Public education began in Mendocino in 1862 with a small primary school located near the corner of Ukiah and Lansing streets, followed in 1885 by a larger Grammar School on the corner of School and Pine streets. Although some limited “advanced” classes were offered there, students seeking a full high school education had to leave town, often living with relatives in San Francisco. That changed in [...]
Ed Boyle, Woods Superintendent for the Mendocino Lumber Company, 1928. Kelley House Photographs. Thomas Edward “Ed” Boyle was one of the most respected figures in the Mendocino Coast’s lumbering history, a man whose life was shaped by the redwoods and who, in turn, helped shape an entire era of logging on Big River. Born in Albion on December 4, 1866, Ed was the second [...]
Protect Your Coast Flyer used in 1988, Kelley House Collection. For years Mendocino has fought to protect the beauty of our coastline. In the eighties, this fight came to a head as the people turned out in droves to testify at the Department of Interior’s public hearing against Lease Sale 91. The proposal would have put 1.1 million acres of undersea land for sale, [...]
The third bridge across Big River, completed in 1899, was an important connection between Mendocino and the communities to the south and inland. Built by Healey & Tibbets for $7,793, it replaced an older bridge that had become too unsafe to use. The County Board of Supervisors fast-tracked the new construction under emergency procedures, and the bridge opened to public travel in August of that year. [...]
It’s been a hoppy summer at the Kelley House due to our current exhibit, On Tap: The History of Brewing on the Mendocino Coast. The same can’t be said for the summer of 1909, because voters in Mendocino passed prohibition that year on July 27. This law banned all alcohol sales within the town limits, putting 9 saloons and 5 hotel bars out of business. Caspar, [...]
Bette Davis and Ford Rainey dancing on the set of "Strangers" in Noyo Harbor. Kelley House Collection. In November and December of 1978, the Mendocino Coast was transformed into a picturesque New England fishing village for the filming of Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter, a made-for-TV movie starring Hollywood legends Bette Davis and Gena Rowlands. The story centered on a woman [...]
In the early 1900s, Mendocino was known for more than just lumber; the town had a reputation for apples, too. In 1911, local farmers organized the first Apple Fair inside the Odd Fellows Hall (now Highlight Gallery, at Kasten and Ukiah Streets), featuring displays of local produce, games, and entertainment. The event was such a success that the Farmers & Apple Growers Association decided to build [...]
Edited by Averee McNear The Mendocino Music Festival is back! To celebrate another year of great music, let us look at how the music festival began in this 2005 article written by Chuck Bush. Allan Pollack and Susan Waterfall both grew up in the Chicago area and attended the same high school, although not at the same time. They met in 1983, when both were living [...]
Early on Monday morning, April 17, 1939, a caravan consisting of two 35-passenger school buses, five cars, and a luggage truck departed Mendocino with 100 Mendocino High School students, teachers, and several adult chaperones. In addition to the faculty, the group included Miss Chilquist, the school nurse, along with Mrs. Chester Bishop, Mrs. Vernie Brown, George Lamb, and William Conley. Their destination was the San Francisco [...]
The Girlie Mahoney breaking through the wharf in Albion Bay, 1919. On December 23, 1919, the steamer Girlie Mahoney, loaded with 360,000 feet of lumber, was wrecked in Albion harbor after stormy seas and a series of failed rescue efforts doomed the vessel. Originally built in 1904 as the James S. Higgins and later reconstructed and renamed, the Mahoney had long served as a [...]