The facts of the case are mostly undisputed. The only question that remains unanswered is whether saloon owner J. W. Barton was intoxicated when he fired his gun at Joseph M. Garvin, missing his head “by the fraction of an inch.” Joe was the proprietor of “Mendocino’s Cheap Cash Store,” a general merchandise establishment on Lansing Street, located where GoodLife Café & Bakery is today. Between [...]
CATTLE INVADE GARAGE - this odd headline appeared on the front page of the October 13, 1928 Mendocino Beacon. The story goes on to say, “A band of some 60 head of dairy cows being driven up the coast were going through Mendocino and when passing the S. & E. Garage, spied the big open doors, and evidently taking it for a barn, they rushed in, [...]
Tying the Knot is open now at the Kelley House Museum Travel back in time and down the aisle at the Kelley House Museum during “Tying the Knot: Bridal Fashion Unveiled,” which opens June 4, 2026 and runs through August 31, 2026. This exhibit features archival photographs, artwork, and seven pieces of historic clothing worn by Mendocino brides from the mid-1860s to 1978. This [...]
The Kelley House Museum recently accepted a donation of items related to the Kelley family, passed down to a descendant of Otis Kelley, William and Eliza’s youngest child. Most of the items relate to the first generation of Kelleys born in Mendocino, primarily Daisy MacCallum and Elise Drexler. Daisy was a dedicated diarist. When we accessioned a collection of 27 diaries written by Kelley family women [...]
Katy Tahja posing with books available at the annual Kelley House Book Sale. While gathering books for the Kelley House Museum book sale, some real treasures materialize! This annual sale takes place on Sunday, May 24 from 10am to 3pm. Why would Mendocino’s K-8 School Library be donating what looks like useful teacher reference books? The internet is one answer, and the age of [...]
Norman de Vall for Supervisor. Matchbook Cover, 1978. (Gift of Bruce Levene) Mendocino recently lost two beloved residents, both of whom had a special connection to the Kelley House Museum. Norman de Vall and Rick Sacks will be missed by many in the community. In late 2019, the Kelley House exhibited “Wind & Water: The Nautical Collection of Norman de Vall.” The exhibit showcased [...]
The first dirt track auto races on the coast were held right here in Mendocino, where Headlands State Park now exists. Organizers of the 1921 Apple Fair wanted the Fair “to be bigger and better than ever” by adding auto and horse races and a rodeo. Joshua Grindle, president of the Fair Association, appointed committees and set the plan in motion. A location for the track [...]
The following is excerpted from Nowhere to Go but Up: What Angela Lansbury Can Teach Us About Living a Big Life by Lily E. Hirsch. In fact, the initial idea [for Murder, She Wrote] surfaced in a conversation between Carla Singer, the first woman vice president of programming at CBS in drama, and her mom. Singer had previously worked at Citytv in Canada, which was officially [...]
“Murder, She Wrote” actors Michael Horton and Debbie Zipp with tour guide Joann Mauro. Another beautiful Mendocino spring is upon us, which means another Murder, She Wrote Festival is just around the corner. As the Kelley House Museum and Mendocino prepares to welcome 200 “Fangelas,” we wanted to take a moment to celebrate our volunteers who help make the festival happen. Joann Mauro leads [...]
Mendocino is a wooden place. No surprise there, since the town’s economy was founded on trees. The lumber mill provided plentiful building supplies for homes, stores and sidewalks. What is unusual is how much of it is STILL wood. The historic district’s design guidelines do not recommend plastic. Fences are mostly wood pickets and planks, not vinyl. Signs are wooden. Windows, doors and siding are all [...]