“J. E. Packard is having a neat cottage built on his lot near the school house grounds. We have no building boom, but several new houses are being erected about town.” Thus it was reported in the Mendocino Beacon on March 21, 1891. What has become known as the Packard-Johnson House was one of two houses built for Justin Packard in the east part of town, [...]
Herman Fayal, a lifelong resident of Mendocino, became known for his intricate miniatures that captured the spirit and history of the town he loved. Born in 1893, just a year after his parents Manuel and Maria Costa immigrated to California, Herman grew up with deep ties to the Mendocino coast. (Herman later changed his last name to avoid confusion with other Costas.) Herman Fayal in [...]
According to the late Charlotte Hoak, daughter of one of the first settlers in Comptche, the town was named after Compatche, a Pomo chief who brought his people through that beautiful area seasonally, as a part of their hunting and gathering, nomadic life. The Pomos told her his name means, "in the valley among the hills, beside the river of potholes"—quite a lot for only one [...]
Kelley House Lattice Arbor with Abalone Shells. Undated photo of a wooden arbor with decorative abalone shells in the Kelley House yard. This small arbor was located next to the Kelley House water tower. A handmade chair made from sticks sits empty to the left of the arbor. (Gift of Margaret Kelley Campbell) Saturday and Sunday @ 11AM! Walking Tours of Historic Mendocino - [...]
[John and Elizabeth Carlson, proprietors of the City Hotel, raised their twin daughters and son in the hotel along with John Kupp, Elizabeth’s son from her first marriage. As the children grew, they helped out with the hotel’s operation.] Daughters Elizabeth (Bessie) and Catherine (Katie) managed the hotel dining room but that did not interrupt their educations at the Convent of Notre Dame in San Jose, [...]
In August 1952, Mendocino celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the town. The festivities drew an estimated 5,000 attendees and showcased the rich history and community spirit of Mendocino. The Centennial weekend kicked off on Saturday at Kellieowen Hall, on the southwest corner of Lansing and Ukiah Streets, where local residents proudly displayed a remarkable collection of antiques and heirlooms. The exhibit offered a [...]
A clip from the Independent Dispatch of March, 1871 reads: "The outside of Carlson's Hotel is now receiving the finishing touch of the mechanic's skillful hand. When finished, this magnificent structure will reflect no little credit on Mr. Carlson. If all would display as much enterprise as has this gentleman, a lapse of six months would leave no trace by which one could discover that that [...]
Part 1 of 3; excerpted and annotated from “Mendocino’s Hotels & Saloons,” by Dorothy Bear and Beth Stebbins. Mendocino Historical Review, June, 1980. John E. Carlson was born in Colson, Sweden on June 20, 1827. When he was 16 years old he went to sea until 1849, when he found himself on a ship bound for California. That was the year nuggets of gold could be [...]
Part 2 of 2; reprinted from the June 1, 2006 Mendocino Beacon; Read Part 1 With the engine-driven Maru, rafts became much longer. A November 14, 1908 Beacon note: "A raft of logs nearly one-third of a mile long, one end invisible from the other, having 1,500 logs, which equaled 800,000 feet of lumber, was moved down the river by the ‘Maru.’ Perley Maxwell was the [...]
Part 1 of 2; reprinted from the May 25, 2006 Mendocino Beacon During all of the early days of our fair Mendocino, logging was king. Once the big redwoods were felled, bucked (cut into movable lengths), and peeled (debarked), they had to be brought to the mill. That involved using jackscrews (like an automotive screw jack), building chutes and skid roads, utilizing horses and oxen and [...]