October 28, 1928 - Janet Nystrom died of pneumonia in San Francisco at the age of 15. She was the daughter of Carl and Elizabeth Nystrom. When Janet was born, Carl worked as a machinist at the Mendocino Mill, but he developed lung trouble and moved to a sanitarium in Southern California for his health in 1922. Janet and her mother Elizabeth moved to San Francisco, [...]
In preparation for the upcoming Day of the Dead, I thought I’d discuss the language of funeral flowers. The current exhibition at the Kelley House, “Good Mourning, Mendocino: Funeral Rites and Customs,” features a number of floral arrangements that highlight some of the meanings inherent in sepulchral floral bouquets. Learning the special symbolism of flowers became a popular pastime during the Victorian era. There were guidebooks [...]
October 25, 1916 - The 1916 Apple Show parade was held in Mendocino. Constable A. L. Patton, “as grand marshal, headed the procession and was followed by the Native Sons of the Golden West band. Then came the long line of floats, automobiles, marching school children, horseback riders, etc. This year’s procession was far and away ahead of anything in that line that was ever attempted [...]
October 24, 1971 - The historic Kelley House was damaged by fire. The Beacon reported that the “fire had started at the bottom of the fireplace and presumably had been smoldering for some time in the rear of the fireplace and slowly spread upward.” Tenants Warren and Gladys Roll noticed smoke and heard a popping noise around 10 pm. Gladys “ran to the fire station and [...]
Wagon Team at Mendocino Shipping Point, c. 1909. (The William Ferrill Collection, Kelley House Photos) Photograph taken near the south end of Heeser Drive of a man driving a four-horse team and loaded wagon near the Mendocino Lumber Company's Shipping Point on the bluff above the bay. The two lead animals have bells attached to their harnesses that would signal their approach to other [...]
Schooners in Big River Harbor, 1882 - 1902. Six sailing schooners in Big River harbor. The ship on the right is being loaded with lumber by chute from the Shipping Point. The two three-masted schooners are the J. C. Ford, named for the superintendent of the Mendocino Lumber Company, and possibly the Joshua Grindle. Walking Tours of Historic Mendocino - Join our expert docents [...]
October 16, 1858 - Logging contractor Daniel Milliken received payment for overseeing the construction of the Piers. According to “Big River was Dammed” by Francis Jackson, the four piers were “man made islands constructed in the main river channel” whose purpose was to stop logs from being washed downriver and out to sea. The piers were part of the boom, “a barrier of sorts, logs roped [...]
Recently, the Kelley House Museum received a generous donation of teaching materials dating from between 1891 and 1906. The items had been collected from various sources and pasted into a large attendance book from 1901. Among the artifacts are notices from the Board of Education, newspaper clippings with math puzzlers, and graduation exam questions for the Grammar Schools of Mendocino County. The book belonged to Matilda [...]
October 11, 1884 - The Mendocino Beacon reported that the stagecoach from Cloverdale to Mendocino had been robbed by two highwaymen just north of Boonville. “Thomas Bennett was driving and he was ordered to throw out the express box and the mail. He threw out one light mail bag, but protested that he could not throw out the box as his leaders were so restive that [...]
October 9, 1883 - The schooner Sacramento went ashore on Ten Mile Beach. She had sailed from San Francisco with a load of lumber, headed for Newport. In early November, the San Francisco Examiner reported that repairs of the Sacramento were complete, and the tug Rescue was on the way to make a second attempt to tow her off the beach. However, the tug “was prevented [...]