Category Archive: museums
September 22, 2007 at 1:53 pm
by dff
· Filed under general, history, museums
If you’re looking to learn more about the history of the Mendocino Coast, there is a presentation at the Kelley House Museum in Mendocino on Sunday Sept 22 at 3 pm. Faith Graham, the great-granddaughter of Duncan MacKericher, will be talking about the family history, and how their ranch became MacKerricher State Park (inexplicably picking up another “r” in the process). Duncan MacKericher and his family left Quebec during the Civil War, and made their way to Panama, and thence to San Francisco and Mendocino in 1864. Duncan worked in the local mill for several years, and then began working on the Pomo Indian reservation at Ten Mile (north of Fort Bragg). When the Pomos were forceably removed to Round Valley, the MacKerichers stayed. They bought Rancho de la Laguna, and half the Pomos from the reservation were able to stay and work on the ranch. They sold their butter in San Francisco, and used the money to help the Pomos.
Faith will share stories about her ancestors, including how their ranch became a state park. MacKerricher State Park is one of the top 100 state parks in the U.S. in terms of annual attendance, drawing over 2 million visitors a year.
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September 18, 2007 at 9:42 am
by bruce
· Filed under attractions, history, diving, museums
I’m not sure how much time–maybe three years– has gone by since a contigent from the Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association moved the Baltimore Brig Frolic’s cannon from the Kelley House Museum and shipped it to Indiana University in Bloomington for preservation. “Preservation” means creating an electrolytic reduction bath that neutralizes the damage caused by being in salt water, then exposed to the air. The idea is to stop further deterioration.
The Frolic, one of the most significant Gold Rush-era shipwrecks, which led to settlement and lumbering on the Mendocino Coast (that’s another story), was damaged and run aground in 1850 just north of the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse.
The cannon was a major artifact find. And Caspar resident Win Bowen built a sturdy wood and plastic display case to show it off in the lighthouse. Unfortunately, not long after he completed the display case, the decision was made to send the cannon east for preservation work.
Word just back from the preservation folks: “It’s a slow process and needs another year of electrolytic bath” because of its size. Considering its value and potential for educating future generations, 12 months is really not that long to wait.
Win Bowen, far left above, designed the special display case waiting for the Frolic when it is possibly returned to Mendocino in 2008. Others pictured: Harold Hauck, Bob Ellington, Ron Eich, Jack Sherin, Jim Kimbrell, Tony Scramaglia, and Bruce Lewis (that’s me) on the day we hauled into into a truck for the move to Point Cabrillo. My picture is date 11/13/03.
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August 9, 2007 at 8:28 pm
by nancy
· Filed under general, events, history, parks, museums
On Saturday, take a walk back in time and participate in the Navarro Mill Company House tour. The one-day event is sponsored by Navarro-by-the-Sea Center, The Charles Fletcher Society and California State Parks - a benefit to help save Captain Fletcher’s Inn. The inn was built by Capt. Fletcher and his partners in the 1860’s for sailors who had to wait several days while their schooners were loaded with lumber from the Navarro Mill. There’s a wonderfully written, full history of Captain Fletcher provided by the Navarro-by-the-Sea Center. If you can, take time to support another valuable restoration effort. Visit and tour the house and learn about the efforts to save the inn. Jim Martin at 877-3477. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Navarro State Beach, off Highway 1, just south of the Navarro River bridge. (This is right where Highway 128 joins up with Highway One.)
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May 23, 2007 at 11:07 am
by nancy
· Filed under events, history, museums
On Saturday, May 26, at 3 p.m., Mendocino Heritage Days will feature Native American history talks and life experiences, as told by Keith White Wolf James, a tribal member of the Manchester/Point Arena Band of Pomo Indians. White Wolf is currently working as the Native American Educator for the Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah. He is an experienced storyteller, lecturer, and museum curator who has worked as a consultant on museum projects. Come join us for “Pomo History and Culture,” talk, slide show, and 2 short movies at the Ford House Visitor Center, Mendocino.
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May 12, 2007 at 7:43 pm
by bruce
· Filed under general, attractions, museums
For 13 developmentally disabled artists from Art Explorers in Fort Bragg, their day-long visit to DeYoung Museum in San Francisco today was an adventure in art education.
“The trip was designed for both pleasure and to help expand the horizons of our artists,” explained Joan Early, an Art Explorers coordinator. “We had visited the old DeYoung, but not the new one, and the artists really wanted to see it.”
The group arrived at DeYoung shortly after noon and had lunch in the museum café.
“Through the museum’s Access Program, our artists were allowed free entrance,” explained Early. “After lunch, we broke into small groups with museum docent guides to more effectively talk about the paintings with our students. Then we visited the sculpture garden.”
The group finished off the trip with a visit to the rooftop observation area for a 360-degree view of the City, then headed to Healdsburg for dinner at a Mexican restaurant before returning to Fort Bragg.
The field trip was made possible by a $1,000 grant from Redwoods Investments in Fort Bragg. Partners Dan Catone and Brad Gardner rented two 10-passenger vans to transport the artists and staff to San Francisco, helped with driving and paid for lunch and dinner. The remainder of the grant goes to the Art Explorers for operations.
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