearby studio in San Rafael, setting the
stage for countless of western heroes in future generations. United
Keanograph had a six-acre studio in town, producing the film
Money, which promptly lost money and closed. But the most
romantic movie of all was Salomy Jane which was partially
filmed around Lake Lagunitas and released in 1914.
The film was based on a novel by Bret Harte and recounted the tale
of beautiful Salomy Jane (Beatriz Michelena) who was rescued by
Jack Dart (House Peters) after she resisted the advances of a young
ruffian. Jack killed the man and escaped with the law on his trail.
Fortunately, Jane arrived at the last moment, just when he was
about to be lynched.
The film was thought to be lost after a 1931 fire in San Rafael,
but a print was discovered and it was eventually restored.
Salomy Jane was recently shown again at the California Film
Institute.
During a walk around the lake, I looked for the spot where Jane was
kissed. Although the tree was gone, I found an area where the
mountain, hills, and lake seemed to match. In this day and age, it
was not the best spot for a cache, so I used my artistic license to
place the container a short distance away.
Feel free to look for the spot where you think Salomy Jane kissed
and share the coordinates. The cache is meant to be an easy walk
and grab -- please make sure that the container is closed and out
of sight.
The easiest way to get here is from the Sky Oaks / Lake
Lagunitas parking area. The Water District charges a $7 fee if you
park here. Although the gate is staffed only on weekends, rangers
have been known to check parked cars at other times during the
week. You can reach this cache from other areas if you don't mind a
longer hike or bike ride.