The Kelley House welcomes Anne Semans as its new Director. Anne brings 30 years’ experience from the for-profit world, with a background in marketing, small business management, education, and hospitality. She is the author of four self-help books, and has written extensively on parenting, health, and travel. Before moving to Mendocino, Anne lived in San Francisco, where she worked with the groundbreaking, women-friendly, sex-positive, adult toy [...]
We want to share once again some excerpts from the oral history project that was created back in 2000 by the students of Ryan Olson Day’s Options Class at the Mendocino Middle School. With the help of Steven Jordan and a grant obtained by Deena Zarlin, they made audio recordings of their interviews with 12 “Old Timers,” who told the kids what it was like living [...]
My momma always said life was like a box of chocolates.You never know what you're gonna get.Forrest Gump The 184-year old letter written by Charles W. Drechlser to his wife Mahalia, given to the Kelley House Museum from the collection of John and Rosemary Kelley Maulbetsch. Kelley House received a remarkably interesting “box of chocolates” last month – a well-packed bin of papers that had belonged [...]
As the communities of the Mendocino coast emerge from the recent public health closures, we will be able to fully welcome visitors back to the area. The Earl family at Alder Camp on Big River, a rustic camping spot created by the adult children of Jerome and Martha Ford. While they lived elsewhere, members of the Ford clan often brought their children and friends to camp [...]
We are featuring again transcribed excerpts from the oral history project that was created 20 years ago by the students of Ryan Olson Day’s Options Class at the Mendocino Middle School. With the help of Steven Jordan and a grant obtained by Deena Zarlin, they made audio recordings of their interviews with 12 “Old Timers,” who told these children what it was like living here on [...]
“Many of you may know me from my past years associated with the Kelley House Museum, also known as Megan Coddington. I was executive director from 1990 to 1996 and again from 2005 to 2007. I had the privilege of knowing Dorothy Bear, one of the founders of the Mendocino Historical Research, Inc and Kelley House Museum. I started visiting Mendocino in the early 1960s and [...]
“I'm here because I love the history of the area. Joining the Kelley House Museum gave me the opportunity to learn local history and impart it to our visitors. We have a number of books, periodicals and articles available at the museum, and they make it so much fun to learn (and it's easy as well). Originally from Brooklyn, NY, I moved to California in 1985 [...]
"I have been a fan of the Kelley House Museum, its archives, and its dedicated staff and volunteers since my first days visiting, then living, on the Mendocino Coast. It provides a friendly and comfortable way to understand the who, what, when, where and why of this special place. My educational and professional training have consistently centered on the relationship of people to the earth we [...]
Celebrate the Holidays December 2nd Kick off the holiday season at the Kelley House Museum's Holiday Party Friday, December 2, 4:30-6:30 PM. This event, featuring festive small plate food and libations, is for members only. However, we welcome new members, if you wish to join at the door. We will offer an optional tasting of five single malt scotches for $10/person. The house will be decorated [...]
By Martha Davis Wagner And, now on to Caspar; supposedly among the most historic apples in that area were those planted by the Canadian, John Simpson Ross who became well known as a traveling North Coast minister. Reverend Ross served frequently in Eliza Kelley’s Baptist Church in Mendocino. He purchased acreage in Caspar in 1870 north of town on the west side of the then Coast [...]