Jonathan Winters, Brian Keith, and the Gloucester Island Resistance. (Gift of Bruce Levene) May 25, 1966 - The comedy movie, "The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!” - filmed almost entirely on location along the Mendocino Coast - was released. The Fort Bragg Advocate described the film, “Fort Bragg and the adjoining coastline will be the setting for the accidental grounding of a [...]
Filing room at the Mendocino Mill, c. 1910. Left to right: Henry Swanson, Roy Hansen, Carl Swanson. (Gift of Emery Escola) May 22, 1875 - Gustave Henry Swanson was born in Smaland, Sweden. Henry left home at the age of 16, going first to Canada, where he worked for a year, before immigrating to northern California. In 1902, Henry joined the crew of the [...]
The British Tramp Steamer, “Anerley," loading at Caspar, California, c. 1911. This postcard is addressed to Edward Law in Little River and dated May 20, 1911, eight days after his 7th birthday. The Anerley was a defensively-armed cargo steamship built in 1910 by Sunderland Shipbuilding Company of England for Una Ltd. of London. In 1913 she was renamed Southborough when purchased by a new owner. On July [...]
The Kelley House Museum just made learning about Mendocino’s history a whole lot easier if you have a smart phone or tablet. Go to the App Store appropriate for your device and search for “Kelley House Tours.” You’ll find the KH icon and several narrated, self-guided walking tours of historic Mendocino. Visitors can learn about the historic Lansing Water Tower with the new Kelley House [...]
Interior of Dick's Place, 1937. Behind the bar [left to right]: Irene Cecchi, Dora Cecchi, Dick Cecchi, and Herman Figaro. May 17, 1894 - Riccardo “Dick” Cecchi was born in Fornovolasco, Italy. When he was 10 years old, he immigrated with his father to California, and in 1908, Riccardo, now known as Dick, moved to Elk to live with his uncle, Ottavio Viviani. Dick [...]
The former Eugene Brown store/barn, before reconstruction. Note the boardwalk in front. The water tower and rooftop on the right belong to the Paoli Hotel. To the right is a retaining wall associated with the Eugene Brown House. In 1874, Eugene Brown opened his mercantile store in this building on Main Street. At the time, this structure had a false front which was later [...]
Maru No.1 on Big River, c. 1908. Note the smoke other than that coming from the main steam engine. This smoke is coming from a wood stove on which a member of the crew would prepare the workers’ meals. (Gift of Alice Earl Wilder) May 15, 1900 - A steamer delivered the boiler and engine for the new river boat that was being built [...]
Mendocino Pentecost Queen and her attendants, c. 1904. L-R (front): Maggie Jerome, Annie Pereira, Mamie Bettencourt - Pentecost Queen, Amelia Perry, Unidentified, Mamie Gonzales, Adelaide Costa, Florence Lawrence, Constantine Silveira with sash, Herman Fayal with straw hat, Joe Quaill - front left. 2nd row: Mamie Jerome, Marian Thomas, Dino Figaro, Mayme Mendosa, Johanna Thomas, Annie Jerome. May 14, 1922 - Florence King passed away [...]
Do you love learning about your town and talking with people curious about Mendocino’s past? The Kelley House Museum is searching for some new folks to docent in the museum or offer walking tours of the town. The job is easier than you may think! Juliet Way sports a Victorian outfit for her walking tours, but other guides wear whatever they put on that morning. [...]
Brown Sisters and Family, c. 1941. Back row: Mayme Brown, Art Lemos, Mae Lemos, Annie Brown Stone, Emily Brown Lemos. Front row: Carrie Brown Redmayne, Tom Lemos, Patricia Lemos, and Mary Redmayne. On May 11, 1885, Annie L. Brown was born in Mendocino. Her parents were John Q. and Maria Brown, immigrants from the Azore Islands and early day settlers of Mendocino. John and [...]