December 24, 1903 - Santa arrived at the large building on the southwest corner of Lansing and Ukiah Streets, where The Study Club and many other businesses are located today. Kellieowen Hall (at one time, known as the Temperance Hall) on the southwest corner of Lansing and Ukiah Streets in Mendocino, 1920 - 1940. The hall was originally built by William H. Kelley as a skating [...]
When we were young, all we wanted for Christmas were our two front teeth. Once we got them, many of us wanted to sink them into some Dungeness crab legs on that holiday. And for almost 170 years in Northern California, we have been granted our wish. It didn’t seem like too much to ask. But in various recent years, demoic acid, migrating whales, and poor [...]
December 17, 1884 - May Agnes Young was born in Ukiah to Thomas and Emma (Baker) Young. Thomas was a teacher who accepted positions at various schools around the county, moving his family to Branscomb, Willits, and Westport over the years. The third of seven children who reached adulthood, May lived her entire life in Mendocino County. In 1914, May married Homer Sherwood of Westport at [...]
Author Dave Sverko riding his horse and carrying the American flag during the Fourth of July parade of 1976 in Mendocino, California. (Gift of Bill Wagner) When I was about 13, I went to work on the Woodward Ranch, which took in all the area where the Mendocino Coast Hospital is now, as well as the Redwood Health Club and what was later Bolden’s [...]
Grace West and Friend, July 1950. Grace West dressed in a German folk costume, posing with an unidentified friend. Grace owned The Music Box on Main Street in the 1960s, a music store and dance space with a small restaurant on the ground floor. December 14, 1963 - Julian White, composer and pianist of renown, performed at the Music Box on Main Street. According [...]
December 12, 1945 - The remains of the Mendocino Mill on Big River Flat burned to the ground at 3am. Burned Mendocino Mill on Big River, 1946. View looking southwest of the remains of the Mendocino Mill on Big River after the building caught on fire during its dismantling. The main steam engine has yet to be scrapped. The bridge over Big River can be [...]
December 10, 1916 - A small fire occurred at the Mendocino Presbyterian Church Manse on Main Street. The Mendocino Beacon reported that the ringing of the fire bell early in the evening “brought practically the entire population of Mendocino out of doors. To the relief of all, however, no mounting flames met their eyes, the blaze being extinguished within a few minutes after its discovery. The [...]
The Kelley House’s new exhibit, Angela Lansbury: Muse of Cabot Cove, is a tribute to the beloved actress and her impact on Mendocino. The exhibit examines her illustrious life and career, in particular her role as Jessica Fletcher in “Murder, She Wrote.” The iconic TV series had an impact on Mendocino that ranged from hiring locals for the filming to boosting tourism. Most of all, the [...]
December 6, 1889 - Charles C. Luiz was born in Mendocino. His parents, Antone and Annie Lazarus Luiz operated the Lisbon Hotel on Ukiah Street until they sold the property in 1906, and Charles attended Mendocino schools. Antone also ran a general merchandise store on Main Street, in the building where Highlight Gallery was most recently located. After Antone retired in 1909, Charles opened a clothing [...]
On this day in Mendocino history… December 4, 1916 - Captain Henry Nelson died suddenly while visiting relatives in New York. His remains were returned to California and buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. Born in 1844 in Sandefjord, Norway, Henry left home when he was thirteen, returning two years later to visit for a few months. This visit was his last trip to Norway. [...]