View of the front yard of the Perry-Lyons House, located on the eastern end of Main Street in Mendocino, 1865 – 1905. This view shows the south façade that overlooks Mendocino Bay, and later became the “back” of the house, similar to what happened to the Presbyterian Church and the other structures along this end of Main Street. The ornate white picket fence with a curved section near the gate runs along an extension of the Old Coast Road that once came up from the bridge crossing Big River below. A woman is holding a baby in front of the porch and two other people are sitting in the upstairs windows looking out. The porch is obscured by vines trained upon it. Mrs. Isabelle Lyons will replace the tall lattice fence, seen here on the west side of the house, with a substantial addition in 1910. Starting in the 1960s, the house became a bed-and-breakfast inn and was called by various names, including 1021 Main Street, Captain’s Cove Inn, Main Street Guest House, Ocean Front in Town, and Alegria Oceanfront Inn & Cottages. (Kelley House Collection, Kelley House Photographs)
February 1, 1921 – Mrs. Isabelle Lyons was seriously injured in a fall at her home on the east end of Main Street. While feeding her chickens, she slipped and fell, breaking her leg above the knee. She was alone when the accident happened, and it was quite a while before she could summon assistance. Dr. Preston was called, but he was on another case at the time, and it was another half-hour before he arrived. He set her leg as best he could to relieve the pain and then removed her to the Fort Bragg hospital.
Born in Bristol, England in 1847, Isabelle immigrated with her parents to Ottawa, Canada, when a child. She came to Little River in 1874, and having had some experience in nursing, she continued this line of work for many years and was well-known throughout the community. She moved to Mendocino in 1891 and died at her home in 1935. From her Beacon obituary: “Mrs. Lyons was quite a remarkable woman, bringing up a large family of her own under pioneer conditions and giving largely of her time to friends and neighbors in illness.”
Walking Tours of Historic Mendocino – Join our expert docents for a stroll and lively commentary. You’ll pass by early pioneer homes, historic meeting places, and buildings that make up the the Mendocino Historic District.