Mendocino History Home Page
A Short History of Mendocino:
The town of Mendocino was listed as a post office in 1858. Mendocino was referred to as Mendocino City to distinguish it from Cape Mendocino and Mendocino County which appeared on a map around 1587.
The Pomo Indians were native to the area. They lived in villages near what we call Big River but which they called "Booldam." The first white settler was William Kasten. He was reported to be the only survivor of a boat wreck of the Mendocino coast in 1850.
Jerome Ford came over land in 1851 to find the remains from the Frolic, a ship that was carrying goods from China valued at $1500,000, Nothing was found except large redwood trees. Henery Meiggs, organizer of the search and part owner of the Bodega sawmill (Mills in Mendocino), saw an opportunity. Meiggs, who had been in the lumber business in San Francisco, immediately started assembling the machinery and acquired the ship Ontario. David F. Lansing was the Captain and future community leaders W. H. Kelley, E. C. Williams and J. E. Carlson with other workmen, were hired as crew.
Jerome Ford came over land with oxen and live stock. In his dairy he wrote while he was waiting for the Ontario to arrive "went up the river today to visit the Germans at their camp." It is believed that the three Hegenmeyer brothers were part of a German group that first located at Russian Gulch, just north of Mendocino. Gebhard Hegenmeyer remain after the abandonment of their operation, later to become one of the founding Masons who built the Masonic Hall.
In the autumn of 1854 Henry Meiggs found himself in financial distress. His major investments were made on borrowed capital. By October 1854, Meiggs sailed his family to South America to never return. William´s and Ford negotiated with the creditors and paid off the mortgages. They became the owners in 1872.
Mendocino had a Chinese community. When the loggers "homed in" during the winter the Chinese population grew to about 200. At the corner of Main and Kasten streets was the Chung Kow Wash House where the Out of this World now stands. The Kuan Ti Temple on Albion Street is the oldest Taoist temple in Northern California.
Most of the historic places of Mendocino are not open to the public but you are invited into The Kelly House Museum, to see semi-annual displays, The Ford house, and the The Kelly House archive. also offers important displays and information.
What else is there to see in Mendocino?
The Presbyterian Church is a beautiful monument of the past and is still used today.
The MacCallum House is another beautiful building which resembles the Victorian style of Mendocino.
There are also the Water Towers in Mendocino . These old structures were once a necessity and now a rare part of history.
A Street in Mendocino
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