As all of California prepares for a “Super El Niño” this winter, California was facing a similar storm pattern 100 years ago. 1926 also brought one of the strongest El Niño events in recent history. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ranks 1926 among the top 12 strongest El Niño years.
For residents of the Mendocino coast, their 1926 Thanksgiving was characterized by heavy rain. On Saturday, Nov. 27, just two days after Thanksgiving, the Mendocino Beacon published its weekly edition, with most of the stories focusing on the impact of the storm. The first headline reads “UKIAH GETS BIG RAINFALL: STORM DAMAGES POWER LINES OF PG&E.” The inland valleys received up to 10 inches of rain.
Another front page article reported on the impact of the week-long storm throughout the state. Winds at 90 miles an hour were reported at Mt. Tamalpais on Wednesday, Nov. 24, and 60 miles an hour at Point Reyes on Friday, Nov. 26.
In Mendocino, residents braved the storm and poor weather conditions. One headline reads “Many Coast People Brave Storm to Witness Big Game.” The previous Saturday, the University California played Stanford at home, but suffered a devastating loss 6-41. Many from Mendocino traveled to Berkeley for the chance to watch the game, and reported that “the road to the city was in excellent shape, barring a few miles south of Boonville.” Luckily, the weather temporarily cleared for the duration of the game.
“Messrs [a formal abbreviation of Mr.] Foster and Reeder of Greenwood” weren’t so lucky on the coastal roads, however. Returning home early Sunday, Nov. 21 from a dance in Mendocino, their Ford sedan slid on mud and ran off the road, flipping upside down. Both men suffered no injuries, but the car was significantly damaged. The short article ends with “This is evidently a bad spot for automobiles as Silvia Nonella went off the road in the same place the day before.”
Due to the wet weather, logging operations in Mendocino were paused, giving loggers an additional day off after Thanksgiving. At Big Hill, near the confluence of Little North Fork and Big River, the water level raised about two feet, and the telephone line at the camp was out of commission due to the wind.
The front page of the Beacon did report a few Thanksgiving celebrations, mostly the goings-on on local families traveling to/from town for the holiday. Turkeys were “in good demand” in Mendocino. They could be found in grocery stories along the coast for 40 cents a pound.
Averee McNear is the curator at the Kelley House Museum in Mendocino, Calif.