Mendocino’s William Kelley sailed up the North Coast with county’s first sawmill

Mendocino’s early lumber days brought many families to the coast, including William Kelley and his new bride, Eliza. Born in Prince Edward Island, Canada in 1821, William arrived in Mendocino via the Isthmus of Panama in 1852. When he arrived in San Francisco, William signed onto the ship “Ontario” as a carpenter. The ship left San Francisco for Mendocino Bay carrying the first sawmill, changing Mendocino’s history forever.

William quickly made a name for himself. He opened a general store, a livery stable, and became an investor in the first Caspar sawmill. He also had a talent for real estate development. In 1854, William bought the land west of Lansing Street, north of Main Street, and bounded by the ocean from William Kasten for $3,500. This is almost the entire present-day town of Mendocino. He later sold the land for $6,000.