MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Bruce Anderson surely knows more than anybody else about the history of the Cobb Mountain area. Should anyone wish to challenge that, they’ll be welcome to try at Gibson Museum’s Sept. 25 Fireside Chat, where he will be the featured speaker.
 
Anderson lives on the property (previously owned by his father) that was claimed by John Cobb and his family in 1853.

Cobb, his wife Esther and their children are believed to have been the first family to settle in south Lake County and almost the first in the entire county.
 
Beyond absorbing local history over a lifetime, Anderson has put immeasurable effort into researching and gathering information about the area.

Perhaps most notably, he spent many months going through carton after carton of documents stored in the courthouse basement in Lakeport. He is owed thanks for that effort in organizing and filing. (Of course he copied pertinent records for his own research, which he will soon make available at Gibson Museum.)
 
He has been active in the community, in a variety of roles, since his youth. Over the past year he has been almost wholly absorbed in the efforts to restore safe water supplies to the mountain communities following the devastation of resources and systems during the Valley Fire.
 
Gibson’s monthly Fireside Chats begin at the museum on Sunday at 3 p.m. and close around 5 p.m.

Refreshments are offered following the question period. As usual, the chat is free of charge although donations toward the museum’s operation are welcomed.
 
Reservations are advised, as space is limited in the small gallery.
 
Middletown’s Gibson Museum is located at 21267 Calistoga St., across the highway from Community Park.
 
For further information, write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , call Nina Bouska at 707-987-2349 or Voris Brumfield at 707-295-7174.