Robert Foster Andrews in his later years. (Florence Andrews Collection, Kelley House Museum)
In 1984, the Kelley House supplied local historian Robert Winn with material he used in his College of the Redwoods course, “New England in Mendocino.” Dorothy Bear shared some of that information in the column below, which was first published in the November 8, 1984 Mendocino Beacon.
The best sources in our files were the letters written between 1865 and 1869 by Dr. Robert Foster Andrews and Cornelia Haskins Andrews from Mendocino to their families back in New Salem, Massachusetts. The first doctor to practice in Mendocino, Robert Andrews came from a family of physicians and graduated from Dartmouth Medical College when he was 21. The Andrews married in May of 1862, and were in their late twenties when they came to California.
Mostly Cornelia was the letter writer, though occasionally her husband “Fot” felt inspired, and his letters tend to tell more of conditions here. The Andrews house, which was directly across from the Ford House on Main Street, also served as the doctor’s office. [It would have been about where the Prentice Gallery is today.]
“Mendocino, March 6th, 1866
Dear Dad & Ma’am,
We are having one of California stormy days and thus far I have not been molested or made afraid by a summons to travel, a rather unusual circumstance. My [horse] Major seems to enjoy a day’s rest as much as myself having eaten his fill he was soaking his back in the rain as if he had determined to “stand the storm and anchor bye and bye.” When there is to be a severe storm he shakes his head and lays back his ears. He has commenced to shed his coat and is rather thin in flesh. He can do the work of two such horses as you have at home. There is something in the climate or purity of the atmosphere which makes man and beast endure more hard work than in the Eastern States. If I had your horse think I could give all the exercise she needs.
Cornelia is mending my old coat which, being grey, one of my genteel neighbors says makes me look like a grizzly. This place is building up quite rapidly, many new buildings have been erected during the past year and half and many more soon to be. There is to be a shoemaker shop built the other side of us and, with that one side and an Irish family with children the other, we shall no doubt realize that there is such a thing as having too near neighbors. There are two barbers, two tailors, three blacksmiths, two drug stores, one and one half dentists, two shoemakers, three hotels, three stores, three fruit stores, one whiskey mill and six other stores in my range of practice.
The Catholics have nearly completed their Church. The roads are being improved, new bridges built and also the hills graded but for a long time to come the roads will be difficult to travel and sometimes dangerous. New inhabitants are arriving who are clearing up new land and settling down to live thus adding to the wealth and prosperity of the country; everything raised from a farm soon finds a market though back in the valleys their crops are troublesome to get to market. The soil here on the coast is a rich black loam which will grow anything without manure. But owing to the northwest winds, Fruit is rather hard to raise unless they build high board fences to break it off.
We enjoy ourselves quite well enough, but as we expected before we came, we are obliged to forego some comforts and privileges which are not to be obtained in any new country as well as the pleasure of visiting with our friends and relatives. We hope that when we shall think best to return, we shall find them all in as good health and as prosperous as when we left home. All the old settlers say this has been a very severe winter; I find it much more severe than last, more water fallen and of course more mud.
Yours truly
R.F. Andrews”
Perhaps the good doctor tired of making house calls in bad weather because the Andrews returned to Massachusetts and in 1870 settled in Gardner, the “Furniture Capital of New England,” where Robert practiced for many years until his death on July 11, 1911.
The Kelley House Museum is open from 11AM to 3PM Thursday through Monday. During October, there will be Haunted Mendocino Walking Tours every Saturday at 1:30PM and at 7PM on Halloween. $25 adults, $15 under 12. Purchase advance tickets at https://www.kelleyhousemuseum.org/events/month/