Inverness

History

The town is about northeast of Drakes Bay on the Pacific Ocean, named after Sir Francis Drake, who explored the coast in the 16th century. Although Drake's official log was lost, the ship's doctor's log described landing in an area that reminded him of the White Cliffs of Dover. Drakes Bay is backed by similar-looking cliffs, leading many to believe this is where the ship landed. The region became the property of James Shafter, who began to develop the property in the 1890s. It became a summer resort where people from San Francisco and Oakland came to camp, hike and swim in Tomales Bay. Many built small summer cabins that still exist today. Small steamboats took day trippers down the bay to secluded beaches. They left from Brock Schreiber's boathouse, which has been preserved and is a prominent local landmark with its prominent sign "Launch for Hire". The first post office opened in 1897. In 1995, Inverness Ridge was the site of the Mount Vision Fire, which burned a large area of Point Reyes National Seashore and a number of homes built on the ridge. The town itself was threatened but was saved by helicopters dipping water from Tomales Bay to drop on the Bishop pine forest between the town and the burning ridgetop.

Geography

Inverness is located at . |date=April 2020 }}

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• West Marin Elementary
  Middle · Point Reyes Station · 121 students · 15.1:1 ratio
• Inverness Elementary
  Elementary · Inverness · 38 students · 19:1 ratio
• Nicasio
  Elementary · Nicasio · 34 students · 11.3:1 ratio
• Lincoln Union
  Elementary · Petaluma · 7 students · 7:1 ratio