September 1, 1941 - Mendocino lost one of its landmarks when the Occidental Hotel, located at the junction of Lansing and Main Streets, burned down. The fire was caused by a defective flue which ignited a wall in the early morning hours. The owner of the hotel, Kate Gorman, immediately called out to her grandson Cletus Byrnes and began waking her guests. It was Labor Day [...]
August 31, 1915 - The United States Submarine F-4 was raised from the sea floor, and the bodies of the crew were recovered. Aliston Hills Grindle, the only child of prominent Mendocino banker Joshua Grindle, served on the F-4 as the chief electrician. Allie and all 20 fellow crew members had lost their lives in March when the submarine sank two miles from Honolulu Harbor following [...]
The Brien House on the south side of Little Lake Road, southeast of the Joshua Grindle House, 1962. (Donated by Jeanette Hansen, Jeanette Mendosa Hansen Collection, Kelley House Photographs) John Brien arrived in Mendocino in the winter of 1863-1864 at the age of 19. He worked on a ranch in Cuffeys Cove for a short time, but soon returned to Mendocino, where he worked for the [...]
The William and Laura Heeser house located on Albion and Kasten streets in Mendocino. At the time this photo was taken, the house did not have the western entry porch and room above it, which was added between 1894 and 1898. (Kelley House Collection, Kelley House Photographs) On August 29, 1855, William H. Kelley returned to Mendocino with his bride, the former Eliza Lee Owen of [...]
Celebrate National Bow Tie Day with this photo from the Mendocino Fourth of July Parade, 1990. Tony Graham is riding a penny farthing (bicycle) on Main Street in front of the Mendocino Hotel. He is dressed in a period (c. 1880s) hat, pleated shirt with cuff links, bow tie, and knickerbocker pants. Penny farthing has been fitted with a brake to the rear wheel. (Gift of [...]
Interior of a Telephone Switchboard, possibly related to Fort Bragg and the Union Lumber Company. (Kelley House Collection, Kelley House Photographs) On August 27, 1923, Coast residents were treated to a thunderstorm that got most people out of bed in a hurry. There were heavy peals of thunder and numerous vivid flashes of lightning, which were followed by a brief but heavy shower of rain. The [...]
Apple Walk at the Kelley House. (Kelley House Collection, Kelley House Photographs) This framed photograph of the Kelley House and its water tower currently hangs in the Kelley House Museum kitchen. The photo shows the view looking west from Lansing Street near the corner of Albion Street. A double-height Mendocino picket fence encloses the yard along the street. An elaborate wooden gate in the fence opens [...]
Kellieowen Hall, 1920-1940. (Kelley House Collection, Kelley House Photographs) Kellieowen Hall, on the southwest corner of Lansing and Ukiah Streets in Mendocino, was originally built in 1887 by William H. Kelley as a skating rink and dance hall and was known as "Kaze Hall" in its early days. At that time, the Beacon called the 40’ x 90’ building “the largest hall in the county.” Many [...]
On this day in Mendocino history… Photograph and pennant commemorating the service of the Frank Mendosa Family during World War I. The pennant was presented to Frank Mendosa, Sr. for having five sons serve in the Armed Forces during a time of war. On the left side is an official photograph of President Woodrow Wilson, and on the right side is the pennant of white satin [...]
The Piccolotti Family. Parents Pete and Rosa pose with seven of their eight children, c. 1930. Youngest child, Alice, was born in 1931. (Kelley House Collection, Kelley House Photographs) August 23, 1889 - Pete Piccolotti was born in Crespano, Italy. He immigrated to the United States through Ellis Island, New York in 1907. Three years later, Rosa Vagliana also arrived at Ellis Island from Italy. Individually, [...]