November 15, 1860 - Twelve lives were lost in a terrible maritime disaster in Mendocino Bay. The brig J. S. Cabot had approached the loading chute to take on a cargo of lumber. Seeing the chute was currently in use, the captain attempted to turn back to sea but a sudden gale brought in a heavy sea from the south. Although anchors were dropped, the ship [...]
Portrait of David F. Lansing, c. 1870. (Kelley House Collection, Kelley House Photographs) November 14, 1877 - Captain David F. Lansing died in Mendocino. Born in Albany, New York in 1809, Lansing came to the California coast in 1849 with his wife and two oldest children. He sailed on several successful whaling voyages, and then, in 1852, Captain Lansing arrived in Mendocino in command [...]
Jennie Blair, Daisy (Kelley) MacCallum’s San Francisco socialite cousin, wore this elaborate gown when she was presented to the Court of Saint James in England. The gown features ivory silk with lace, fine embroidery, and ribbon-work wrought into flowers, baskets, and scrolls. The slashed appearance of the fabric is an unfortunate byproduct of the practice of soaking silk fabric in mineral salts to increase its heft [...]
This fourth installment in our series about the Kelley family features its matriarch, Eliza. Two tiny images in a delicate locket that belonged to Eliza Owen Kelley. Eliza is pictured on the left and would have been about 30 years old. On the right is her husband William Henry Kelley, 34 years old. We presume these photographs were taken shortly after their marriage in 1855. [...]
The original house, built by J. D. Johnson in 1881, was smaller and located farther north on the lot. After her husband, Alexander MacCallum, died in 1908, Daisy Kelley MacCallum returned to Mendocino from San Francisco, where they had been living. In 1908, she had the house moved to the center of the lot and had Alexander Carmichael build a large addition on the north side. [...]
The Brooklyn towing a four-masted barkentine from Big River. (Gift of Emery Escola, Emery Escola Collection, Kelley House Photographs) November 8, 1930 - The wooden steam schooner Brooklyn sank while crossing the Humboldt bar at the entrance to Humboldt Bay. Seventeen crew members were lost; only the first mate survived. The Beacon reported, “The sea was extremely rough as the vessel attempted to cross [...]
The Jarvis & Nichols general merchandise store on the northeast corner of Kasten and Main Streets in Mendocino, 1907-1916. Jim Nichols is center and Henry Jarvis stands to the right on the wide concrete sidewalk and step in front of their store. (Kelley House Collection, Kelley House Photographs) November 7, 1907 - August “Gus” Johnson was installing concrete sidewalks around town. The Beacon reported [...]
Eight men posing in front of the Alhambra Hotel next to a large gaslight, purportedly the first in town, c. 1887. H.B. Seavey, the owner, is standing third from the left wearing a beard and vest without a coat. A tall flagpole, attached to the eave of the false front, sits on the second-story balcony. The balcony is constructed with crossed rails. A hitching post [...]
Nannie Flood Escola in her classroom at the Ellison School on the Little River-Airport Road, 1909. (Gift of Linda Mechling, The Nannie Escola Collection, Kelley House Photographs) November 5, 1912 - Miss Nannie Flood was the first woman in Mendocino to cast a vote for President of the United States. She marked her ballot a few minutes after 6 am, stopping at the polls [...]
This week we celebrate the bicentennial of William Henry Kelley’s birth. And who is this W. H. Kelley? That is a question many people visiting the Kelley House Museum want answered when they walk through the door. He was a remarkable man, and his tale is worth telling. William Henry Kelley in 1865, thirteen years after arriving in Mendocino. He spelled his family name "Kelly" [...]