November 4, 1961 - The fifth Big River Bridge officially opened with a dedication ceremony. The bridge had already been in use for two weeks so that workmen could begin demolishing the old bridge which had been in service since 1924. Unlike previous Big River bridges, the new bridge was elevated with a 47-foot clearance above the water, while the approaches to the earlier bridges were [...]
Hazel Nimela by the water tank in Caspar, c. 1920. (Gift of Mae Johnson) October 29, 1899 - Hazel May Helm was born in Caspar to Thomas and Ella (Kuhn) Helm. Hazel’s mother was also a native of Caspar and lived her entire life there. Tragically, Hazel’s father, a brakeman on the Caspar logging train, was killed a month before Hazel’s first birthday while [...]
These two images, taken about 143 years apart, show the south side of the Kelley House on Albion Street in Mendocino, and provide a glimpse into the past and present of this historic landmark. South Side of the Kelley House, c. 1880. (Gift of Margaret Kelley Campbell) South Side of the Kelley House, 2023. (Photographer: Robert Dominy) The first image, taken [...]
Graduation photograph of Raymond Nicholson, Class of 1941. (Gift of Linda Mechling) October 20, 1942 - Raymond Nicholson joined the U. S. Navy during World War II. Born in Mendocino in 1923 to Alfred and Anna Ellison Nicholson, Ray grew up in the Daniels-Nicholson House (today’s Nicholson House at Beaujolais) near the east end of Ukiah Street. He attended the local schools, where he [...]
Cammie King Conlon served as the first executive director of Kelley House Museum when she moved to Northern California in 1980. She worked closely with the museum's founders, Beth Stebbins and Dorothy Bear, and tells stories of early days at Kelley House and 30 years of changes on the coast. Event occurred on 28 June 2009. Filmed by Julia Larke. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96H_I03uKKo New Exhibit! Celebrate the 50th [...]
October 15, 2003 - A dying Monterey Cypress tree on the Kelley House lawn was cut down. "We are very sad about it coming down, but we can't afford to endanger anyone,” local historian and long time resident Dee Lemos said. Rich and Jack Lemos estimated the tree to be 100 to 125 feet tall, making it the third-largest cypress on the Mendocino Coast. Although there’s [...]
Daisy Kelley MacCallum’s cake recipe, sent to Beth Stebbins and Dorothy Bear in 1979 by Drex Kelley, grandson of Daisy’s brother Otis. The handwriting belongs to either Daisy or Drex’s mother Susan McDonald Kelley (wife of Otis’ oldest son Lloyd) New Exhibit! Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Mendocino Historical Research Inc., now known as the Kelley House Museum. Meet founders Dorothy Bear and Beth [...]
October 8, 1920 - Eugene Brown passed away at his home on Main Street in Mendocino following a month-long illness. His death was attributed to a weak heart, and the Beacon noted that “Though old in years, he was mentally alert and vigorous almost to the last.” Born on May 1, 1835, in Oldtown, Maine, Eugene was the youngest son of Moses and Nancy Nesmith Brown. [...]
When the Kelley House began its journey from a private residence to a museum in 1975, its interior walls were covered with sagging strips of wallpaper, the adhesive having deteriorated almost completely. As renovations went forward, samples of these vintage wallcoverings were preserved in the museum’s archives. They had stylized floral patterns in metallic gold and silver, burgundy, gold and pale yellow, and deep burgundy, a [...]
Public education began in Mendocino in 1862, when a primary school was established near the corner of Ukiah and Lansing streets. Captain David Lansing donated the lot, and the local sawmill contributed lumber for the schoolhouse. As the community grew, a larger school was needed, and a new primary school building was constructed on the northeast corner of School and Pine streets in 1885. That school [...]