history Archives • Page 11 of 19 • The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA

Vintage portrait of a woman dressed in a high-collared, striped Victorian-era dress with puffed sleeves. She has short, curly hair styled close to her head and looks slightly to the side with a calm, composed expression. The background is plain and sepia-toned.

Columns & Opinion

McNear: A Mendocino pioneer whose life didn’t fade with time

by Averee McNear, Kelley House Museum December 4, 2025February 13, 2026

Meticulous diaries kept by Etta Pullen offer a rare, detailed account of a woman’s journey west, early teaching career, and daily ranch life in the 1800s.

Historic black-and-white photo of a man standing in front of a wooden storefront with a covered porch. A sign above the entrance reads “F.A. Lemos – Groceries & Men’s Underwear.” Another hand-painted sign hangs from a post saying “New Potatoes for Sale.” A “Star Tobacco” sign is visible in the window, and a building labeled “Lodging House” stands in the background.

Columns & Opinion

McNear: How Mendocino’s early saloons shaped a town—and sparked local prohibition

by Averee McNear, Kelley House Museum November 28, 2025February 13, 2026

Once a bustling bar with drink tokens and rumored upstairs activity, the Main Street landmark reinvented itself after the town’s 1909 prohibition vote.

Two men in formal suits sit side by side in an early 20th-century studio portrait, posing with hands resting on a small ornate table, with “Fitch, The Photo Man., Fort Bragg, Cal.” printed below.

Columns & Opinion

McNear: Mendocino native at the heart of an early birthright citizen court case

by Averee McNear, Kelley House Museum November 20, 2025February 13, 2026

Look Tin Eli later established a Chinese-American bank in San Francisco.

Historic black-and-white photo of a large two-story wooden hotel with a wraparound porch, shuttered windows, and a windmill in the background, standing on a dirt lot in the late 1800s.

Columns & Opinion

McNear: City Hotel was one of Mendocino’s first lodging spots

by Averee McNear, Kelley House Museum November 13, 2025February 13, 2026

Its food was legendary and saloon popular, but it couldn’t stay in business.

A vintage black-and-white photo shows a group of women dressed in mid-20th-century attire — dresses, hats, and gloves — standing together indoors in front of a floral backdrop, posing for a formal group portrait.

Columns & Opinion

Mendocino Study Club grew from a desire for higher education

by Averee McNear, Kelley House Museum November 6, 2025November 10, 2025

The group turned to public service early on and pioneered Mendocino County’s first lending library.

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