STEVENSWOOD | MENDOCINO | STEVENSWOOD LODGE » Mendocino History

Remembrances of Nannie Flood Escola

Nelson symes — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 02:42:56 +0000

Nannie Escola (photograph from the Kelley House Museum)

Born in 1885 and passed away in 1979. Her mother was Rosa Mary Watkins and Father Henry Flood. Her father arrived in Mendocino 1872, and began working as a hand logger, then became a well known bull-puncher. He advanced to the steam donkey and finally operated the giant yarders used in logging. He fathered in addition to Nannie, also Leslie and Hazel.

Raised in Mendocino, Nannie went onto San Jose Normal School, and at the age of 23, she graduated in 1908 to become a history teacher. She married in 1914 to John Escola and had children, John, Emery, William, Mary, Dorothy, and Hazel.

On Sunday, April 22, 2012 at 3 pm at the Kelley House Museum there will be the Remembrances of Nannie Flood Escola. The Kelley House Museum is fortunate to have a collection of Nannie’s photographs and other artifacts. A special exhibit about Nannie will be on display in the Escola room at the Kelley House Museum in conjunction with this Sunday afternoon talk.

Nannie made notes on history, usually on the back of surplus school worksheets, assembled notebooks, and gathered photos. Her interests in maritime history kept her in corresondence with the Maritime Museum in San Francisco and people all over the world.

Given that Nannie Escola has been dead more than 30 years, you won’t be hearing from her firsthand. But what they do have is her story, told in her own voice, from an interview recorded decades ago. Also on hand sharing stories will be Bruce Levene, a fellow historian and friend of Nannie’s and also Linda Mechling. Nannies granddaughter, as well as Escola family members will be there to.

The Kelley House Museum is located at 45007 Albion Street, Mendocino.

Donation: Kelley House Museum members $5 and non-members $7.

For additional information call 707-937-5791.

8th Annual Heritage Days of Mendocino County

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 23:29:34 +0000

Come join us starting April 29 and running through May 29, for our 8th Annual Heritage Days which is a county wide event. This year, 2011, we are adding material about the Native Americans of the area. Here is a list of the many activities happening here in Mendocino County:

Local History Class (Community Room, Fort Bragg Library)
Historic Walking Tour of Fort Bragg
“Spend a moment with CR Johnson” on the Skunk Train”
Point Cabrillo Museum Tours
Point Cabrillo Lantern Tour
Mendocino Historic District walking tour
Mendocino Presbyterian Church tours
Frolic Cove walk at Point Cabrillo
33rd Annual John Druecker Memorial Rhododendron Show & Plant Sale
Historic Walking Tour of Willits
Night walk of Fort Bragg by Derrick Hoyle
Progressive Dinner (Ford House Visitor Center)
Point Arena Light Station Museum and Lighthouse
Meet a Lady Lighthouse Keeper
Guided Bird Watching Walk on the Stornetta Public Lands
Cemetery Walks in the Rose Memorial Park
Mendocino Historical Review Board Annual Award Ceremony “How Preservation Happened”
Small Craft Boat Show
Walk the Coastal Trail on the Historic Mill Site
Grande old Car Show
Ranch Heritage Tour
Tour of the Sun House (artist Grace Hudson’s home) and Grace Hudson’s Grave Site
Kelley House Dine-Out
Finding Heritage Plants at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
Seabiscuit’s Legacy Art Exhibits & Benefit Auction
Redwood Coasters: The Vessels that Served the Mendocino Coastal Frontier
Ukiah Heritage Walking Tour
Soroptimist Quilt Show
Looking Back: The Amazing Alleys of Fort Bragg
U. S. Coast Guard Open House
Tours at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church
Anderson Valley Museum Open House
Moonlight Cemetery Walks

This year the Heritage Days Organizers for 2011 are:

The Ford House Visitor Center – Mendocino
Guest House Museum - Fort Bragg
Kelley House Museum – Mendocino
Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens – Fort Bragg
Mendocino Study Club – Mendocino
Native Daughters of the Golden West – Fort Bragg
American Rhododendron Society, Noyo Chapter
Mendocino County Museum – Willits
Grace Hudson Museum – Ukiah
Friends of the Fort Bragg Library – Fort Bragg
Point Arena Light Station – Point Arena
Point Cabrillo Light Station – Caspar
Soroptimist of Fort Bragg - Fort Bragg

Also some of our organizers have auspicious anniversaries this year:

50 years for the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
100 years for Fort Bragg to Willits Run on the California Western Railroad
100 years for the Fort Bragg Library
150 years for the Kelley House Museum

Ongoing Events and Exhibits in May

Kwan Tai Temple (1854) Open House • 45160 Albion Street, Mendocino • The oldest Chinese Temple in use on the north coast of California, designated California Historical Landmark #927. Open 12-3 pm on Saturday and Sundays in May.

Look at Who We Are: Stories of Home • Grace Hudson Museum, Ukiah • An exhibit combining visual stories (brought to life by images and objects) and digital stories (first person video-narratives) created by community members. This exhibit is an inquiry into—and a celebration of—what makes Ukiah unique. Enjoy stories about the Palace Hotel, Mendocino State Hospital, Masonite, City of 10,000 Buddhas, Ranches and Rancherias. Open Wed.–Sat. 10 am–4:30 and Sundays 12–4:30. General admission charge $4; Seniors & Students $3; Family $10. This show runs from March 19 to June 19.

Historic Displays • Guest House Museum • Fort Bragg • The Fort Bragg Centennial Quilt will be on display all month in the Guest House Museum living room. The quilt was created before 1989 by community women handy with a needle to commemorate our first 100 years. The 100 year old Finnish Rug Loom will also be featured at the Guest House Museum.

10 am–3:30 pm • Point Arena Light Station Museum and Lighthouse tours • 30-45 minutes; tours to the top of the tower every 20 minutes • $7.50 • Lighthouse Road, Point Arena • Tour includes information about the historic Light Station, early Light Keepers and local maritime history. View the 1st Order Fresnel lens in our museum and take the 145-step trek to the top of one of the tallest Lighthouses on the west coast. Self-guided tours of the Station’s 23 coastal acres. Plan to spend a day bird watching, whale watching and enjoying the Station’s trails and spring wildflowers. The Lighthouse is open from 10 am to 3:30 pm every day in May.

Stop and View the Rocks • Savings Bank of Mendocino County, Fort Bragg Branch • An exhibit of paintings depicting the drama of Mendocino County off-shore rocks will be featured at the Savings Bank of Mendocino in Fort Bragg opening on April 1. To celebrate the California Coastal National Monument, the most seen and least known of all 100 U.S. National Monuments, the Mendocino Study Club is sponsoring the exhibit as a Heritage Days of Mendocino County event. Study Club Members became Collaborative Partners with the Bureau of Land Management last November 1, agreeing to recognize and to promote the 1100 mile-long California Coastal National Monument. Several prominent artist will be featured in the “Stop and View the Rocks” exhibit, including David Barnes who is creating a painting especially for the exhibit. Lynn Prentice will share one of her famous rock scenes, and Study Club member Elma Bryant is also loaning a painting to display.

Stop and View the Rocks Photos • Mendocino Coast District Hospital, South Lobby • A Photography Exhibit, “Stop and View the Rocks Photos” will be be on display in the South Lobby of the Mendocino Coast Hospital opening on May 9. The off-shore rocks of the California Coastal National Monument are always a favorite photographic subject. Native Daughters of the Golden West Fort Bragg Parlor 210 is sponsoring the exhibit during Heritage Days of Mendocino County. Many outstanding photographers are participating. Members of the Mendocino Coast Photographer Guild will be well represented. The Exhibit will include a Carleton Watkins’ 1863 photo of “Noyo River Meets the Sea” loaned by the Guest House Museum. “Rocks in the Night” by Dan Feaster and a photo by Bruce Lewis of “Rocks at Jug Handle” are two of the early entries. Bill Brazill enjoys old-fashioned photography using glass plates and will display a photo of “Rocks at Westport”.

A Passion for Plants and Place: Carl Purdy of Mendocino County • Admission Charge • Mendocino County Museum, Willits • An exhibit about the life of Carl Purdy, a home-grown horticulturist and landscaper, contemporary of Luther Burbank, and Mendocino County’s first agricultural commissioner. On display will be Carl Purdy’s desk, collection samples, correspondence, photographs and paintings of some of the native plants described and named by Carl Purdy. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am–4:30 pm. Admission charge.

For a complete listing of the Schedule: http://www.mendocinoheritage.org/MHD-Schedule.html

For lodging phone 707-937-2810 or online at reservations. For dinner phone 707-937-2810 or online at opentable.

How Little River (the river) supported the Little River Lumber Mill

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:23:13 +0000

Stevenswood Spa Resort located in Little River, California is just above the river of Little River. Looking at this picture it is hard to imagine that this very small river could have massive giant old growth redwood logs float down it to what was the Little River Lumber Company built in 1864. In fact Little River is only a few feet deep in the deepest spots. Well here is how the story goes.

In 1856 Silas Coombs and his brother-in-law Ruel Stickney came out to California to chase gold. They went up to the Tuolumne area, but didn’t find any gold. So they decided they needed to find steady work.

Since they were both loggers, they came to the Mendocino coast because they heard about a sawmill in Albion that needed employees. They went to work in the woods, and worked there for about six years as logging contractors and heard about the canyon that was full of timber a few miles north of Albion.

So they bought and preempted all the timber that was in the canyon. It was in 1863, that they started making ties and decided they needed a sawmill. So they got another partner, Tapping Reeves, who was quite a man. He was an inventor, and invented an edger and a few other things.

In 1864 they hired Charles Pullen to build the mill for $20,000, which was a lot of money back then.

So they built the first sawmill just up stream from the mouth of the river before it empty’s into the sea.

The new mill opened that same year and they were cutting about 20,000 board feet a day. But in 1871 the sawmill burnt down. They decided that the location of the mill wasn’t good, so then they built another sawmill right across the river.

To ship the lumber out, they needed to build a wharf. It was 300 feet long and that is how they shipped the lumber, right off the dock.

Well to store the logs they needed some way to hold the logs back, so they decided to build a dam. So the three partners, Silas Coombs, Ruel Stickney, and Tapping Reeves, one day were standing around deciding what they were going to do to build a dam to hold there logs. They were talking about how much it would cost and how long it was going to take. An old gentleman was standing nearby and overheard them. He told them that he could put a dam in for them at half the cost that they were talking about. He said that all he needed was about 40 men and a team of bulls and a plow. They said okay, then go ahead and do it.

So with the team of bulls and the men, they dug a trough four feet wide and four feet deep all the way up the hill and across where the Little River Golf Course is today and up to where the Little River Airport is now located. He then built a wooden barrier close to where the mill was located.

So they waited till the first rains came, and sent the men back to where the current airport is located and told them to try to fill the trough full of dirt as the water was rushing down it. As the men were throwing the dirt into the trough, it would wash down the hill and would be then directed against the wooden wall they built. This made a six to eight foot high dam all the way across. When the river is low today, you can still see remnants of the wooden wall still in the river. Looking over the other side where the parking lot is today, you can see a kind of a raised area that goes across between the parking lot and the road. That was part of the dam, which made the mill pond.

The Little River Lumber Company built a total of four dams. They had one at the parking lot, and one further up in the parking lot. That was to store logs.

They would bring the logs down the canyon and float them in the dams. In the wintertime when the water was up, they would open the dams and this would all drain out and float the logs down to the mill. These dams were made of logs, which was called a log-configured dam. The dams were thirty feet high, and twenty feet thick and would stretch 100 or more feet across. Because so much water would build up behind it, they had a problem when they would release the water. The dam would actually move back after the water pressure was relieved. They had to stop this from bulging like that. So they drilled a hole in the stump by the dam, and ran a cable up from the dam and through the stump and would bolt it off there. This would hold the dam so it wouldn’t bulge when the pressure of the water was behind it.

The middle dam was a principal source of logs for the sawmill. They would skid the logs down into the headwaters, or backwaters, of the dam. When the water was high enough, they then released the logs, and they would float on down to the sawmill from this point.

After most of the logs were harvested in the canyon and immediate surrounding area, the Little River Lumber Company shut down in 1894. This same beautiful area with this great history is now Van Damme State Park.

Reference on this story is from the California State Parks, the logging history of Fern Canyon at Van Damme State Park.

Mendocino War

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:00:44 +0000

On April 22, 1850, the state legislature passed “An act for the Government and Protection of Indians” into law, providing indenture or apprenticeship of California Indians. This new law led to widespread kidnapping of Indian children. A new reservation was clearly essential. Not that other solutions hadn’t been tried; in his inaugural address to the legislature, California’s first governor called for a “war of extinction” against the Indians, and said their complete destruction was “the inevitable destiny of the race.” In that same year of 1850, California budgeted over a million dollars to reimburse Indian-hating whites who wanted to organize “private military forays.” In 1858, there were an estimated 10,000 Indians in the state. About 3,200 consented to live under the white man’s direction. The rest tried to continue their way of life. But the new white settlers built fences, and ran their cattle on areas where Indians hunted. When hunting was not possible, the Indians would kill some of the cattle for food. This brought great anger from the settlers and ranchers which would raid Indian villages, killing men, women and children. Any Indian even suspected of taking there cattle was killed. In 1860, the California Legislature created a Joint Special Committee on what was known as the Mendocino War to investigate incidents of Indian stealing and killing of the settler’s stock and alleged atrocities committed by the white settlers against the Indians. The Joint Special Committee traveled throughout Mendocino County taking depositions and testimony of prominent settlers in the region. These testimonies are part of the official public record. Records of the Mendocino War are part of the California State Archives, Sacramento. Here are only, but a few of the depositions taken: (folder: F3753:448) Deposition of Jackson Farley before investigating committee on Indian Affairs to effect that he and other settlers in Long Valley have lost horses and cattle. He claims $3,000 worth. Says he is Captain of volunteer company who go out to punish stock thefts and have killed between 150-200 Indians and taken 22 prisoners. Says the settlers need protection. Written at Round Valley, February 26, 1860. (folder: F3753:462) Deposition of Lawrence Battailes, reservation employee to investigating committee on Indian Affairs. Swears Indians don’t steal stock in Round Valley but eat dead cattle that died from natural causes. Says whites have killed 300-400 Indians since 1858, no whites hurt. Some Indians taken as servants – saw none sold. Written in Round Valley, February 28, 1860. (folder: F3753:468) Deposition of Benjamin Authur before investigating committee on Indian Affairs to effect that Indians always stole stock in winter and settlers always killed Indians in winter. Casually mentions 300 Indians dying of exposure when moved thru snow to reservation in 1856-57. Says Jarboe killed 300 and took 500 POWS. Relates shooting wounded bay and killing him as he lay on ground helpless. Written at Nome Cult Indian Farm. February 28, 1860. (folder: F3753:405) Report from Jarboe to Governor Weller claimed Indians still committing depredations. Relates battle where Indians refuse to quit, all killed. Reports Henley complained that Indians from Eel River has stolen his cattle but Jarboe thinks they were Reservation Indians. Reports wounding of Lieutenant Pool by arrow. Written at Headquarters, Eel River Rangers, December 20, 1859. (folder: F3753:432) Letter from Jarboe, former Volunteer Company Commander of militia to Governor John Downey. Jarboe tells of orders from former Governor Weller to muster troops to fight Indians between north and south forks of Eel River and Long and Eden Valleys. Outlines claims of kills and asks to be paid. Written in Sacramento, February 18, 1860. (folder: F3753:436) William Frazier deposition before investigation committee on Indian Affairs to effect he and others from Long Valley had gone on forays against rancherias and killed men, women, and children indiscriminately. Few prisoners were women – claims Indians had plenty to eat but lived on beef and horse meat. Admits killing women on several occasions. Says few children because they are caught and sold. Written in Ukiah, February 22, 1860. Nome Cult Reservation: In June of 1863 the publicized killings of three children from the Hickok Valley, by Indians seeking vengeance for Indian people killed by settlers, enrages Butte and Tehama County settlers. The citizens in Chico petitioned Governor Lelend Stanford for the Army to assist in stopping these Indian outrages. Indian people from many northern California tribes were brought to Chico and detained. There were five Indian men hanged at Helltown east of Chico on suspicion of “committing depredations upon property.” In July two children from the Lewis family was killed by Indians incited by the Helltown hangings. These killings launched another wave of violent reaction against Indian people. A citizen’s group takes action to end “Indian troubles” in Butte and Tehama counties. They adopted a resolution calling for the removal of every Indian in the area to the reservation in Round Valley within 30 days. Those not surrendering will be killed. Several different tribes were removed to the Nome Cult Reservation after it was established in Round Valley, Mendocino in 1856. The removal of the Indians from Chico to the Nome Cult Reservation in 1863 is one of the many forced relocations following the establishment of reservations in northern California in the 1850′s. Most of those removed from the Chico area were from the Maidu tribe from the northern Sacramento Valley and adjacent foothills, but in addition other members of other tribes were also relocated. In September 1863, 461 Indians were marched under guard from Chico to the Nome Cult Reservation, nearly 100 miles across the Sacramento Valley and rugged North Coast Ranges. Only 277 Indians completed the journey. Some were killed, a few escaped, and others were left behind. Nearly 200 sick Indians that were in an almost dying condition through sickness and gross neglect are scattered along the way for 40 miles. The most grueling part of the trail passed through what today is the Mendocino National Forest. The Nome Cult Trail was a tragic chapter in our state’s history. The Round Valley, Nome Cult Reservation conditions were absolutely horrible for the Indians. They competed not only with the white settlers for food, but also with the animals. The Indians were rationed only 6 ears of corn daily. They tried using traditional gathering methods, but were often chased off land owned by whites. Other horrors threatened the Indians. Since there were few white women in the region, that many young Indian women were raped. Just 2 years after the reservation was established, 20% of the Indians were found to have venereal disease. Also common was the kidnapping of the Indian children, who were highly esteemed as house-servants, which could be worth $50 for a child who could cook and up to $100 for a “likely young girl.” The reservation provided white slave-traders with a ready supply of human merchandise. In 1870, President Grant proposed that the entire valley be dedicated as a reservation. Although Congress expanded the reservation to more than 100,000 acres, the Indians saw little benefit. Restricted to 5,000 acres in the undesirable northern end of the valley, most of their land was illegally occupied by white ranchers. In the winter of 1874-75, a Congressman visited the reservation and reported that the conditions were dismal. The congressman accused the Indian Agent of whipping and starving the Indians, which now more than 60% of them were suffering from advanced syphillis. Through the end of the century, outrages continued. Rape and murder not uncommon. Wealthy cattlemen grazed their herds on Indian land without permission or payment; despite decades of federal attempts to reclaim the land, with the last trespasser finally being evicted not until 1909. In 1937, a Columbia University student Amelia Susman visited and wrote of the conditions there. The Dawes Act introduced at the turn of the century promised reservation land would be divided up and given to individual Indians, but this too, worked against the Indians. Lots were only ten acres (five acres for a married woman). too small for anything but truck farming, which required equipment, credit, and lots of market savvy. Susman discovered that many of the Indians was leasing their land to the whites, but so often the whites set the price of the rent. She also discovered that Round Valley was as segregated as the deep south of the United States. The white folk claimed superiority over the Indians. There was no mingling of the two cultures. Today you can visit Inspiration Point, right after the tiny village of Dos Rios on road 162. The state of California has placed a bronze plaque there, which the plaque has been shot with bullet holes. A fitting commentary on all that followed, turning so much paradise into so much hell. Much of this background is drawn from Genocide and Vendetta, an excellent history of Round Valley. Also research at the militarymuseum.org

General Braxton Bragg

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:32:54 +0000

In the summer of 1857, First Lieutenant Horatio G. Gibson, established a military post on the Mendocino Indian Reservation north of the Noyo River. He named the new military post which was established June 11, 1857 after his former commanding officer Captain Braxton Bragg, who later became a general in the Confederate Army. Born in Warrenton, North Carolina in 1817, Braxton Bragg graduated from West Point in 1837. His brother and father serviced his educational pursuits prior to him being a cadet. His mother had served time in prison when he was a young boy. He was constantly ridiculed until he was appointed commander of the artillery brigade in the Mexican War. He had a reputation as a brave leader and a disciplined officer. Braxton Bragg was one of the most controversial generals during the civil war. General Bragg was the poster-boy of confederate leadership. He was strict and was confident in his tactical abilities. His leadership qualities never came into full view as a commander for the confederate army. Some of the later battles that he commanded was no contest because the Union Army outnumbered the confederate army 3 to 1. General Bragg surrendered his final time at Durham Station. He later served as the state of Alabama’s chief engineer. He loved to build things, and it was then he was in his best mood of his life he wrote in his memoirs. He left Alabama and went to the beach town of Galveston, Texas. General Bragg passed away while walking down the sunny streets of Galveston with a dear friend. That fateful day was September 27, 1876. His final resting place is in Mobile, Alabama.

The Pomo Indians

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 03:33:55 +0000

Pomo girl photographed by Edward S. Curtis in 1924 The Pomo People: The Pomo people are a linguistic branch of Native American people of Northern California. Their historic territory was on Pacific Coast between Cleone and Duncans Point, and inland to Clear Lake. A separate group speaking a language of the same family, called the Northeastern Pomo, also lived near Stonyford. Location: Pomo is a word believed to be derived from Poma, the village name given by anthropologists at the beginning of the century. The Pomo originated in California and were divided into three regions, the coast, the valley, and the lake regions of northern, central and southern California. They inhabited Mendocino, Sonoma and Lake counties, They also resided in the Russian River Valley and still reside in these areas today. The northern Pomo are named the Bokeya, the central are the Yokiya, and the southern Pomo are the Kashia. Language: It is believed that there were originally seven different languages but only three are still spoken including Hokan. History: In the early 1800’s, the Pomo had become close allies with the Russian fur traders and constantly traded items between the two camps. The Russian fur traders believed having Indians on their side was to their advantage. The Pomo were forced into Spanish missionaries or onto Indian reservations. During the 1830’s & 1840’s, they were subjected to numerous raids by the Mexican camps who attempted to secure slaves. There was also dramatic increases in the number of people who contracted smallpox and other deadly diseases. In 1857, the U.S. government set up a reservation for the Pomo Indians at Fort Bragg, California. Ten years later it was deserted and the Pomo were sent to live on other reservations throughout California. Daily Life: The daily life of the Pomo was all based on simplicity. The men were often naked and the women wore short, thick kilts and shirts made of deerskin. One source of warmth during cold weather came from rabbit robes. Their houses were shaped like an leeiptical circle and consisted of three layers held by poles. Their daily diet included acorns, berries, fish and meat. The Pomo had two ceremonial rituals including the “Ghost Dance,” during which the dead were recognized and the “Far South,” which was a rite of passage for children of the tribe.

Because the Pomo Indians lived in a variety of environments, there was a large variety of food available to them. The communities living inland made journeys to the coast for sea food, and the coastal communities make journeys inland to gather foods not found in their local environment. The Pomo Indians ate nuts from acorns, chestnuts, buckeyes, pepperwood, and conifer trees. They also ate wild grapes and berries. “Almost all species of mammals, birds, fishes, etc. were utilized, chiefly as sources of food.” The hunting of game was done using a variety of tools. They used snare, nets, spears, clubs, Bola (used in taking geese), sling and clay balls, and the bow and arrow. They used a V-shaped fence for corralling deer, and they would smoke out, or drown out ground squirrel out of their burrow.

Land: The Pomo Indians did have property lines and personal areas. The entire community usually owned individual trees. Good fishing spots were another community owned area. If other communities wanted to fish these ares, all they had to do was ask. “If a boundary had to be marked, they simply tied a girdle of leaves around the trees along the line, at intervals of about a mile.” Boundaries where agreed upon by community leaders in elaborate ceremonies. The Pomo were very peaceful, only when property rights were disregarded did village unites go to war. This was a last resort and many warnings were given before force utilized. The Pomo’s wealth came from fifty miles of lakeshore, and over one million acres of land. From this land they mined, traded, and sold Megnasite, or Indian gold. Population: Population: In 1770 there were about 8,000 Pomo people, in 1851 population was estimated between 3500 and 5000, and in 1880 estimated at 1450.The 1910 Census reported 777 Pomo, but that is probably low. The anthropologist Alfred L. Kroeber estimated 1,200 in the same year. According to the 1930 census there were 1,143. In 1990, the census showed 4900. Today: The Pomo only have a mere fifty acres of tribal land. The decline was caused by a few factors; the treaties signed were never accepted by the state of California, this when the gold rush hit they sold a lot of the Pomo Indians land to anyone willing to buy. Second, was a terrible misrepresentation of the Pomo Indians in court by the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs). This caused a loss of 80,000 acres of land, including the island tribal ceremonial grounds. There are seventy known tribes within the Pomo group.

Caspar (then and now)

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 03:11:58 +0000

Caspar is a small village on the north coast of California. Caspar lies between Fort Bragg, and Mendocino. What was once a bustling town in 1955, is now a village supported by farms and ranches nearby, and by urbanites visiting their summer homes, anxious to savor the rugged beauty of the Mendocino coast. History: The first recorded settler was Siegfried Caspar, a man settling here from Germany to raise horses. Jacob Green Jackson was third to own the land. Already a fully functional sawmill built by the two men who sold him the land, William H. Kelley and a man simply named Randall, Jackson proceeded to boost the timber yield to 25,000 board feet per day. The mill in 1938: photo by Anthony Stewart from the 1939 National Geographic Society. The “big splash” is the result of a log hitting the mill pond after sliding down the chute. The lumbering era in Caspar Creek is significant. Spanning more than 90 years, from its beginning in 1864 to the closing of the mill in 1955, the Caspar Lumber Company was controlled by a single family, Jacob Green Jackson and family. It appears that the Caspar Lumber Company was able to survive where so many others failed because it was able to maintain an adequate timber supply, eventually owning the timber in what would become the Jackson State Forest. The Caspar Lumber Company was a rare entity on the redwood coast. Its life was exceptionally long. It was quick to adapt new methods, and was the first to begin steam railroad logging. The scale of the operation was large, as befitted the place that reduced the largest logs ever milled to lumber, often 12 feet in diameter. Many timber industry innovations were pioneered here, including redwood water main and sewer pipe, the double-sided band saw, and the wire chute with which finished lumber was delivered to the decks of the schooners. The Caspar Lumber Company also operated a fleet of coastal schooners, both sail and steam, to carry lumber from the “dog-hole” landing at Caspar to San Franscisco and elsewhere. This facet of the operation makes for a fascination story in itself.” The town of Caspar, located on the headlands north of the mill, expanded with the mill. The first business at the town was a saloon, this was followed by a blacksmith shop, a shoe shop, and the Doyle store. A post office was established in June 1874. By 1880, an express and telegraph office, and electricity also appeared. The population of Caspar had reached about 500. In 1901 Jacob Green Jackson died and left the operation to his son-in-law, Henry Krebs who continued to expand on the company policies and the mill continued to operate until November 1955. Lumber was exhausted on Caspar Creek, the mill was shut down, and the remaining supply of logs was sold to the Union Lumber Company of Fort Bragg. Although there are no visible historical remains on the state beach, the public has ready access to the adjoining beach at the mouth of Caspar Creek, and people frequently wander about the ruins all through the harbor. Since the Caspar Lumber Company operated well into the twentieth century, there is ample evidence of the mill. With heroism and ingenuity, Caspar has always been about people first. By the standards of its day, Caspar’s lumber operations were extremely safe, humane, and considerate of the forest and surrounding area. The result is that the headlands today are a fascinating blend of history and nature, pride and nostalgia. Today: The population of Caspar today is only about 300 people. Caspar in addition to the residents of Caspar has the Caspar headlands State Reserve and State Beach. In addition there are 2 RV Parks and campgrounds. In the heart of Caspar there is the Caspar Community Center, an historical schoolhouse where they hold conferences, events, meetings and classes. And the famous Caspar Inn which is the areas local nightclub with there claim to fame as the oldest road house in Northern California. So the next time you are visiting the Mendocino coast take time and visit beautiful Caspar.

Lighthouses of the Mendocino Coast

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 23:22:52 +0000

Current picture of the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse (2007) Although Point Cabrillo was surveyed by the U. S. Lighthouse Service in 1873, construction of the Light Station didn’t begin until after the 1906 earthquake. The demand for lumber to rebuild San Francisco meant that maritime commerce on the north coast was at an all time high and a Lighthouse was critical to the safety of the ships and their valuable cargo. Construction of the Light Station began in 1908, and the lens was illuminated for the first time on June 10, 1909, under head keeper Wilhelm Baumgartner. Baumgartner invited the neighbors and residents of Pine Grove to attend the midnight ceremony. Built and managed by the US. Lighthouse Service under the Department of Commerce the original Point Cabrillo Light Station included the buildings still standing today (with the exception of the current pump house and water tank). These include the three keeper’s residences, the coal buildings (now garages), the carpentry shop and smithy, and the oil house. Several other structures – two water towers, a barn, and the original pump house have since been removed. The barn, which was located to the south of the residences at the end of a side road, was used as a U. S. Air Force radio monitor’s training facility after WW II. It was burned by the Volunteer Fire Dept. as an exercise in the late 1980s. The U. S. Lighthouse Service was officially absorbed into the Coast Guard in 1939. Bill Owens/ who also served at the Point Arena Lighthouse, was the last civilian lighthouse keeper at Point Cabrillo. He retired in 1963. Coast Guard officers and their families continued to live in the keepers houses until the Conservancy took possession in 1992. The light tower houses a third order, British-built Fresnel lens by Chance Bros., with a range of 13-15 miles. The lens was originally powered by a kerosene oil lamp. There are only 2 other British-built lenses in operation in the U.S. today: A 1st Order lens at Heceta Head Lighthouse in Oregon, and a 2nd Order range light (“fixed”) at Battery Point, Staten Island, New York. Originally the lens rotated by means of a clockworks mechanism with a descending weight. A chain with a 65-80 LB weight on the end of it passed through the floor of each level of the light tower. The light keeper would crank up the chain onto a drum every 2 hours. At some point, a portion of the concrete foundation on the ground floor was removed to add an additional 4-5 feet to the chain, gaining (perhaps) an additional ten minutes between windings. The clockworks were replaced with an electric motor and the oil lamp with a light bulb when electricity was introduced at the Station in 1935 The lens rotated at a fixed speed and produced a flash at ten second intervals. The rotation pattern of a lighthouse is printed on the nautical chart, it’s the lighthouse “signature” and must not vary. The main part of the structure is called the “fog signal building”. It housed two pairs of engines and compressors that created a siren using compressed air. A head keeper and two assistants rotated shifts to keep the light burning and the compressors powered. They also cleaned and painted and kept the lens and station machinery in working order. The lighthouse service gave them each a house for their family and a yearly salary of $450-$600/ and they raised crops and livestock. In 1973, the Fresnel lens was disengaged, and an aero-marine type rotating beacon was mounted on the roof of the fog signal building. The original lens remained in the lantern room but the clockworks and fog signal machinery were removed. In 1996 the Conservancy was awarded a federal grant through the ISTEA program (Intermodal Surface Transportation Enhancement Activities) for the restoration of the lantern room and the creation of public service facilities at Point Cabrillo (parking and restrooms). Work on the project began in August of 1998 when the Fresnel lens was dismantled and removed from the lantern room. The lantern room restoration was completed in April 1999 and the Fresnel lens was refurbished and reinstated as the active aid in time for Point Cabrillo’s 90th Anniversary. The restoration of the Fresnel lens was funded by the NCIA with assistance from the Coast Guard. The restoration of the fog signal building was funded by the NCIA and the Coastal Conservancy. The restoration of the rest of the lighthouse tower and fog signal building was completed in August of 2001 with funds provided by the Coastal Conservancy and the NCIA. Point Arena Lighthouse (2007) The first Point Arena Lighthouse was constructed in 1870. Its brick and mortar tower featured ornate iron balcony supports and a large Keeper residence with enough space to house several families. In April of 1906, a devastating earthquake struck the tower. Damage from the trembler occurred all along the San Andreas Fault, which runs very close to Point Arena. In the town itself, many buildings were reduced to rubble, and at the Light Station, the Keeper’s residence and Lighthouse were damaged so severely that they were rendered condemned, and ultimately torn down. The United States Lighthouse Service contracted with a San Francisco based company to build a new lighthouse here to withstand any future earthquakes. The company built factory smokestacks, which accounts for the final design for the new Point Arena Lighthouse. The new design featured steel reinforcement rods encased in concrete, and was the first lighthouse to be built in this manner. The new Lighthouse began operation in 1908, nearly 18 months after the quake. It stands 115 feet tall, and features a 1st Order Fresnel Lens, over six feet in diameter and weighing more than six tons. The lens is made up of 666 hand-ground glass prisms all focused toward three sets of double bulls eyes. It is these bulls eyes that gave the Point Arena Lighthouse its unique “light signature” of two flashes every six seconds. This incredible optic, that holds an appraised value of over $3.5 million, is set in solid brass framework, built in France. Prior to the introduction of electricity, the lens was rotated by a clockwork mechanism. The Keepers, or “wickies” as they were called, had to hand crank a 160 pound weight up the center shaft of the lighthouse every 75 minutes to keep the lens turning. Light was produced by a “Funks” hydraulic oil lamp, that needed to be refueled every four hours, and whose wicks would have to be trimmed regularly. Later, two 1,000 watt electric lamps were installed to replace the oil lamp, and a 1/8 horsepower electric motor was installed to replace the clockworks. In 1978, the fog signal at the station was silenced, and a bell buoy was placed nearby. June of 1977 brought the installation of an automated aircraft-type beacon on the balcony tower, and the historic 1st Order Fresnel Lens was discontinued. The 400 pound aircraft beacon has recently been replaced by a 40 pound modern rotating light that incorporates the Fresnel principles for the efficient projection of light. There is a battery powered emergency system installed as a back-up in the event of a power failure. In addition, a radio beacon, with a 50 mile signal that originates from the station, also assists mariners. The original oil lamp was visible for approximately 18 miles, the 1st Order Fresnel Lens for 20 miles and the current modern rotating light can be seen for 16 miles. In 1984, a nonprofit organization called the Point Arena Lighthouse Keepers acquired the light station as part of a 25 year land lease from the Coast Guard and the Department of Transportation. In November of 2000, the nonprofit group became the official owners of the property due to their diligent historic preservation and educational efforts. Daily visitation, gift store sales, memberships and the rental of the historic Keeper’s homes on the property as vacation houses, all provide desperately needed income for ongoing preservation, facility upgrades and educational endeavors.

History of Albion

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 23:11:08 +0000

Albion lies directly on California’s Highway 1 north of Navarro, and south of Little River. It lies just north of the intersection of Highway 128 and Highway 1 (Shoreline Highway). Albion Bridge under construction 1944. Albion River Bridge today (2007) Albion has two bridges, spanning the Albion River and the Little Salmon Creek. The Albion River Bridge, built in 1944 when steel and concrete were in short supply, remains the last wooden bridge still in use on Highway 1. In 1845, Mexico awarded English sea captain William Richardson a large land grant, stretching along the California coast between present day towns of Elk and Mendocino. By 1853 Richardson had built, in the middle of this tract, a home and sawmill alongside a narrow river estuary. He named the spot Albion, after the ancient name for his homeland. Richardson’s sawmill was the first to begin operation along the Redwood Coast. It was powered by a tide-driven water wheel, which would operate whether the tide was coming in or going out. Unfortunetly, the mill was destroyed by ocean waves during its first winter. Richardson rebuilt the mill the following year, steam driven this time, but lost all his land that same year when the U.S Land Commission refused to recognize his Mexican title. A sawmill would continue to operate at this location over the next 75 years. By 1861 a hotel, livery stable, and mercantile store were also in operation. This is the Albion New Cash Store. (circa 1905) The Albion South Side Hotel (circa 1905) The Albion Mill between 1909-11. Albion in the 1940,s.

Captain Fletcher’s Inn (Navarro-by-the-Sea Hotel)

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:26:26 +0000

This story is about where the Navarro River enters into the Pacific Ocean only 8 miles south of Stevenswood Spa Resort. Most guests visiting the area come by this direction where Highway 128 meets Highway 1 on the Mendocino Coast. The Mendocino Coast is rich with history. From the lumber mills that sprang along the coast line after the earlier settlers discovered the great giant redwood groves, to shipbuilding for moving the lumber down to the Bay Area and beyond. This is one such story one of Mendocino’s earliest pioneers. The Navarro-by-the-Sea-Hotel in about 1948 Captain Fletcher’s Inn is located in Navarro River Redwoods State Park at Navarro Beach, 8 miles south of Little River. The Inn was built in the 1860′s by Charles Fletcher and his partners for sailors off the lumber schooners that served the Navarro mill. Charles Fletcher was the first settler at Navarro. (ca.1851). He and his partner James Kennedy built the first lumber schooner on the Mendocino coast, the Sea Nymph, in 1862. History: Captain Fletcher’s father was a Scottish sea captain. Charles was born in the China seas on the Schooner “Wildcat”. He came to San Francisco in 1849 during the gold rush. In 1851, he had arrived on the north coast, apparently as captain of a whaling ship. Captain Fletcher, in partnership with James Kennedy and Captain Thomas Kennedy of San Francisco, built the inn during the 1860′s for sailors who had to wait three days while their schooners were loaded with lumber from the Navarro Mill. The Navarro Mill was built in 1861 by the firm of Tichenor and Company of San Francisco, on land purchased from Charles Fletcher for $1,200. The first mill was built on the Navarro Flats near Captain Fletcher’s home. An artists rendition of Navarro Mill about 1878. The Navarro wharf in about 1886 with the steamer “Newsboy” taking on lumber from the mill. In 1860, after he sold most of his land to Tichenor and Byxbee, Charles Fletcher married Bridget Cooney of Mendocino, a widow from Roscommon, Ireland. They built a large house, which replaced Fletcher’s original redwood cabin, and raised four children there. The Fletcher family was one of the last to live in the old village of Navarro. Charles Fletcher died in 1902. His daughter, Ellen (Nellie) Fletcher Schaeffer inherited both the Inn and the family home. When she moved to Fort Bragg in early 1920′s, her daughter, Elsie Nystrom purchased the house and Inn for $10. Captain Fletcher’s Inn has survived three major fires, the earthquake of 1906 and the devasting flood of 1907 that swept away a bridge near the mouth of the Navarro. After the mill was sold, it burned down under mysterious circumstances. The fire occured in 1902, the same year that Captain Fletcher died. This was followed by the fire of 1911, the quake of 1906 and the flood of 1907, all of which damaged Navarro. By 1914, the name “Navarro” was usurped by the town of Wendling, located eleven miles up the river. Wendling also had a lumber mill for sale, and wanted to capitalize on the Navarro name for quality lumber. The town still bears the name “Navarro”. What remained of the original village of Navarro eventually became know as “Navarro-by-the-Sea.” Captain Fletcher’s Inn and the mill manager’s house are now the only buildings remaining from the once thriving town of Navarro. At its height, it had 500-600 inhabitants, with another 300 men located in camps in the woods up river. The Inn Served as a popular fishing resort from the 1920′s through the 1970′s under various owners. It was purchased in 1996 by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Captain Charles Fletcher. August 16, 1902 (obituary): From the Mendocino Beacon “[Charles Fletcher was] highly respected as a business man and as a citizen. He was generous with his employees…large hearted, fearless and honest, he was a representative type of the hardy pioneers of this state…” Captain Fletcher’s final resting place at the Little River Cemetary, California. Picture taken in 1980′s Here is how Captain Fletcher’s Inn looks today.