Roger Somers (1926-2001) was the Druid Heights resident most responsible for  the radical transformation of the built environment of the former  Haapa Family homestead. Here he is, dressed in work clothes including a carpenter’s apron, on the west steps of house called variously Muchado (pronounced much a do), The Big House, The Dragon House and The Twin Peaks House. The date on the print is May 1968.

Roger’s son Tagore describes the 1960s as the most significant era at Druid Heights. It would not have been that without Roger. He brought his many well known musician and artist friends to this house and even rented it to Pulitzer prize winning poet Gary Snyder for a few months at the end of the decade when he was working on a big building project near Lake Tahoe.

HIs partner at the time of this photo and the person holding the camera was Margo St. James, best known for her works as a sex workers rights advocate. Save Druid Heights has been sent this and a number of other photographs from her personal collection. They ,  like others we have received, give us a view of a rapidly receding time in a  place where the creative spirit predominated.