Photo courtesy of Benicia Historical Museum

Pictured: The Union Hotel still stands at 401 First Street in Benicia. It initially opened in the 1800s and has had various names such as the Newport, the Bella Union and the Old Union. A major renovation was begun in the 1970s after the building was condemned and slated to be destroyed. The Union Hotel now has 12 historically decorated guest rooms as well as a dining room and a bar. It is claimed that the hotel is haunted by ghosts, some of whom are "Disappointed Mary", "Mrs. Miniver" and a tall man wearing a black suit.

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Tug McGraw

Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw, Jr. (1944 – 2004) was a professional baseball relief pitcher. He is often remembered for coining the phrase, "Ya Gotta Believe", which became a popular rallying cry for the New York Mets teams of the mid-60s and early 70s. McGraw was born in Martinez, California but graduated from St. Vincent Ferrer High School in Vallejo, California in 1962. He enrolled in Solano Community College and signed with the New York Mets as an amateur free agent after graduation. McGraw’s boyhood home is located at 312 Carolina Street in Vallejo. Photo courtesy of Google.

Genealogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia

The Genealogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia (GSVB) serves our communities as we research worldwide. GSVB is here and happy to help you find your ancestors! We are an organization member of the National Genealogical Society. Visit the NGS website at https://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

Operating Year: January - December 2025

Officers

President:	John M. Watson
Vice President:	Joei Correia Flannery
Treasurer:	Rosemary Johnson
Secretary:	Cheryl Watson

Committees

Librarian / Researcher:	John M. Watson
Public Relations:	Ruth Anne Goos Halligan
Public Relations:	Carol-Anne Tucker-Watt

Board Members

Newsletter Editor:	Christine Dunn
Publicity:	Jeff Solomon
Membership Chairperson:	Jeff Solomon
Librarian / Researcher:	John M. Watson
Library Assistant:	Vacant
Fundraising Chairperson:	Judy Herkins
Facebook Manager:	Ruth Anne Goos Halligan
Hospitality:	Pat Innes
Mistress of the Web:	Carol-Anne Tucker-Watt
Mistress of the Web:	Ruth Anne Goos Halligan
Master of the Web:	Jeff Solomon

Meeting Information

The Genealogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia meets the 1st Thursday of each month at:

Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum
734 Marin Street
Vallejo, CA 94590

Currently, meetings begin at 1:30 pm Pacific Time unless otherwise denoted. Some meetings are in person while others are on ZOOM only. Please check individual event listing for time and place.