On November 5, 1917, the steamer Prentiss met with a catastrophic accident while loading cargo at Albion when a sudden and powerful southwest swell caused the ship to crash into the wharf. Despite Captain Iverson and his crew’s efforts to maneuver the vessel into open waters, the strong undertow dragged the stern line into the propeller, leaving the Prentiss helpless. Steamer Prentiss Ashore at Albion, [...]
It was pouring rain on February 1st when Averee McNear arrived in town to start her new job at the Kelley House, and it’s been pretty much nonstop for a week now, but she claims it hasn’t diluted her eagerness to settle in. Moist gloom is part of the Mendocino vibe, after all, so she’s determined to make it her friend. Most recently, she lived in [...]
Evergreen Cemetery, Mendocino, California. February 2025. (Photographer: Robert Dominy) Today! 11AM - Walking Tour of the Mendocino Historic District. $25. The Kelley House Museum is open from 11AM to 3PM Friday through Sunday. Come by to see our current exhibit on the Northern Pomo.
William Wetherby Gibb, born in Calais, Maine circa 1826, came to this coast about 1854. He had been a lumberman in Maine, and in Mendocino he was employed by the California Lumber Manufacturing Company. Gibb may have worked his way up to the lumber company office, for in the 1860s, possibly as late as 1867 or '68, he was sent to Chile "to track down a [...]
Catherine Blosser visited the Kelley House in late March [of 2012] bringing with her a wonderful collection of original photographs, letters, and the family Bible of her great grandparents, James and Lizzie Milliken, all of which she donated to the Kelley House. The Millikens were part of the early migration of easterners to this region. Daniel Brewer Milliken came to Mendocino from Maine in 1857, having [...]
Cotoneaster on the south side of the Kelley House, January 2025. (Photographer: Robert Dominy) Visit our garden anytime, and drop by our current exhibit on the Northern Pomo this weekend. The museum is open 11AM to 3PM Friday through Sunday.
Construction of the second Heeser Water Tower, 1983. (Bill Wagner Collection) The construction of the second Heeser Water Tower in 1983 was a significant undertaking, following the destruction of the original tower in 1974 by a fierce storm. The first Heeser Water Tower, located on the southeast corner of Ukiah and Kasten Streets in Mendocino, was built around 1903. This two-tank tower provided water [...]
The current exhibit at the Kelley House Museum, “Northern Pomo: Mendocino’s First People,” explores the history and rich culture of the local Indigenous people through the oral traditions passed down through generations and with stories still told by tribal elders. Before they were credible sources of their own history, much that was known about it was pieced together by anthropologists and archaeologists who learned about it [...]
The Kelley House Museum is proud to present an online exhibit in conjunction with our current exhibit “Northern Pomo: Mendocino’s First People.” "Portraits from North American Indian Life," Edward Curtis, Promontory Press, 1972. Explore the history and rich culture of the Northern Pomo, who have lived on the Mendocino Coast for thousands of years. Discover the Pomo language, read about early coastal villages, admire [...]
Meeting members of old Mendocino families is always a delight at the Kelley House. Previous residents, who are often only names and dates on our index cards, come alive when their descendants return to the museum to learn more about their ancestry. Theresa Vanni Motroni and her sister, Lisa Vanni Melin, visited back in 2012 in order to get a fuller picture of their great-great-grandparents, John [...]