The name of the town first appeared in an 1834 document outlining the boundaries of the pueblo of San Rafael. “The valley they call the Baulenes” and simply “Baulenes” were used, both likely rooted in the Coast Miwok native word “Wauli-n.” Another moniker popped up after that in 1845 when a land grant was named “Rancho Baulines,” but the name-calling didn’t stop there. Spellings like “Baulinas,” “Bolanos” and “Bolemus” also appeared. It’s thought all these names are derived from the Spanish word for whales, “ballenas,” though some argue that the more nautical “bowlines” was the original source. Either way, the name Bolinas became official in 1863 when postmaster Henry Cluver listed it as such. He probably wrote what he thought he heard.
Kasia Pawlowska loves words. A native of Poland, Kasia moved to the States when she was seven. The San Francisco State University creative writing graduate went on to write for publications like the San Francisco Bay Guardian and KQED Arts among others prior to joining the Marin Magazine staff. Topics Kasia has covered include travel, trends, mushroom hunting, an award-winning series on social media addiction and loads of other random things. When she’s not busy blogging or researching and writing articles, she’s either at home writing postcards and reading or going to shows. Recently, Kasia has been trying to branch out and diversify, ie: use different emojis. Her quest for the perfect chip is never-ending.
