Jerome Bursley Ford. (Gift of Alice Earl Wilder, Alice Earl Wilder Collection, Kelley House Photographs) October 24, 1889 - Jerome Bursley Ford, the first lumber company man to arrive in Mendocino, died at his home in Oakland. He was one of the original pioneers who settled the town, and he was instrumental in the establishment of the Mendocino Lumber Company. Ford is generally considered [...]
Airplane in Hansen's Field, looking north, 1920. On June 6, 1920, Dayton Murray and his Curtiss Jenny biplane landed on Hansen's Field in South Caspar and offered rides for $5.00. (Gift of Mae Johnson, Mae Johnson Collection, Kelley House Photographs) October 23, 1919 - Dayton Murray, a former Mendocino resident, flew down from Eureka, a distance of 120 miles, in just 77 minutes to [...]
“W. H. Kelly now in the house.” A view of the south and west sides of the Kelley House c. 1880. This early stereopticon photograph shows the house, which looks much as it is today, with the kitchen addition on the west, and painted a light color with white trim. An unpainted Mendocino-style picket fence runs along Main Street. The small octagonal building on the [...]
Preserving history comes in many forms. You might keep photo albums (remember those?), create scrapbooks, save letters and journals, or collect ephemera and heirlooms that help tell the story of you and your family. What is the best way to safeguard these treasures for the future? Small objects like photographs or letters can be easy to preserve with the proper archival storage materials and a cool, [...]
This past summer, Partners Gallery, a long-time contributor to the local art scene, moved into the 150-year-old Beacon Building on Ukiah Street in Mendocino. The new occupants contacted the Kelley House to learn more about this historic structure, since so many people who came in to look at the artwork were also curious about the setting. What was with the big black safe? A 1948 [...]
The Kelley House relies on philanthropists. Not the Daddy Warbucks variety with the signature cigar and sacks of money but the dedicated, resourceful, and unfailingly generous philanthropists that support our mission, contribute to our annual appeal, and serve as volunteers. When you hear the word philanthropy, what comes to mind? Wealthy individuals, prominent foundations, and corporations? What about a person with modest means - can they [...]
The Kelley House Museum could use your help in identifying this group of intriguing women. As the original paper matt frame indicates, the photograph was taken by the Fitch and King photography studio in Fort Bragg. We estimate the date between 1904 to 1914. Could this be your great grandmother and her friends? Why are they gathered together at the studio? How are they related? Please [...]
The Bank House on the corner of Albion and Kasten Streets, c. 1908-1956. The view is looking to the north from the Bank of America building. The water tower on the left was dismantled and moved to the Heritage House resort on Highway 1 south of Little River in the early 1960s. Heeser's three-tank water tower can be seen on the right. The second Odd [...]
Mendocino Post Office, corner of Ford and Ukiah Streets, 1966-1986. (Kelley House Collection, Kelley House Photographs) September 21, 1966 - Construction of the Mendocino Post Office, located on the corner of Ford and Ukiah Streets, began. Before his death earlier that summer, Auggie Heeser sold the land east of the Beacon office to be used for the site of the new post office. Don [...]
Photograph by Mendocino photographer Bill Foote of the town of Mendocino, taken across Big River beach, looking north, c. 1966. In the center is the Mendocino Presbyterian Church and its manse, Eidseth House. On the left, one can see the south facade of the building once known as the Mendocino Hospital, located at Ukiah and Howard Streets. On the far right of the photo, the house [...]