As Mayor, it is my privilege to announce the One Hundredth Birthday of our City, August 7, 2005. The City Council and I invite all the citizens of Richmond to join us in honoring the legacy and spirit of our city. Over the past 100 years, the City of Richmond has grown from a small turn of the century town of just over 1,200 people to a city of 100,000 plus.
   There were many forces and events that shaped our city: the early railroads, automobile manufacturing, shipbuilding during the World War Home Front era, oil, and the financial underpinnings necessary to support those efforts.
   Whether our families date back to pre-war 1905, came to Richmond to work in the Kaiser Shipyards of World War II, or are more recent arrivals, I am proud of our tenacious character, our innovative spirit and our deep compassion.
   As we consider the next 100 years, let us be led by the community spirit that sustained us in the past and work together toward a Richmond that exceeds our highest expectations and dreams.
Mayor Irma L. Anderson