Hey there! I live in a town called San Rafael in California. My grandpa was telling me that he had seen Franklin D. Roosevelt visit my town and go down the main street. He said the visit occurred in 1942-43. If my grandpa says it happened it must be true. I just wanted to see if there was any records of it or any pictures. Thanks!
The day you want is September 24th, 1942, and yes he did pass through on his way to visit the port facilities in Oakland and the Mare Island Navy Yard after having toured factories and bases in Washington state and Oregon in previous days.
FDR spent the second half of September into October visiting many defense industries and facilities across the nation in order to be visible, raise morale, and interact with local leaders as the war prepared to enter its second year. In the days before he had visited other sites like the main Chrysler plant in Detroit, Great Lakes Naval Training Station, the Boeing plant in Seattle and Bremerton Navy yard. After leaving he would spend the 25th in and around San Diego visiting different plants, bases, and the Naval Hospital. Then finally after a swing through Texas and the Gulf Coast he would return to DC on October 1st.
At a Press Conference after his return the president said on morale and national units:
Now, going back to reactions of people, I think it can be said that the people of the country as a whole have got the finest kind of morale. They are very alive to the war spirit. I am making no invidious distinctions between sections. Everywhere I went the spirit was excellent. The understanding was good.
The FDR Presidential Library actually has day by day records about his travels, meetings, and decisions!
Here is the link for the 24th: http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/daybyday/daylog/september-24th-1942/
Also came across the article from the Marin Magazine which has a nice picture of the President's motorcade passing through: http://www.marinmagazine.com/September-2017/FDR-in-San-Rafael/