Upcoming Dinner Program

250^th Anniversary of the Anza Expedition

In 1776, as the thirteen colonies fought for independence from Britain, Spanish Lt. Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza led more than 240 men, women, and children on an arduous 1,800-mile journey from Mexico to establish a settlement in the San Francisco Bay Area. These families became the first colonists to enter present-day California by land.

Please join us as local author and historian Beverly Lane explores the Anza expedition, which established the first reliable overland route from northern Mexico to present-day California and, unlike earlier expeditions, brought families, livestock, and supplies with the explicit goal of permanent settlement, making it one of the most consequential journeys in the history of Northern California.

DINNER PROGRAM DETAILS

• Date/Time: Thursday, January 15th, 7:00pm

• Location: Black Bear Diner; 807 Camino Ramon, Danville CA 94526

• Cost: $25 per person

Advanced reservations are encouraged. To reserve your spot, please email us at [email protected] to let us know you’re coming.

Click here to purchase dinner tickets, or visit www.srvhistoricalsociety.org and click the “Buy Dinner Tickets” button. Alternately, you can mail payment to the address at the bottom of this email or pay at the door.

DON’T FORGET TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP FOR 2026!

Now is a great time to renew your SRVHS membership for 2026 if you haven’t already, or join if you’re not yet a member. You can also support the Society by gifting a membership to a friend or family member.

Annual membership fees are $10 for students, $20 for individuals, and $30 for organizations. Pay online at www.srvhistoricalsociety.org.

The Brass Door - A Community Fixture Comes to a Close

In December, The Brass Door closed its doors at its longtime San Ramon location, ending nearly eight decades of continuous operation and marking the loss of one of San Ramon’s oldest and most familiar gathering places.

The restaurant’s story began in 1946, when San Ramon was still a small agricultural town. It originally opened as the 8/5 Club, reportedly won by Howard “Shorty” Schlesinger in a poker game and named for his preferred horse-racing betting odds. The 8/5 Club served local ranchers, farmers, and travelers along old Highway 21, offering simple food and drink in a modest setting that mirrored the rural valley around it.

In 1955, Shorty’s son, Mick Schlesinger, partnered with local dairyman Dick Basso and renamed the business The Brass Door. Over the decades that followed, the restaurant expanded and evolved alongside the rapidly growing San Ramon Valley. Remodels, rebuilding after setbacks, and steady patronage transformed it from a small tavern into a full-service restaurant known throughout the region.

More than its menu, the Brass Door became a place of community. Families celebrated milestones there, business lunches unfolded at familiar tables, and longtime residents returned again and again as the surrounding landscape changed from ranchland to suburb. For many, it was a constant presence through generations of local life.

With its closure in December 2025, the Brass Door leaves behind a legacy that is intertwined with San Ramon’s own history. Though its doors are now closed, its role as a gathering place and the memories created there remain part of the shared story of the San Ramon Valley.

We’re always looking for feedback and new ideas from our members

Please email us at [email protected] with ideas for dinner speakers you’d like to hear from, local history topics you want to learn more about, suggestions for new commemorative plaques or online content, or anything else that’s on your mind.