A vintage black-and-white portrait of a woman in early 20th-century clothing, wearing a dark puff-sleeved dress with lace cuffs, long gloves, and a large decorative hat adorned with flowers. She stands facing slightly to the side, looking directly at the camera with a composed expression.
Emma Shirley “Daisy” Kelley, daughter of William and Eliza Kelley, in a photo taken around 1882. She was the president of the Mendocino Study Club from 1915-1916 and was instrumental in establishing the Mendocino Community Library. (Kelley House Museum via Bay City News.)

Born in 1859 to William and Eliza Kelley, Emma Shirley “Daisy” Kelley was always described as a “lady,” polite, generous, and intelligent. She was also adventurous and determined. When the Mendocino Fire of 1870 broke out, Daisy was 11. She reportedly rushed into a burning hotel to wake sleeping guests.

When retelling this story years later, she reported that this event frightened her parents and added that she had many other adventures that her parents knew nothing of. Some of Daisy’s diaries are in the Kelley House archive and are now being transcribed. Maybe some of these stories will be rediscovered.

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