On display at the Ford House on Main Street is a meticulously detailed scale model of Mendocino as it appeared in the late 19th century. Created by master craftsman Lennard "Len" Peterson between February 1989 and December 1990, the model spans a four-by-eight-foot base, with a scale of 1:384 (3/64 inches to the foot). It features 358 buildings, including hotels, businesses, homes, and outhouses, alongside 34 [...]
“J. E. Packard is having a neat cottage built on his lot near the school house grounds. We have no building boom, but several new houses are being erected about town.” Thus it was reported in the Mendocino Beacon on March 21, 1891. What has become known as the Packard-Johnson House was one of two houses built for Justin Packard in the east part of town, [...]
Herman Fayal, a lifelong resident of Mendocino, became known for his intricate miniatures that captured the spirit and history of the town he loved. Born in 1893, just a year after his parents Manuel and Maria Costa immigrated to California, Herman grew up with deep ties to the Mendocino coast. (Herman later changed his last name to avoid confusion with other Costas.) Herman Fayal in [...]
Kelley House Lattice Arbor with Abalone Shells. Undated photo of a wooden arbor with decorative abalone shells in the Kelley House yard. This small arbor was located next to the Kelley House water tower. A handmade chair made from sticks sits empty to the left of the arbor. (Gift of Margaret Kelley Campbell) Saturday and Sunday @ 11AM! Walking Tours of Historic Mendocino - [...]
In August 1952, Mendocino celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the town. The festivities drew an estimated 5,000 attendees and showcased the rich history and community spirit of Mendocino. The Centennial weekend kicked off on Saturday at Kellieowen Hall, on the southwest corner of Lansing and Ukiah Streets, where local residents proudly displayed a remarkable collection of antiques and heirlooms. The exhibit offered a [...]
This photo was taken between 1919 and 1925 at the intersection of Lansing and Ukiah Streets, looking north. On the left side of the street is the Masonic Hall, built between 1866 and 1872, then a small store, followed by another small commercial building attached to a 2-story structure where carpenter/undertaker J. D. Johnson stored his burial caskets. Beyond that is a garage, which would be [...]
Stop by the Kelley House Museum at 45007 Albion Street in Mendocino! Visit our gardens, and explore the inside of one of the first homes built in Mendocino. The museum is open Thursday-Monday, 11am - 3pm. Kelley House Museum, July 2024. (Photographer: Robert Dominy) Our current exhibit is “Paint the Town: The Art of Kevin Milligan.” Kevin Milligan’s gorgeous oil paintings capture the breathtaking [...]
July 21, 1926 - A summer sale began at the Mendocino Hat Shop. The store advertised in the Mendocino Beacon, offering greatly reduced prices on their current inventory. Rose Cole opened the Mendocino Hat Shop, which featured straw and trimmed hats for ladies and children, in 1924. This business was located in the eastern part of a now-demolished building on the south side of Main Street. [...]
Caspar Mill Pond and Log Chute. Men on rafts can be seen moving the logs away from the bottom of the chute to clear the landing area and sorting the logs into pockets in the pond according to species and size. Logs were brought from the woods to the mill via railroad. The log chute connected the terminus of the railroad at the top of the [...]
Alice Earl Wilder, 95, at the Ford Family reunion in 1984. Alice Earl Wilder was the granddaughter of Jerome Bursley Ford, one of the founders of Mendocino. Her letters to Dorothy Bear and Beth Stebbins in 1973 contain reminiscences of her summers spent in Mendocino as a child and later as an adult. The letter below was found in the Kelley House archives by Mary [...]