This modest Christmas card offers a personal glimpse into family life in Mendocino during the 1880s. The envelope is addressed to “R. B. Kelly, Mendocino, Calif.” and bears three 2-cent stamps. Inside is a small, handmade card. One side reads, “Happy may your Christmas be,” and the other, “A Happy New Year.” Written simply in the margin is the name “Jean.”
The signature suggests the card may have been sent by Jean MacCallum, the young niece of Russell Blair Kelley and the daughter of his sister, Daisy.
Russell Blair Kelley was born on June 29, 1863, at the Kelley House in Mendocino, the first son and second child of William and Eliza Kelley. A bright student, he attended Mendocino’s first public school and earned a reputation as a promising young man. His life, however, was shaped by fragile health. From childhood, Russell suffered from serious heart and respiratory problems, and his family tried to improve his health through travel, including repeated stays at Bartlett Springs and an extended trip to Europe in 1881.
Despite his fragile health, Russell embraced community life. He helped organize local celebrations, chaired Mendocino’s Fourth of July festivities in 1884, and was remembered for his intelligence, charm, and generous spirit. His death on November 7, 1886, at just 23 years old, was deeply felt. He was laid to rest in Hillcrest Cemetery, overlooking the ocean he loved, and his sister Daisy later honored him by creating “Russell’s Garden” at the MacCallum House.
Russell’s niece, Jean MacCallum, was born in 1882 at Glen Blair, where her father, Alexander MacCallum, served as superintendent of the Glen Blair Mill. She and her brother Donald spent their early years there, surrounded by forest and gardens lovingly tended by their mother, Daisy.
The family later moved to San Francisco, and after Alexander’s death, Daisy returned to Mendocino, living in the MacCallum House for the remainder of her life. Jean visited often and maintained close ties to the town. An accomplished pianist, she traveled extensively in Europe during her lifetime.
This simple Christmas card was carefully preserved within the family and eventually donated to the Kelley House Museum by Jean’s cousin, Margaret Kelley Campbell, the daughter of Russell and Daisy’s brother, Otis Kelley.
Holiday Walking Tours of Mendocino! Mendocino Historic District Tours with Jane Tillis on 12/23, 12/26, 12/27, 12/29, 12/31, and 1/3. Haunted Mendocino Tours with Rob Hawthorn on 12/24, 12/27, and 12/30. Murder, She Wrote Tours available by email request. Tour tickets are $25.