Old Time Notes from The Beacon 130 Years Ago March 1, 1890
• A short time after dinner on Friday, Feb. 21st, while working in the woods near Albion river, Samuel Bolden was in an instant called to try the realities of the beyond. In company with his son, Russell, he was preparing to fall a tree. He was chopping down a small tree that was in the way when an unseen limb loosened by the moving of the tree fell, striking him on the top of his head and causing almost instant death.
• Workmen began Monday to put the ground in readiness for the new saw mill at Greenwood. The work of building the mill will be pushed forward as rapidly as possible under the direction of John Barrett.
• The masquerade dance given at Westport on Friday evening of last week was somewhat interrupted by the cry of fire. The alarm was given just as the dancers were unmasking, and proved to be at the dance house owned by Breedon, which together with Freitag’s blacksmith shop, was destroyed. The dance house was insured for $1000 but the blacksmith shop was uninsured.
105 Years Ago Feb. 27, 1915
• Charles Luiz has had his automobile painted and decorated in fine shape by J. J. Dwinelle. He is waiting for clear weather, however, before venturing forth on his maiden voyage as skipper of the craft. When he does get started, Jim Rice will have to look to his laurels.
• Word was received here this week of the death last Sunday at the Soldiers’ Home near Santa Monica of William Foye, a wellknown former resident of this place.
• Tom Johnson of Comptche will start a tie camp at Navarro as soon as the weather conditions permit. He will employ about twenty-five men.
• E. E. Gilmore, who has been manager of the Albion hotel during the past two months, has resigned his position and with his family departed for Ukiah Thursday morning, where he will make his future home. Thomas Frye has accepted the management of the hotel for the company, taking charge Thursday morning.
• At Albion, the steamer Pasadena loaded 30 tons of dried fruit for the city last Tuesday, this being a shipment from the Anderson Valley section.
80 Years Ago Feb. 24, 1940
• The Albion mill, building and machinery, have been sold to R. E. Babb of Eugene, Oregon. The hotel and store building are not included in the deal. The buildings are to be torn down and the lumber in them trucked out with the machinery. The mill has not been operated for some years, and considerable machinery has been heretofore disposed of.
The old logging equipment was sold some time ago. The mill now being razed was built about forty years ago by Standish and Hickey, following the big fire that destroyed the old plant.
• W. A. Colburn, resident of this place for many years and a brother of Sam. Colburn of Caspar, died last week at his home in Calistoga, age 89 years.
• Town meeting brings out large attendance deadline with the following community issues: Property tax benefits, cost of insurance, and an analysis of present system a fire and lighting district and incorporation.
55 Years Ago Feb. 26, 1965
• A 26 acre subdivision is shaping up quite rapidly on what was originally known as the Hills ranch, owned and operated up to the time of his death by the late Spencer Hills, who probably built a second house in that particular section of this town, the first being the Dan Milliken home erected by the first contract logger on Big River.
The Milliken home later became the home of J. D. Murray an early day druggist of West Main Street. The present tract embraces the dairy of the late Robt. Law, and later operated by George Soeth, and the tract west of the new highway and the existing Coast Highway and north to the existing motel opposite Agate Beach. We understand there will be some 32 lots to which water will be supplied. The owners are Wm. Dill and Erwine H. Miehle, who purchased the property from Mr. and Mrs. John L. Grant at a reported price of $50,000. The property was sold through Mr. and Mrs. Phil Manning of the Manning Realty in Mendocino.
• The Music Box on East Main Street that has been operated by Grace West Fry and husband for several years past and which has catered to the many artists who have become permanent residents or who spend their weekends here, has been sold to Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Geraldi of Larkspur for a reported sum in excess of $20,000.
30 Years Ago March 1, 1990
• Mendocino High School Homecoming Queen Lara Moss has been selected to compete in California’s Tenth Annual Homecoming Queen contest. She will compete March 10 and 11 against 80 other finalists in the contest that will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Anaheim. Moss, a pretty, confident 18-year- old strawberry blond, will graduate from Mendocino High School in June.
• Ever since 1893, Elk/ Greenwood has celebrated St. Patrick’s Day. The Elk Altar Society of the Blessed Sacrament Church has sponsored this annual event for 97 years — through five wars and the Great Depression. This year’s dinner will be prepared by Gloria Ross of Boonville, Victor Kendl of Fort Bragg and many volunteers who come far and wide.
• “This is the first time we’re giving the award to a hippie,” said Fred Rzplenski upon introducing Edward O’Brien, this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Citizen Award of Rotary International of Mendocino. His outstanding dedication and service to the community earned Ed this special honor. Ed moved to Mendocino in 1970 where he started the Compass Rose leather shop. He is a founding member of the Mendocino Business and Professional Council. He joined the Mendocino Historical Review Board and the Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department and since 1984 is a licensed emergency medical technician (EMT).