Vault Shed Before 1990 There is a popular exhibit on the walls of the Kelley House Museum called “Then and Now.” Visitors are offered the opportunity to compare two framed photos of the same place, taken about one hundred years apart. You can see the bay-windowed Jarvis-Nichols general store on the corner of Main and Kasten Streets bedecked with patriotic bunting for the July 4th parade [...]
One of the most fun things about the Kelley House is that you never know who or what might come in the door next. A couple of weeks ago an elderly couple from Lakeport stopped by to give the Kelley House a photo of his great-grandparents wedding portrait and a copy of their marriage license. Wed on December 7, 1895, Emil Kynell and Sofie Johnson were [...]
WITH JUST ONE and a half staff positions, the Kelley House could not exist without its valued volunteers. From the Board of Directors, to docents, writers, gardeners and the events team, volunteers are celebrated each year at an annual appreciation party. This year’s event is scheduled for Thursday, June 6, from 4:30 until 6:30 p.m.. If you have suggestions for the menu theme, please [...]
Enjoy this exclusive guided tour of the historic roses in the town of Mendocino. Roses were a particular passion of Daisy Kelley MacCallum, eldest daughter of pioneers William and Eliza Kelley, and many of the roses she planted throughout Mendocino still bloom. Reservations are suggested for this special tour, led by docent David Tahja. Advance tickets are available at the Kelley House Museum and office for [...]
The Look Tin Eli Story: Exclusion & Citizenship on the Mendocino Coast This is one exhibit you won’t want to miss! Funded by the California State Library’s Civil Liberties Public Education Program, “The Story of Look Tin Eli: Exclusion & Citizenship on the Mendocino Coast” examines local historic ties to a topic that is still very much with us today. Mendocino-born businessman Look Tin Eli led [...]
On Thursday, May 16, Kelley House members are invited to a preview of the spring exhibit, "Non-Inclusion: The Story of Look Tin Eli." Members enjoy exhibit and preview party Funded through a grant from the California State Library's Civil Liberties Public Education Program, this one-of-a-kind exhibit explores the impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act and the legacy of Mendocino-born businessman Look Tin Eli. The party begins [...]
Ghost Towns Working in the archives of the Kelley House Museum is fascinating because you are always finding tidbits of history that leave you going "Wow! I didn't know that!" Like ghost towns . . . What?? We have ghost towns in our county? You bet we do. Railroads gave us a lot of them. L.E. White's lumber company railroad went out to a split in [...]
THIS YEAR’S ANNUAL MEETING for members will be held just ahead of the members’ preview party for the spring exhibit, on Thursday, May 16. Beginning at 3 p.m., the meeting will also feature a presentation about Estate Planning. The Kelley House Board of Directors will review and discuss the status of the non-profit history organization, including budget and upcoming events. Primary expenses include salaries, utilities, maintaining [...]
Phil Carnahan at his scanner. The boxes under his window contain all the microfilm he’s using for his project, and there are more on the way. History and genealogy buffs in Mendocino County have recently been given a great resource by Phil Carnahan, a tech-savvy buff himself who has undertaken to scan and make searchable documents of all the microfilm from the newspapers published in the [...]
Costume designer Susan Collins is the featured speaker on Sunday, March 3, at Mendocino's Kelley House Museum beginning at 4 PM. The long-time member and co-manager of the Performing Arts Production Alliance will host "Sunday Afternoon With PAPA: Costume Design by the Decade, 1910-1940." Susan Collins has been costuming for Mendocino Theatre Company productions and the Gloriana Musical Theater for a number of years, [...]