In collaboration with Mendocino’s Kelley House Museum, MendoFever will be publishing their “This Day in Mendocino History” Facebook posts. The Kelley House Museum works hard to document and curate Mendocino County’s rich history and can be visited in the seaside town of Mendocino.
On this day in Mendocino history…
August 10, 1952 – Mendocino celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the town with a parade, barbecue, and dancing.
An estimated 5,000 people attended the weekend Centennial celebration. The event began on Saturday with a display of antiques and heirlooms loaned by local residents. Later, an old-fashioned revue was held at the high school gym, featuring young townsfolk modeling the clothing and jewelry of their parents and grandparents while the stories of the founders were retold. A dance sponsored by the Fire Department completed the evening.
On Sunday morning, the parade formed at the grammar school and wound its way thru town. Ralph Sutherland drove a Firepower Chrysler, carrying Mendocino’s oldest resident, Mrs. W. H. Flood, 95, Mrs. William Boyle, 91, and Mrs. James Barton. “It was a grand sight to see these pioneers of Mendocino, still residents, receive the plaudits of the huge crowd that witnessed the parade.”
Charles Tyrrell drove Eddie Matthews’ station wagon, carrying Mendocino’s oldest married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Jense Hansen, who had been married over 60 years.
The parade ended at the high school, where barbecued meat, beans, and salad were served to 2,000 people. After the barbecue, folk and square dancing began in the high school gym.
The Beacon ended its recap of the event with “All in all the Centennial Celebration was a decided success, and one of the best celebrations ever put on in Mendocino.”
𝘔𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘩𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘞𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘘𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵 15 𝘢𝘵 4 𝘗𝘔. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦-𝘰𝘧-𝘢-𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘒𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘳, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵 info@kelleyhousemuseum.org 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
