Born on March 21, 1877 in San Francisco, Annie Agnes McGuire was raised the daughter of Irish immigrants. She had five siblings, and after her father passed away in 1881, her mother Rose and older sister Mary worked at the City Hotel in Mendocino to make ends meet. The McGuires lived in a rental owned by William Kelley.
Annie was well-liked by her peers. In June 1894, she was awarded a prize as “the most popular young lady in Mendocino.” She regularly attended costume parties, which were so popular they were held throughout the year in the Victorian Era, and her attendance as an “American Girl” and “in Greek costume” earned her recognition in newspaper reports of the parties.
Annie married Otis Kelley in 1897 after a rocky beginning to their relationship. The couple had eight children during their 40-year marriage: Lloyd, Richard, Margaret, Carroll, James, Mervyn, Katherine and Gordon. The Mendocino Beacon regularly reported on the family’s extended trips to Mendocino with the children, at times staying in Daisy MacCallum’s house while Daisy traveled. By all accounts, Annie was a doting mother, and it is through Annie’s role as a mother that we view much of her life.
Countless letters exist between Annie and her children. The Kelley House archive holds letters from Annie’s oldest child, Lloyd, to Annie, donated by two branches of the Kelley family. Lloyd wrote to his mother regularly, especially during his time as a soldier in World War I. He enlisted in the army on June 5, 1917. In one letter shortly after he arrived in France, Lloyd apologizes to Annie for not alerting her of his deployment overseas, as he had not wanted her to worry about him going off to war.
In photographs currently being cataloged at the Kelley House Museum, you can see Annie and her children growing up through the years. A circa 1908 photo shows Annie outdoors with her mother Rose and Lloyd, Richard, and Margaret. Another family photo shows Otis and Annie with Margaret, James, Carroll, Richard and Mervyn sitting on a small boat near the shore. Many photos feature the children swimming, and you can see them slowly growing up.
In one beautiful candid shot, the entire family is seated around a table, with Annie’s face blurred in motion. Six of Annie’s children are in the photo, along with Jim and Millie McGuire on the far left and far right, respectively. Annie is holding a young Barbara Jean, Richard’s oldest child. Annie passed away in 1953 at the age of 76, likely still surrounded by her family.
Averee McNear is the curator at the Kelley House Museum in Mendocino, Calif.
