The Navy dirigible, Shenandoah, over Mendocino Bay, 1924. The Shipping Point can be seen in the background. (Gift of Emery Escola) A sight unlike anything seen before captivated Mendocino residents in 1924. The Navy dirigible Shenandoah, a colossal airship spanning 680 feet, glided majestically over the town at an altitude of 500 feet. Having departed San Diego the day before, the airship’s journey along [...]
November is National American Indian Heritage Month and the Kelley House Museum is observing it by opening a new exhibit on the history and culture of the Northern Pomo Indians, who have lived on the Mendocino Coast for thousands of years. The Pomo people comprised a network of Indigenous communities that crafted canoes, baskets, and other tools from local materials. Known worldwide for their exquisite baskets, [...]
View of the remnants of the Mendocino Lumber Company's inclined tramway that ascends the bluff from Big River. On the right is the elevated bridge that brought non-vehicular travelers from the Big River Flat, up through a 50-foot gap between two houses, and onto Main Street just west of Evergreen Avenue. It was once a short county road, but in this photo it appears on the [...]
Years ago, I interviewed a couple who lived up Albion Ridge. They wanted to share the story of their home, a small two-story hippy hovel, totally off the grid and self-sufficient, with a big vegetable garden and lots of chickens. The history I was interested in was more supernatural: I always want to know if a house has ghosts. As it happened, this couple’s house was [...]
Although Women’s History Month has ended, we are still celebrating the exceptional women of Mendocino. Here is an excerpt from the Kelley House publication From Maidens to Mavericks: Mendocino’s Women, Mendocino Historical Review Volume XXIX, written by local author, Molly Dwyer. The book can be purchased in the museum or on our website; the author’s lecture from May 17th, 2015, is available to watch on the [...]
Ruth Bourns Marsan as a young woman, c. 1890. From the Marsan Family Collection. This article was originally published in the Mendocino Beacon on October 9th, 1975. We reprint it here to mark the 50th anniversary of the Kelley House. On October 6, Dr. and Mrs. Allen Marsan of Walnut Grove called at the Kelley House and left a large envelope of historic pictures. [...]
Beth Stebbins and Dorothy Bear, with "Kelley" the cat, 1979. Photo by Ray Brooks. This article was originally published in the Mendocino Beacon on July 31, 1975. We reprint it here to mark the 50th anniversary of the Kelley House. Once it was known as the Kelley Farm. There was no Albion Street—that was just part of the farm. When it received the house, [...]
This article was originally published in the Mendocino Beacon on May 29, 1975. We reprint it here to mark the 50th anniversary of the Kelley House. The first open house at Kelley House last weekend was an auspicious occasion in the sense that it surely was a good omen for the future. The sun shone, the Mendocino High School Band played, the American Flag was presented [...]
The following excerpts originally appeared in the Mendocino Beacon on April 17 and May 1, 1975. The authors are unknown. April 17, 1975 The Kelley House began its new life as Mendocino Historical Research, Inc. (MHRI) headquarters on April 5, 1975. That was the day Robert O. Peterson presented the deed to the board of directors. [MHRI was founded by Dorothy Bear and Beth Stebbins and [...]
In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, below is an excerpt on local horticulturist Charlotte Milliken Hoak from the 2016 Kelley House publication From Maidens to Mavericks: Mendocino’s Women, written by local author, Molly Dwyer. Hoak was born in 1874 in the wilds of Comptche. She liked to say she was born with two green thumbs. Both of her parents loved growing plants and, on [...]