Forest Knolls is a rural, unincorporated community just west of Woodacre, and just east of Lagunitas. Today it is a census-designated place, together with Lagunitas, known as Lagunitas-Forest Knolls. Both are unincorporated communities in West Marin.

An article in the San Anselmo Herald in March of 1926 described a community effort to organize a volunteer fire department. Within a month, regular meetings were being held, with support from some fire service veterans from Fairfax, San Anselmo, Ross, and the San Anselmo Rotary Club. While still a very rural area today, the population in the 1920's was no more than a few hundred people. March of 1926 was less than three years after the disastrous Northern California wildfires of 1923, which threatened the area, and burned 35 of the 40 homes in Woodacre, just to the east.

​This widespread disaster must have influenced the community of Forest Knolls to undertake such an effort. Historically around America, large fires in communities often led to the formation or improvement of fire departments.

​Within the next two months, a Fire Chief had been elected, Chief Johnson, and three chemical engines, and several warning klaxons had been purchased. It's not clear how the description "chemical engines" was applied, but two of those could be in the photo above.  "Engines" may also have been cars that were made into chemical "engines" with the addition of the tanks and some hard line hose. The term "engine" was also commonly used for hand-drawn chemical carts in that era as well, pictured on the right in the photo above.

Chemical carts were common in Marin in the early days of many FD"s, and by 1926 established FD's had or were in the process of purchasing automotive fire apparatus. It is likely that used equipment like hose and chemical carts were available at a relatively low cost to Forest Knolls, or possibly even as donations from other FD's.

Plans had also been drawn up for a fire house and community clubhouse, and were on display at meetings. In addition, a surplus fire bell from Ross FD was purchased and installed. Fund-raising over the next several years included Fireman's dances, with many prominent fire service members from around Marin contributing their time and efforts. "Whist" parties were also common as fund-raisers for many Marin FD"s in that era, including Forest Knolls. Whist is a card game that originated in the 18th century in England. 

By 1927 D.R. McNeil was serving as the Fire Chief, with S.S. Quackenbush serving as Chairman, and J.E. Benedict as Assistant Chief. Regular meetings continued, along with various fund raising efforts. However, the last record found in local newspapers of the organization

Sadly, the department appears to have fallen on hard times during the depression in America in the 1930's, and an article about the Forest Knolls Pavilion Dance Hall burning down in 1933 mentioned only the Tamalpais Forest Fire District as responding to fight the blaze. Research will continue on this history and the end of this group. The Tamalpais Forest Fire District dissolved in 1941, and the Marin County Fire Department started up, utilizing the Woodacre headquarters that had been built by the District. Fire protection and emergency services by a larger regional agency for Forest Knolls was underway.

​The 2010 Census for Lagunitas-Forest Knolls lists a total area of 4.2 square miles, and a population of 1,800 people. This area is in the western side of the San Geronimo Valley, extending from the heavily forested ridges to the south into the grassier northern slopes. Adjacent to Samuel P. Taylor State Park, the area includes some very large trees such as Redwoods. Hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding are popular in the hills above the towns.

It is also traversed by Lagunitas Creek, one of the last major breeding areas for the threatened fish species Coho Salmon. To early inhabitants Coast Miwok Indians, the stream was known as "Tokelalume", then by the Spanish as Arroyo de San Geronimo. Now the "San Geronimo" name survives only as the San Geronimo Creek tributary, and the local golf course, now owned by the County of Marin. The name of Lagunitas Creek comes from "lagunitas" (Spanish for "little lakes".) Some of the historically small lakes were turned into drinking water reservoirs through dams built in the upper watershed. Lagunitas Creek was once known as Paper Mill Creek, because Samuel P. Taylor built the first paper mill in California, the Pioneer Paper Mill,  along the creek in nearby Taylorville in the 1800's. 

Lagunitas and Forest Knolls also have some history in beer production, especially with a relatively recent "micro-brew" that became very successful. The Lagunitas Brewery was founded in 1993 by Tony Magee in Lagunitas. The business grew rapidly, and, needing more space, moved a year later just north to Petaluma. Since the mid-2000s, Lagunitas has been one of the fastest-growing craft breweries in the United States. They are now solely owned by the Heineken International company.