history Archives • Page 5 of 13 • The Mendocino Voice

McNear: Christmas cards tell stories throughout the decades

by Averee McNear, Kelley House Museum December 25, 2025February 13, 2026

The Kelley House Museum maintains a collection of early greetings up to the 1930s, including an entire photo album from 1873,

Two women talk animatedly in the street as a crowd gathers outside the Mendocino County Courthouse, where American flags hang and onlookers line the sidewalk during a public event.

Columns & Opinion

McNear: For ‘Fangelas’ young and old, Mendocino will always be Cabot Cove

by Averee McNear, Kelley House Museum December 18, 2025February 13, 2026

The filming of “Murder, She Wrote” in the coastal town has had a lasting impacting on the locals too.

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.

Columns & Opinion

McNear: Kelley daughter was headstrong and determined to marry Alexander McCallum

by Averee McNear, Kelley House Museum December 11, 2025February 13, 2026

She rescued guests from a fire at age 11, started the community library, hosted salons and watched the opening of King Tut’s tomb.

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.