Mendocino’s early lumber days brought many families to the coast, including William Kelley and his new bride, Eliza. Born in Prince Edward Island, Canada in 1821, William arrived in Mendocino via the Isthmus of Panama in 1852. When he arrived in San Francisco, William signed onto the ship “Ontario” as a carpenter. The ship left San Francisco for Mendocino Bay carrying the first sawmill, changing Mendocino’s history forever.
William quickly made a name for himself. He opened a general store, a livery stable, and became an investor in the first Caspar sawmill. He also had a talent for real estate development. In 1854, William bought the land west of Lansing Street, north of Main Street, and bounded by the ocean from William Kasten for $3,500. This is almost the entire present-day town of Mendocino. He later sold the land for $6,000.
William travelled back to Prince Edward Island to marry Eliza Kelley, who was born in 1825. The couple married in June 1855 and arrived in Mendocino two months later. William’s sister Abigail arrived the following year and married Captain Samuel Blair in 1861. William and Eliza had four children in Mendocino — Daisy, Russell, Elise, and Otis. Aunt Abby often welcomed her nieces and nephews to her home in San Francisco.
While William was a prominent businessman, Eliza was a prominent figure in the community as well. She was deeply religious and part of a group that attended the services of traveling preachers. This group later led the establishment of a non-denominational church on Lansing Street in 1862, the first church in Mendocino.
Eliza later wanted to establish a Baptist church. William built her the Kelley Baptist Church in 1894, the year before he died. She often played the organ during services and sometimes preached. In 1903, Elise Kelley gifted her mother a bell for the church. By 1910, the congregation grew to 42 people, and the church continued to be used until 1936. The building is now home to Corners of the Mouth, a natural food store.
The Kelley family’s mark remains in many places around Mendocino, including the Kelley House Museum, which holds many of the family’s photographs and objects. The bedrooms in the museum are furnished with period furniture, including some items that belong to the Kelley family, giving the impression of stepping into their world.
Kelley House Museum curator Averee McNear writes a weekly column on Mendocino County history for Mendocino Voice.