East Mendocino Schoolhouse, 1930. (Gift of Jeanette Hansen, Jeanette Mendosa Hansen Collection, Kelley House Photographs) February 4, 1912 - 25-year-old George Reinke was fatally injured when he was struck by a falling flagpole at the new East Mendocino school house, located at the intersection of Little Lake and Big Hill roads. A crowd had gathered to watch the installation of the 86-foot-tall pole, which [...]
Katy Tahja Below is a tale of serendipity that illustrates the talents of one of our most enthusiastic (and smart) volunteers – Ms. Katy Tahja. Her ability to bring together seemingly unrelated facts and recall items from years ago make her a great storyteller and one of our most valued supporters. The chatter in the Kelley House archives sounded something like this…”Does anyone know [...]
Justin Packard House, 1881 - 1887. The Justin Packard House at 44780 Main Street in Mendocino. Justin, his wife Emma, and their young daughter Elsie, stand posed in the front yard. The house was built for the Packards in 1881 by O. B Ackerman. The water tower in the back is no longer standing. Evergreen Street is not evident in this photo. It was first called [...]
View of the front yard of the Perry-Lyons House, located on the eastern end of Main Street in Mendocino, 1865 - 1905. This view shows the south façade that overlooks Mendocino Bay, and later became the "back" of the house, similar to what happened to the Presbyterian Church and the other structures along this end of Main Street. The ornate white picket fence with a [...]
Helen Thomsen. (Gillette Photography) January 31, 1995 - Helen Fagg Thomsen, devoted musician and a founder of the Mendocino Community Library died, just a few days before her 88th birthday. Born in Detroit on February 4, 1907, she earned her undergraduate degree in 1929 from the University of Michigan. She came to California when she accepted a graduate fellowship in education at Mills College [...]
Studio portrait of Alice Hills taken when she was 17 years old. (Kelley House Collection, Kelley House Photographs) January 30, 1882 - Mrs. Alice Hills Grindle, age 23, passed away at the home of her parents, leaving her husband Joshua Grindle, her parents Spencer and Senith Hills, and her 8-day-old son to mourn her. Joshua named their newborn son, Aliston, in honor of his [...]
Eugene Brown, c. 1876. (Bradley & Rulofson of San Francisco (Studio), Gift of Nannie Escola, Nannie Escola Collection, Kelley House Photographs) January 29, 1860 - Eugene Brown and his mother arrived in Mendocino to join his eldest brother Frederick, who was already established on the coast as a woodsman. Born in Oldtown, Maine in 1835, Eugene was the youngest son of Moses and Nancy [...]
Women of Mendocino, c. 1900; unidentified, except for: Mrs. Mamie Nichols (bonnet, shawl and child); Mrs. Elizabeth Chambers (front); Mrs. Laura Lammers (man's clothing); Adelaide Perkins (plaid); and Lulu Ross seated in front. (Kelley House Collection, Kelley House Photographs) January 28, 1915 - A surprise party was held for Mrs. Mamie Nichols on her 42nd birthday. The front page of the Saturday Beacon described [...]
An event happened during World War II in Oregon that could have easily happened on the Mendocino Coast if Mother Nature’s winds had blown farther south. Unidentified volunteer searching the sky for enemy aircraft and exploding balloons at the Comptche Aircraft Warning Station, c. 1945. According to the Mendocino Beacon, “The service is all voluntary but the best information we have is that there must [...]
Mendocino High School Band marching up Main Street, 1936-1937. Gordon Dixon was the director of the band at that time. They are near the intersection of Kasten and Main Street, in front of Chet Bishop's General Merchandise Store. In the background is the Bank Building. (Kelley House Collection, Kelley House Photographs) Look Tin Eli: The Mendocino Visionary Who Helped Shape the Chinese-American Experience by Robert S. [...]