2009-10 Souvenir Edition

8/2/2019 2009-10 Souvenir Edition

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How about a Ferndale scavenger hunt,complete with prize for those that finish

Enterprisestaff photosExploring Ferndales historicMain Street and itsneighbor-ing avenues is a great activityforvisitors. Sois takingin theareas countryside. While youmay not be driving a 57 Chevy, youcan followthe leadof Ferndale sistersEllie Green,left, Carolyn Meade, center,andLoretta Huntress andven-

tureout a little. Packa picnicand enjoydiscoveringthe sce-nary. Enterprise columnistWendyLestinahas a fewhintsabout what youmay find!

Serving the Eel, Bear and Mattole RiverValleys Since 1878 June 2009 SouvenirEdition

SouvenirEdition

SouvenirEdition

SouvenirEdition

WhatsinsideYear-roundca

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Ferndaleshistory

began inwilds and

willows

Think youve seen and done it all onyour visit to Ferndale? Wait a minute!

By Vi

ola Ru

s

s McBri

deDo you ever wonder

what met the gaze of themen who climbed TableBluff in 1852 and lookedsouthward over the EelRiver Valley to what wouldlater become Ferndale?

According to variousOLD old-timers, most of

the valley was covered witha dense thicket of willows,punctuated here and thereby conifers, primarilyspruce and redwood. I canremember as a child, earlyin the 20th century, hugesingle trees with night-marish twisted limbsthroughout the valley.

Seth Shaw and hisbrother, Stephen, did morethan gaze across the tan-gled willows of the valley.Early in that summer of1852, they went exploring.In August, with a friend,Willard Allen, they pad-dled an Indian dugoutcanoe from Eel RiversNorth Bay south across themouth of the Eel River and

up the Salt River branch tothe south of Francis Creek.

Here, they beachedtheir canoe and followedan elk trail up the creekuntil they came to an open-ing close to the base of thehills where there were nowillows.

Ferns grew over theopening. Some say theywere so tall they wouldcover a man on horseback.Tall enough that the partydecided to call the placeFerndale.

The rainy season wasclose at hand, so the threehurried to build shelter.Before long, they had builtthemselves a cabin with anearthen fireplace forwarmth and cooking.

As time went on, one oftheir visitors was Seth Kin-man, later a famous hunter,trapper and acquaintanceof two U. S. presidents, aswell as barkeep at TableBluff.

In 1853, Ferndale heldits first election, where else

By Wendy Le

st

inaEnter

pr

ise columnistA long weekend in

Ferndale is delicious: youshop, walk Main Street,

eat four meals in closesuccession, drive out tothe beach, see a play,watch a parade, tour themuseum, and take thetwo mandatory hikes: upinto the splendor of RussPark, and up again to thetop of the cemetery.

If youre in the mar-ket for local color, and

the season is right, youcan cheer at a high schoolfootball or soccer game(or elementary schoolbasketball), play bocce inthe Firemans Park(equipment is availableto rent at J&W Liquorsfor $5), worship at one ofour five churches (Fern-dale Community; St.Marks Missouri SynodLutheran; St. MarysEpiscopal; Our SaviorsELCA Lutheran; andAssumption Catholic),

eat yet again at the Vet-erans Sunday breakfast,and yet again at the(free) Sunday night sup-per & show in the socialhall of Our Saviors.

But what if youstayed longer? Five days?A week? Sure, the week-ends are jam-packedwith nonstop fun (Fern-dale is so busy that itsunofficial motto is thespot-on remark fromNina Brown: In Fern-dale 50 years can go by

and you havent doneyour breakfast dishesyet) but what aboutthose pesky weekdays?

Suddenly, all yournew best friends arebusy; the toll of midnighthas turned the partyersback into merchants andteachers and builders andfarmers. Wait a minute!No one without a cos-tume ever has to go towork in Disneyland.

Head tothe

friendly

FerndaleMuseumfor history

lessonThe Ferndale

Museum serves as a liv-ing history classroom.Visitors are invited tosit on period furniturein our Victorian parlorand listen to a tune onour player piano.When you have restedyou may stroll downthe lane and peekinto the windows of ourVictorian rooms. Sev-eral rooms, including a

dining room, formalparlor, bathroom,kitchen and bedroomare set up as they wouldhave been in the late1800s.

Visitors will alsofind Ferndales last bar-bershop in its entirety,a circa 1900 Bosch-

(seeMU

SEU

M/page 13) (seeHUNT/page 12)

This spring The Fern-dale Enterprisecelebratedthe 131st anniversary of

its birth. It was on May 11,1878 that the Jones boys William Gaston, Jamesand Archibald, sons of thetown's Methodist minis-ter launched theirweekly newspaper. It has-n't missed an issue since.

The Joneses had takenspace on Brown Street tohouse their offices andprinting press. WilliamGaston Jones was the edi-tor. He and his brothershad launched The Enter-

priseas an answer to oft-expressed dreams ofFerndale citizens to havetheir own newspaper, andalso in the face of skepti-cism that the venture

could succeed financially.Within a few months, theJones brothers hadremoved any lingering

Enterprise staff photoThe tradition of The Enterprise began with the Jonesboys, sons of the towns Methodist minister, back in1878.

Ferndale Enterprisekeeps thepresses rolling for 131 years

Courtesy Thomas Stewart, Blue Sky PhotographyThe Humboldt County Fair offers an eight-day racing meet in August whenracing enthusiasts can watch Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Appaloosas and mulesrace around a half-mile track.

Fair legend continues in 2009Since 1896, the

Humboldt County Fairhas been a vital and inte-gral part of Ferndale.

Located on thenorthern end of town,

the 65-acre fairgroundsrepresents about one-fourth of the city's geo-graphic composition and

contributes substantialeconomic and social ben-efits to the "Cream City"and its surrounding com-munities.

The Humboldt

County Fair Association,a non-profit organiza-tion, assumes the opera-tional and administrative

responsibilities for run-ning the fairgrounds,which include year-round rental of buildingsand facilities and theproduction of the annual

11-day county fair.Despite the fair

(seeFAIR/page 15)

doubts by engaging salesagents in Eureka, Rohn-erville, Petrolia evenSacramento and San Fran-

cisco.In 1880, the Reverend

Jones left the Methodist

(seeEN

TERPRISE

/page 14)

(See HIS

TORY/page 14)


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Page 2 The Ferndale (California) Enterprise

600 Main Street, Ferndale, California 95536(P. O. Box 1066)

Telephone 707/786-4611 Fax 707/786-4311E-mail: [email protected]

www.ferndaleenterprise.usFounded 1878.

Caroline Titus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Publisher, Editor,Caroline Blattner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Proofreader

Published by Cages Publishing, Inc.

Caroline Titus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PresidentStuart Titus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice-President

Member, California Newspaper Publishers Association,

The annual Souvenir Edition is published every summerand is available free of charge from participatingsponsors. Copies by mail: $5 each.

Several rooms have win-dow alcoves overlookingFerndale's historic MainStreet. The rooms havebeen lavishly appointedwith exquisite linens,antique armoires and fur-niture. There are tele-phones in every room,cable television is avail-able upon request andcable or wireless Internetaccess is available at nocharge.

The ambiance is turn-of-the-century splendor,

and the sky-lit, fern-filledhallways make a strollseem like a trip back intime. Guests may choosefrom the masculineappointments of the IraRuss Suite, named for theInn's builder, or its sister-suite, the Maggie C. RussRoom, featuring a king-

size bed, a window alcoveand an adjoining singleguest or child's room.The Enos Room is namedfor a beloved local pio-neer clan and featuresfamily photos and treas-ured Victoriana. Itsadjoining suite, the Barn-aby Room, has beennamed for Ferndale'sfamous carriage horse.

There are severalother rooms decorated incrisp, bright lace andsummer colors, including

Jessicas Haven, named forJennys daughter, andHanas Hideaway, theEmily Rose Room,Marens Suite and Sylv iasRoom, named for thecouples beloved grand-daughters. A conferenceroom is available formeetings and retreats for

larger groups. And guestsare served a full breakfasteach morning.

The Victorian Inn andits guests are extremelyfortunate to have CurleyTait, the premier restau-rateur on the NorthCoast, offering his finedining experiences on thepremises. Its a case ofEverybody Wins.

Guests will enjoy lux-ury accommodations,exceptional service, greatfood and all the warmth

and comfort of a smallvillag e inn in this well-known historic landmark.

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Photo courtesy of The Victorian InnThe Victorian Inn offers accommodations, a fine restaurant and conference/meet-ing facilities.

Victorian Inn offers turn-of-the-century splendorFor over a century,

the building housing theVictorian Inn of Ferndalehas been a keystone inthe life of this famous vil-lage. It has been restoredwith loving detail andattention, and is ownedand operated by JennyOaks and Lowell Daniels.The first-class accom-modations can fill 21st-century needs whilesurrounding its guestswith the ambiance of theleisurely, luxurious past.

The newest additionto the Inn is Annas Suiteon the ground floor, fea-turing a king-size bed-room, a living room, acomputer work station &printer, a full kitchen, alarge screen TV, and ahuge bathroom with ashower and a separateclaw foot tub. It wasnamed after a dear friendwho, although she lovedit here, could never staybecause she was in awheel chair and couldntnegotiate the stairs. Shehas since passed away,but if she were still withus we could enjoy hercompany as a guest, andothers who might havedifficulty managing thestaircase to the upperrooms can now relax andenjoy Ferndale in luxuryand comfort.

The Victorian-appointed rooms all haveprivate baths, some withold-fashioned claw-foottubs and accessories.

Need a chocolate fix? Head to Sweetness & Light

Enterprise staff photoSweetness and Light offers not only the finest choco-lates, it also has a take-out window for those quickfixes of coffee and chocolate!

The sight, fragranceand taste of handmade,traditional chocolates areat Sweetness & Light.

Located next to thepost office, the candykitchen and store carry ona tradition that goes backto the turn of the 20thcentury. Candies are stillcooked the old-fashionedway: in small batches, withonly the best quality ingre-dients and no preserva-tives added.

Many days you canobserve through thekitchen window the cook-ing and dipping of tradi-tional opera creams,fudges, brittles andcaramels. But time hasnot stood still in thekitchen, and you can alsoobserve the cooking and

dipping of truffles, giantall-nut patties, a variety ofcandy bars (gooey andoutrageously rich or nuttycrunchy), and chocolatenovelties including choco-late lollies, cows, basketsand boxes.

If you're looking for aquick and delicious coffeefix, the Sweetness & LightEspresso Take-Out Win-dow will certainly please.Select a traditionalespresso coffee or anynumber of specialty cof-fee drinks served from6:30 am - 5 pm daily. Thecandy store is open from10:00 am - 5 pm Mondaythrough Saturday and 11am - 5 pm Sunday.

If you have a favoritecandy that you can't livewithout, be sure to call

ahead so we can have itwaiting for you. We lookforward to seeing yousoon.

Sweetness & Light: Cel-ebrating 30 Years of Deli-cious Confections.

SWE

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T554 Main St

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gray, rainy Saturday after-noon, the Hart Theatrewas to present its last pic-ture show. Bogart andBacall, Hepburn andTracy, Laurel and Hardybecame names from a glo-rious, but fading past. Andthe Hart Theatre mourned

their passing.The building would

remain empty until 1972,when Ferndale business-men and women, dairyfarmers, local residentsand artists who envisioneda performing arts centerin their town, rehabilitated

the Hart and their visionbecame reality: The Fern-dale Repertory Theatrewas born.

Theatres traditionallyboast of their residentghoststhe shades ofactors or actresses who

The Rep will open its2009-2010 season in Sep-tember, with what hasmade The Rep a populardestination for nearly fourdecades: quality live per-formances that appeal toa broad audience.

The Reps line-up ofplays, showcases, and spe-cial events has somethingfor everyonefamiliesenjoy affordable enter-tainment, children andyoung adults participatein the creative processonstage, and, behind-the-scenes, adult actors,

designers, and technicianshone their skills, and audi-ences marvel at the superbquality of productionsavailable in a charmingVictorian setting.

In 1920, the P.F. Hartfamily built a theatre inFerndale. Families flockedto the Hart to marvel atthe movies and swoonover Rudolf Valentino,idolize the It Girl, andchortle with Chaplin. Bur-lesque was big and roadshows made Ferndale aregular stop on their tour.

By 1928, Thomas Edi-sons talking pictureswere all the rage and theHart installed the equip-

ment to cater to an audi-ence hungry for this newform of entertainment.

Twenty-eight yearslater, in 1956, on a typical

The Ferndale Repertory Theatre

(seeREP/page 15)

Celebrating 38 years of engaging live entertainment!

Rings Pharmacy: Oldestdrug store in California

Its as if there has beena Rings Pharmacy in Fer-ndale for as long as there

has been a Main Street.J.H. Ring originally

dispensed his pills andelixirs across the streetfrom the present location,in a towering structurebuilt in 1894-95. The 362Main Street store is com-mercial Eastlake Stick.(The J.H. Ring familylived above the store andenjoyed a balcony, sinceremoved.)

When J.H. Ringretired, he passed thebusiness to his son,Meredith.

The building was rein-forced with steel rods andtimber braces followingthe 1906 earthquake. In

fact, these braces are to becredited for holding thebuilding during the April

1992 earthquakes.Owner Tom Renner

operates the pharmacy

behind the ornately-carved redwood fixture inthe back. You cant alwayssee him, but hes alwayshappy to greet customersand answer questions.

Walk in, and you willnotice that Rings is morethan a drug store. Thefront end is stocked witha little bit of most things,including cosmetics, film,postcards, sunglasses andfirst-aid supplies. You alsocan find character cookie

jars, novelty salt and pep-per shakers, NapoleonPorcelain flowers, mini-hinged boxes, BeanieBabies and old-fashionedRaggedy Anns. One also

can take advantage oftwo-day film processing.Even better, print from

your digital cameraor a print-to-printwhile you wait at theKodak Kiosk.

In Ferndale,there isnt a one-stoptype of super store, sowe try to carry a vari-ety of items, saysTom. The regularsknow where thetricky items are - butmost customers, res-idents and visitorsalike, end up askingfor what they arelooking for.

RI

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SPHARMACY362 Main Str

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Enterprise staff photoRings Pharmacy at 362 MainSt.

Courtesy Ferndale RepThe Ferndale Repertory Theatre was built in 1920 and has been an integral partof the town since its days as a movie theatre and now as a home for quality live

performances.

your headquarters for Pol-ish Pottery. Importedfrom Poland, these col-lectable art pieces are ofheirloom quality.

Para-sol Arts isopenWednes-daythroughFridayfrom 10am to 9 pm and weekends,noon to 5 pm.

Private parties areavailable weekends: 10 amto noon and 6 pm to 9 pm.Walk-ins always welcome.No appointments neces-sary.

"We don't teachclasses. We teach whenyou sit in the chair."

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Children are welcome at Parasol Arts and enjoy paint-ing their own pottery.

Parasol Arts Paint-Your-Own-Pottery justcelebrated their third yearanniversary! Owners,Brad and Cathy Curtis,have created a unique andcolorful atmospherewhere painting pottery istruly a pleasure. But,painting pottery isnt theonly attraction.

Birthday parties andspecial events are possiblein a variety of packages.School fieldtrips arealways welcome as well asclassroom To Go Kits.Gallery art, as well ascards, gift wrap and cus-tom hand-painted tilework are also available.

Parasol Arts has beena great resource forfundraising. Let us helpyour club, group or non-profit maximize yourmoney-making potential.

Parasol Arts is also

Happy anniversary!


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Silvas Fine Jewelry is home tounique collection of rare gems

Photos courtesy of Silvas Fine JewelryJenny Oaks and Lowell Daniels moved their highlysuccessful fine jewelry business, Silvas Fine Jewelry,from Sutter Creek to Ferndale.

The former frontparlors of the historicVictorian Inn now houseone of the largest andmost luxurious collec-tions of rare gems andfine jewelry in NorthernCalifornia. The uniquecollection of speciallydesigned pieces fromaround the world dis-played in the rich com-fort of this landmark

building make shoppingfor fine jewelry an expe-rience to be remem-bered.

Owners LowellDaniels and Jenny Oaksrelocated their highlysuccessful fine jewelrybusiness from the goldcountry of Sutter Creek,where it flourished for18 years. On a trip toHumboldt County, theyencountered theenchanting village ofFerndale and the historicVictorian Inn. Theyimmediately fell in lovewith the area and pur-chased the building inJanuary 1999.

The store is namedafter Lowell's grandfa-ther, Joseph Rose Silva,born in the PortugueseAzore Islands. Lowell'sgrandfather immigratedto California and,although born here,Lowell treasures his Por-tuguese heritage. Anoriginal portrait of hisgrandfather overlooksthe beautiful setting ofthe store.

Lowell is a graduategemologist and a certi-fied gemologistappraiser. He spent sev-eral years obtaining hisformal education fromthe Gemological Insti-

tute of America. He hasa large following of reg-ular clients from across

the U.S. and Europe. Low-ell's buying trips through-out the world have allowedhim to collect a selectionof rare gemstones, uniqueoriginal designs and many,many friends and fansover the years. B ecausethe couple rarely buysfrom factories or sales rep-resentatives, their costs arefar below market average,hence their large client fol-lowing.

Jenny has also studiedgemology and her style,insight and grace makeselecting a special piece of

jewelry a memorable expe-rience. The store special-izes in custom designs andrepairs and features one ofthe few Computer-AidedJewelry Design systems inNorthern California. Ittakes only moments withLowell to design, graphi-cally visualize, then print

a photograph of a spe-cially created piece.

Along with dia-monds, rubies, sapphires,emeralds and other pre-

cious gems, the large var-ied inventory includescameos, jade, pearls,tourmaline, tanzaniteand many other rare andlovely gemstones fromaround the world, alongwith many other worksof art and treasures. Thebeautifully appointed,specially lit surroundingsmake selecting a specialpiece of fine jewelry anexperience to rememberat Silva's.

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ucts for men, women, andthe kitchen in several fra-grances, lotions, handtherapy, foot care, fancysoaps, salts, bath andshower gels. For that ele-gant gift, of course, thereare Crabtree and Evelynspecialty gift packets.Camille Beckmans vanillaproducts and our Euro-pean Soaps still remain afavorite of locals. For thatcozy gift our plush robes,bed socks, slippers and

jackets are a treat for all.Please plan your visit

and shopping experiencesoon. We will be glad tomeet you and make newfriends. Be sure to give us

your email address so thatyou can be made aware ofspecial events, sales, andcoupons. The FerndaleEmporium is open Mon-day-Saturday, 10 to 5 andSunday, 11 to 4, with afterhour and Internet shop-ping. Gift cards, personalshopping service, gift reg-istry and complimentarygift-wrapping are part ofour services.

FE

RNDALEEMPORIUM344 Main St

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Courtesy photo.Home of The Ferndale Emporium.

The Ferndale Empo-rium is located in the 1899Eastlake Victorian that wasoriginally built for theLowenthals Ferndale Reli-able Store. Since that timethe building has seenmany changes such as aBuick dealership, theater,skating rink, mortuary,church, art gallery, amongothers. The FerndaleEmporium continues thelegacy of a quality store inthis location. Over thepast 11 years we havemade friends and cus-

tomers that we ship to allover the world. We inviteyou to visit our store inperson or via the Internetat (www.ferndale-empo-rium.com).

Our unique andaffordable boutique spe-cializes in items for thatspecial friend, girlfriend,sister, or mom. Make herday special with one of akind jewelry, purses,scarves, or travel acces-sories.

To enhance your bathand spa area, mirrors,towel racks and accessoriesare matched together withour broad range of bathproducts and candles,

including candles fromWood Wick and Archi-pelago. The ThymesCompany provides prod-

The Ferndale Emporium celebrates 11 years

Guys are welcome at Girlie GirlsAfter being open only

one year, the trendy littleshop, Girlie Girls, hasexpanded. Due to a largenumber of requests fromthe local communitytheyve added mens cloth-ing to their inventory.

The back room atGirlie Girls is now dedi-cated to the guys, sport-ing Levis, Lucky brandand Big Star jeans andapparel.

What a fun yearweve had, commentedLaurel Johnson and KimRenfer, sisters who co-own the shop. Our com-munity has been verysupportive and we are sograteful. We are listeningto our customers anddoing our best to bring theitems they want at rea-sonable prices.

One step inside GirlieGirls and you know yourenot in Kansas any more.

The fragrant MainStreet store is filled withglitter, sequins, jeans,peek-a-boo heels andeverything a girl couldever want to feel, well,

Enterprise staff photoFind Girlie Girls in the pink on Main Street.

form that many peoplethink has died out or asso-ciate solely with horse-shoeing.

In the BlacksmithShops collection of hand-forged pieces, it is clearthat blacksmithing is aliveand well. The productsoffered for sale cover awide range from func-tional art such as cutlery,bottle openers, clocks, mir-rors, lamps, tables, beds,

fireplace tools, wine racks,pot racks, and candle-holders to decorative itemssuch as wall art and sculp-tures.

In 2003, they opened agallery two buildings downfrom the main shop at 491Main Street to increasetheir display area for largerfurniture and sculpturalpieces. Most of the prod-ucts for sale are hand-forged iron, but there arealso pieces made usingbrass, copper and bronze.Many of the sculpturalpieces for sale are castbronze, like Mark Hop-kins fishing sculptures and

Tim Cotterills (aka TheFrogman) frogs.While the majority of

the Blacksmith Shopsinventory is made frommetal, they also sell finehand-made products inother media, some ofwhich is made locally likeHolly Yashi jewelry, Fireand Light recycled glassdishware, glass paper-weights by Jesse Taj, andwire sculptures by Eliza-beth Berrien. Otherunique offerings includeOrient & Flume glass andBovano enameled copperwall hangings, both forwhich the BlacksmithShop is the exclusiveretailer in Humboldt

County.The Blacksmith Shopsextensive inventory has putthem on the map amongretailers of hand-made art.

The Blacksmith Shopat 455 Main Street wasestablished in 1979 withone objective: to create anextensive collection ofcontemporary black-smithing. Thirty yearslater, this objective hasbeen achieved, as the shopbuys from over 125 black-smiths, mostly fromwithin the U.S. The shophas two reasons for main-taining this size of collec-

tion one is to supportblacksmiths by purchas-ing their work, and theother is to introduce thegeneral public to an art

Wide variety of handmadeart at The Blacksmith Shop

Courtesy photoThe Blacksmith Shop at 455 Main Street houses anextensive collection of contemporary blacksmithingitems.

Courtesy photoThe Blacksmith Shop Gallery can be found just downthe street from the main store at 491 Main Street.

girlie.Renfer and Johnsons

four daughters are alsovery much in the picture,along with other employ-ees, running things andstamping the shop withtheir hip, girlie styles andsensibilities. I was toldnot to buy without mydaughter Jennys approval,

laughed Kim, though shesquick to add that she wearsGirlie Girls trendy, con-temporary clothing andaccessories herself.

Weve had fun exper-imenting with differentdesigners and lines to meetthe desires of our clien-tele, said the owners.

With a wide assort-

ment of designer jeans forevery fit, dresses for everyoccasion, and tops andcoats from comfy casual tocosmo to dressy, GirlieGirls can dress you in style.

And, if you are look-ing for accessories, look nofurther. This little store hasit all, in every color. Fer-ndale has never had a storequite like this, claim theowners, whose family haslived in Ferndale for gen-erations.

We are truly enjoyingbeing part of the business

community of Ferndale,they say. Count on us tokeep a close eye on the lat-est fashions and bringthem to our town.

Come in to see what isnew at Girlie Girls. Witha new exciting line of jew-elry, the coveted 501Levis and a full line of

contemporary mens cloth-ing, Laurel and Kim areworking to keep Ferndalein style. You dont want tomiss this!

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For five years the Shophas been honored byNICHE magazine as oneof the Top Retailers ofAmerican Craft. The cri-teria for receiving theseawards, which are deter-mined by polling over26,000 professional craftartists, include treatingartists with respect, givingback to the craft commu-nity and mentoring emerg-ing artists.

According to Black-smith Shop owner, andblacksmith himself, JosephKoches, these ideals havealways been central to hisbusiness practices.

I think of it as invest-

ing in an artist, Kochessaid. If there is a youngblacksmith who showspotential, I like to helpthem out by buying theirpieces, so they can buy newtools or whatever theyneed to keep on going.Merchandise is purchasedfrom artists who love whatthey are doing. They puttheir love into their workand one can see the differ-ence.

Indeed the difference isvisib le to the numerou scustomers impressed withthe unique, quality prod-ucts. As the popularity ofthe store continues toexpand, the shop hasgrown by launching a web-

site (www.ferndaleblack-smith.com) that allowsvisua l commun icationwith the merchandise.

Amidst updating the

business and planning forthe future, the BlacksmithShop will always stay trueto its beginnings sellingan extensive selection ofbeautiful hand-made prod-ucts by talented artists.

The histories of thebuildings that currentlycontain the BlacksmithShop only add to theatmosphere of craftsman-ship.

The 455 Main Streetshop in Ferndale was orig-inally the G.W. Williamsbuilding and housed ahardware store upon itscompletion in 1888.

The same people beganbuilding the 491 MainStreet gallery in 1895 whentheir hardware storeneeded a larger space. Thestore at 455 has seen somechanges, as it was damagedin the 1902 earthquake, wasmodified in 1954, and wasdamaged again in the 1992earthquake, at which pointJoseph Koches remodeled

the building to look like theoriginal storefront.Through all these changes,the store at 455 Main stillhas its original wood floors,

giving an old-time flavorthat is heightened by the1914 cash register made bythe National Cash RegisterCompany in Dayton, Ohio,some antique display cases,and a whiz machine forhand-written receipts.

Visiting the BlacksmithShop will not only exposeyou to beautiful hand-made artwork by Americanartists, but you are sure tosee something made inmetal that you have neverseen before. The Black-smith Shop is open sevendays a week. The staff hasgift certificates availableand can ship all over theU.S. Make the BlacksmithShop a definite stop onyour way down MainStreet.

THE BLACKSMITHSHOPTHE BLACKSMITHSHOP GALLERY455 Main Str

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5/17


Ferndales Queen

The Gingerbread Mansion Inn isFerndales award-winning B and B

Enterprise staff photoFerndales pride and joy, the Gingerbread Mansion Inn, can be found on Berd-ing Street, just one block from Main. Owners/Innkeepers, from the left: Juli andRobert McInroy and Vince and Susan Arriaga.

Exquisitely turreted,carved and gabled, andlandscaped with lush Eng-

lish gardensthe Ginger-bread Mansion Inn is likenothing youve ever seenbefore. It is a visual mas-terpiece.

One of Northern Cali-fornias most pho-tographed buildings, theGingerbread Mansion Innhas been seen in manymajor publications, includ-ing The National Geo-graphic, The New YorkTimesand SunsetsBestof the West issue (which

voted it one of the five bestinns in the West).

The inn has beenawarded AAAs four-dia-mond rating for the thir-teen consecutive years, andhas received the MostExcellent Inn in NorthAmerica fromJohansens, an interna-tional travel guide. It alsohas received the GrandHotel award from SanFrancisco Focusmagazine,and has a three-star Mobilrating.

The combination ofQueen Anne and Eastlakestyles, elaborately

trimmed with ginger-bread, makes the Ginger-bread Mansion Inn anarchitectural landmark.The California Office ofTourism has even chosena sketch of it for the coverof its brochure on bed-and-breakfast inns.

Built in 1898 as thehome of Dr. Hogan Ring,the mansion has beenused as a hospital, a resthome, an AmericanLegion Hall and an apart-ment building. It was in1983 that Ken Torbertopened its doors as theGingerbread MansionInn.

The interior has beenrestored and its rooms

filled with antiques. Fourcomfortable parlors awaitguests for afternoon tea,reading, board games andconversation. The 11 spa-cious, romantic bedroomsare designed for a gueststotal comfort. All roomsand suites have private

bathrooms with showersand extra touches, such asbathrobes and fragrant

bubble bath.The Empire Suite isNorthern Californiasmost opulent room, witha richness of decorbeyond imagining. Theprivate foyer of theEmpire Suite sets the stagefor the elegance and opu-lence to come. Dramatic12-foot ceilings, rich goldand black RegencyRevival wallpapers and acourtly marble floor (setwith a diagonal checker-board pattern of ChineseCherry Blossom andSpanish Emperador tiles)greet approaching guests.Stained glass VictorianFrench doors eight feethigh take ones breath

away as they open toreveal the luxurious bed-room suite.

Among the othersuites, fireplaces and claw-footed bathtubs are to befound. Two suites haveside-by-side claw-footedtubs for his and her

The Ferndale Arts Gallerycelebrates its 19th anniversary

The Ferndale ArtsGallery, a cooperativeof local artists, openedits doors in April 1990in the Peers Buildingwith 21 members.Today, its membershipis every bit as dynamicas it was in the begin-ning.

The gallery hasexpanded its scope toinclude watercolors, oils,acrylics, photography,poetry, jewelry, sculp-

ture, pottery, stitchery,woodturnings, dichroicglass, colored pencils,kinetic sculptures andtextiles.

The gallery is cele-

Courtesy Ferndale Arts CooperativeThe Ferndale Arts Gallery can be found in the Ferndale Art & Cultural Centerat the corner of Main and Shaw.

brating its 19th anniver-sary this year. Currentmembers are BarbaraDavis, Joan Katri, NatalieDiCostanzo, Anita Punla,Ben Green, Camille Regli,Pat Cahill, Peggy Dick-enson, Marj Early, StanBennett, Rosalinda Brain-erd, Deb Peterson, BarneyElking, Melanie Kasek,Leon Porter, Matt Filar,Kym Hansen, Laura Rose,Sue Cartwright, Eva Hen-neberry, Laura Wellman

and Stephanie Harrow.Many of our artists par-

ticipate in local, regionaland national competi-tions.

It is the intention of the

gallery to be a positiveparticipant in the growthof Humboldt County andthe Ferndale community.

The gallery is openfrom 10 am to 5 pm daily.Please check out our web-site to view current art-work and come in to seethe everchanging displaysand meet the artist onduty.

THE FERNDALEARTS GALLERY

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Artwork ranges from paintings to pottery

ABRAXAS Silver and Gold

Jewelry

Hat Room Italian Charm

Bracelets Leather Purses &Wallets . . . all at

505 MAIN ST.(707) 786-4288

Find the best selection ofshoes in the Eel RiverValley . . . includingMerrell, Clark, Born,

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bubble baths! In the Foun-tain Suite bath, the tubs arein front of a tiled fireplace.This is one of two roomsthat have faintingcouches in the bathroom.

The two tubs in theGingerbread Suite are end-to-end, with reading lightsabove. The garden-likebath of the Rose Suite is aslarge as the bedroom, andoffers mirrored walls andceiling, a French bidet anda fireplace.

All guests are wel-comed with afternoon tea,featuring many choice teasand an assortment of con-fections, cookies, tea sand-wiches, pastries and sconesserved with lemon curdand creme fraiche.

The staff will helpmake dinner arrangementsand upon request whenreturning from dinner,guests will find their bedsturned down, with Godivachocolates awaiting them.

A gourmet breakfastwith fresh fruit, home-made granola, the Ginger-bread Mansions famoushomemade muffins andscrumptious baked dishesis served in the diningroom, which overlooks amanicured English garden.

The Gingerbread Man-sion Inn belongs to theprestigious Select Registryand California Associationof Bed and Breakfast Inns.

As the new owners ofthe Gingerbread Mansion

Inn, we want to say howmuch we appreciate thewonderful welcome andcontinued support thatFerndale has given us. Thelegacy of the Gingerbreadcouldnt have been handeddown to us without theremarkable vision of KenTorbert, who created themansion as a bed andbreakfast and set the stan-dards for the industry.Thank you, everyone.

G

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952-4136Ginge

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Courtesy photoLooking for something to remember Ferndale by? How about a signed print of

Jack Mays vision of Main Street, pictured above. Mays also has available a seriesof notecards featuring 12 other Ferndale landmarks, including some of the towns

churches and Victorians. The cards are available at Rings Pharmacy and at TheEnterprise office.

Take Ferndale home with you

The Gazebo wants patrons to lookgood, smell good and feel good

To Ferndalers, JackMays is an institution.For more than 30 years hehas sat in his white plas-tic chair, his drawingboard propped on his lapand his box of coloredpencils nearby.

Now, Mays populardrawing of Main Street,which in its first printingsold out, is available onceagain. Signed prints froma limited edition secondprinting are available atThe Enterpriseoffice (600Main Street) by mail, oronline at ferndaleenter-prise.us.

The print, which can

be seen in large form onHwy 101 as it passes the

town of Fortuna, has beendescribed as beyondphoto realism.

The drawing is myvision of what I considerutopia, said Mays. Ivelived here almost all mylife and I cant imaginebeing creative anywhereelse. Ferndale visually haseverything I need andmore.

Also available, at var-ious locations aroundtown, including RingsPharmacy, the FerndaleRepertory Theatre, theFerndale Clothing Com-pany and The Enterpriseoffice, are note cards fea-

turing the Main Streetdrawing and 12 other Fer-

ndale scenes.The notecards are of

the Catholic AssumptionChurch, the FerndaleCommunity Church, theold Methodist Church, aBerding Street Victorian,the Red Front Store,Ferndales historic fireengine No. 1, tractors atthe Humboldt CountyFire, the fairs racetrack

viewed from the grand-stands, the Main Streetlemonade stand and Fer-ndales horse and carriage.

Along with being rec-ognized as Ferndales res-ident artist, Mays isknown for his recent

A Jack Mays limited-edition signed print of Main

Street is a great keepsake of the Victorian Village

Call 1-866-869-MORE (6673) orgo online at www.novb.com

Get More.

Community

focused.

Community

driven.Our roots run deep

in the Ferndale

community!

Ferndale Branch

394 Main Street

Ferndale, CA 95536

Call Helene Nicholson

Branch Manager

(707) 786.9522

Member FDIC

Our Ferndale staff

Do you need a mortgage loan?

why youll get more at

North Valley Bank!

November 2008marked the first anniver-sary of the new Gazebo.

At first the new own-ers just werent sure whichdirection they were goingto take this new shop, ina wonderfully old, hand-crafted Eastlake Stickbuilding, circa 1898, orig-inally used as The NewYork Cash Store.

The building itselfultimately gave us the

inspiration, says ownerTami Robinson, formerlyof Hawi, Hawaii, on thebig island, where she hada custom jewelry and beadshop.

Robinson leased theincredible building andthen looked to acquireinventory.

Initially, we tried a bitof this and that; like theproverbial pasta thrown atthe wall to see what

sticks, she said. One daywhile I was rearranging, Inoticed the fine hand-crafted details of the inte-rior moldings.

In that moment,Robinson said she beganto see how the Gazebocould evolve bring thebest and highest quality,useful products to thelocals and travelers ofHumboldt County.

The more locally

hand-crafted, kind to thepatronage and planet, thebetter, and Robinson alsowanted to make availablethe coolest and most use-ful products from aroundthe globe.

The Gazebo carriesitems from perfectlyround hand-hewnwooden bowls created byFerndale retired mathteacher, Tom Weber, toKakadu Oil Cloth slickers

and hats from Australia(for men and women) toshed some of that rain intoour water system!

We have uniqueVenetian glass wine gob-lets and natural essencesoy based candles to cozyup the chilly nights, saidRobinson. There arecool, classy tops guaran-teed wrinkle-free for trav-eling and our latestdiscovery that were shar-

ing is 100 percent bamboofiber towels that are softas cashmere, have naturalantibacterial properties,are more absorbent thancotton, dry quickly andnot to mention, aremildew resistant which isa huge bonus in humidclimates.

Delicious soaps,lotions and spa basketsput the finishing toucheson your fluffing and buff-

ing.The warm and friendly

atmosphere of the Gazeboinvites browsing and dis-covery and caters to thecurious at heart. On anygiven afternoon one canwitness Robinson workingher magic creating a cus-tom designed necklace,

pendant or pair of earringsfor her loyal customers.

Mr. Ashlee McFall-moore can share somelocal lore, answer ques-tions, and is happy to carryyour parcels to the car.

The Gazebo is openseven days a week andoffers shipping worldwide.

We want you to lookgood, smell good and feelgood.

THE GAZEBO47

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Courtesy photoThe Gazebo is housed in a Eastlake Stick victorian, circa 1898.

Looking for peace & quiet?Look no further than

Peaceful ViewPeaceful View

Vacation RentalVacation Rental

Ferndale studio apartment sleeps two Private, yet close to town and activities

Completely renovated fully equipped kitchen, WiFi,HDTV, LCD television, hot tub, off-street privateparking, private deck with incredible peaceful view of

pasture, mountains and the ocean in the distance Rental available for two-night minimum or per week

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(SeeMAY

S/page 15)


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Great food at Ferndale Pizza Co.You will find the Fer-

ndale Pizza Company atthe site of what was oncethe Pythian Castle.

From 1896 to 1930, theCastle was one of thetowns largest and mostimposing buildings andthe center of the VictorianVillage social life. Dancesand banquets were fre-quently held here.

But in 1906, the build-ing sustained considerabledamage. Following anearthquake in 1930, it was

condemned and subse-quently demolished. (Anynumber of old photos andinformation about thePythian Castle can befound at the FerndaleMuseum.)

From 1972 to 1990,todays Pizza Companysite was a service stationand body shop. In 1991,it became Me and DinosPizzaria until Skip andLaurie Wortman arrivedfrom San Diego.

They discovered Meand Dinos was for sale onone of their many visitshere, and decided thatowning it would be a

Enterprise staff photo

Whether its pizza or other great Italian dishes, youllfind them at the FPC!

dream come true. In amatter of months, theywere on their way to Fern-dale to rename theirrestaurant Ferndale PizzaCompany. That was inJune 1994.

In addition to theirever-popular pizzas,which are hand-tossedand baked in a brick oven,their menu includes a

variety of Italian dinners.Sandwiches are served ondelicious homemade rolls.

Each day, Skip bakesthe bread, makes his pizza

dough and the meatsauce. He grinds his ownpork and rolls his ownmeatballs.

Skip and Laurie andtheir very friendly stafflook forward to servingyou. They hope you willstop in for some great Ital-ian food served in theircozy and casual restau-rant.

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vibrant commu-nity.

The kitchenscome completewith dishes andcookware. TheSelect Suites fea-ture one queenbed. One of theFamily Suitesfeatures a kingbed with twintrundle beds,

while the otherfeatures twoqueen beds. Allthe suites havedining tables andchairs in the din-ing area andcouches in thesitting area.

The two sin-gle rooms, fea-turing one queenbed, also havesmall refrigera-tors andmicrowaves.They also have a smalltable and chairs for apleasant time in themorning while enjoyingyour coffee, which is pro-

vided in all our rooms, aswell as cable TV and freeWireless Internet.

We invite you to comestay and relax with us atRedwood Suitestodayor on your next visit tothe Victorian Village ofFerndale. Were easy tofind. Just go down MainStreet to Ocean Avenue

and turn right for half ablock. We will be on yourleft just past US Bank.Registration is in thelobby of the VictorianInn, at the corner of

Ocean and Main.

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For a relaxing stay and a restfulnight, stay at Redwood Suites

Redwood Suites, asister property to Low-ell Daniels and JennyOaks Victorian Inn, isthe answer for thosetravelers and visitorswho wish space andcomfort while enjoyingtheir time here. Thesuites all feature a fullkitchen, a combinationliving room/diningroom, a separate bed-

room and a private bath.There are also two sin-gle rooms which donthave kitchens, but are

just as beaut ifullyappointed. Because ofthe ability to preparesome or all of theirmeals in the fullkitchens, many guestsstay in Redwood Suiteswhen they are here forlonger periods than isusual when just travel-ing through.

Our convenientlocation, just a halfblock from HistoricalDowntown Ferndaleand its unique MainStreet establishments

(332 Ocean Avenue),makes it the perfecthome base from whichto visit any time of year.Local festivals, live the-atre, flea markets andfarmers markets, filmfestivals and parades are

just a s ampling of t hemany events that high-light the year in our

Courtesy photoRedwood Suites offers clean andcomfortable accommodations.

Enterprise staff photosClothing, candles, specialty kitchen and houseware items can be found at GB Far-mgirl & Company.

Ferndale Festivities, 2009-2010

Ferndale Farmers Market. Certified market, Saturdays through Oct., Main & Shaw Sts., 10:30-2June 25-26: Dance Theatre, South Side.Ferndale Dance Academy at Ferndale Rep., 7 pm. 786-5483June 27-28: The Lost Coast Kennel Club Show. Fairgrounds, 8 to 4. Free admission; parking, $34th of July Celebration: Fire Engine Rides with Ferndale Volunteer Firefighters, free, 10 am to noon. 786-

9515. ParadeFerndale Rep Theatre, Ferndale Kiwanis and the Chamber of Commerce organize noon

parade. 786-5483. PicnicFerndale Rotary Club cooks at 1 pm. Patriotic Musical Revue, "CelebrateAmerica"Ferndale Rep Theatre. 786-5483. Independence Day Fireworks, fairgrounds, after dark.(Receive $5 chip to Bear River Casino for $5 parking.)

July 17-19: Theatre. Senior Theatre Acting Resource show, Ferndale Rep Theatre, 707-786-5483July 17-19: The Lost Coast Kennel Club AKC Dog Agility Trial. Fairgrounds, 8 to 4. Free.Aug. 6-Sept. 6: Musical Theatre, Jekyll and Hyde.Ferndale Rep Theatre, 707-786-5483Aug. 13-23: 113th Annual Humboldt County Fair, Racing, Squeals & Ferris Wheels!Horse races,

carnival, animals, etc. Oldest uninterrupted county fair in California is fun for everyone! 707-786-9511Aug. 28-30: State Championship Firemen's Muster. Teams from all over California compete with antique

fire equipment. Parade, dinner, dance. Open to the public. Fairgrounds. 707-786-4193Sept. 11-13: Wildcat Gem Fest. Belotti Hall, fairgrounds. Sat. 10-6 pm; Sun. 10-5 pm 943-1575Sept. 12-13: Bargain Lovers' Weekend. Shop 'til you drop at more than 100 locations. 9 am to 6 pmSeptember 12: Ice Cream Social. Fundraiser for Ferndale Tennis Assn. Village Green, noon to 4 pmOct. 2-4: North Coast Stand Down Veterans outreach. Fairgrounds. Fri. 8 am-Sun. noon. 707-826-6191Oct. 15-18: Horsemanship Skills 4-Day Clinic with Jerry Tindell. Fairgrounds. 707-786-9511Oct. 30: Halloween Carnival & Chili Feed. Ferndale Elementary fundraiser. Fairgrounds.707-786-5300Oct. 31: St. Marks Fall Harvest Festival. St. Marks Lutheran Church, Fern & Berding Sts. 5-8 pmNov. 26: Ecumenical Community Thanksgiving Service. Assumption Church, 10 amNov. 27-28: The Folks Christmas Crafts Fair. Veterans Memorial Building. 707-786-9995Dec. 4: Hospitality Night Open House. Lively block party evening on Main Street. 7-9 pmDec.4: Danish Hall Christmas Crafts Fair. Danish Hall, 4-9 pm 707-268-3729 or 707-445-8264Dec. 5: Santa Claus in Ferndale. St. Nick and his elf bring goodies for kids to Main Street, 10:30 amDec. 5, 12, 19: Holiday Entertainment Christmas Brass Band strolls Main Street from 2-4 pmDec. 5-6: 40th Annual Christmas Celebration in Song. Ferndale Community Choir sings inspiring music at

Ferndale Community Church, 8 pm Saturday; Assumption Church, 3 pm Sunday.Dec. 6: Lighting of America's Tallest Living Christmas Tree. A Ferndale tradition since 1934. The huge,

radiant Spruce at the end of Main Street is visible for miles, a beacon to herald the Christmas season. Thewhole town turns out for the ceremony, then gathers over free cookies and cocoa. 5:30 pm

Dec. 6: Portuguese Linguica and Beans Dinner. Portuguese Hall, 5-8 pm 707-786-4222Dec. 12: Victorian Christmas. Shopkeepers, town folk and visitors in Victorian garb. 707-786-9500Dec. 12-13: Gun Show. Fairgrounds. 530-529-1858Dec. 20: Assumption Church Dinnerat Ferndale Community Center or take-out. 4-7 pm 707-786-9717Dec. 20: 17th Annual Christmas Lighted Tractor Parade. Local farmers and ranchers parade decorated

tractors and tractor-drawn wagons for a sparkling country Christmas celebration. 7 pm 707-786-4299Dec. 31-Jan. 1: New Year's Barrel Bash. Covered Arena, Fairgrounds. 707-845-0291Jan. 28-30: Frey of Ferndale. Slot car racing teams two-day marathon at the fairgrounds.Feb. 4-7: Horsemanship Skills 4-Day Clinic with Jerry Tindell. Fairgrounds. 707-786-9511Feb. 6: Packing Clinic by Backcountry Horsemen of CA Redwood Unit. Fairgrounds. 7 07-786-9637Feb. 12-14: CA State High School Rodeo, District 2. Sat. 8 am; Sun., 10 am. Fairgrounds. 707-786-9511Feb. 14: Firemen's Games. Local firefighters vie using old-fashioned firefighting techniques. Noon.March 7: 33rd Annual Foggy Bottoms Milk Run. A family run conducted by the Six Rivers Running Club

with three different courses through farmlands to the Main Street finish, starting at 1:30 pm 707-822-1861April 3: Easter Egg Hunt. Prizes in 4 categories for 10-year-olds and younger. 10:30 am Firemens Park.April 4 & 11: 40th Annual Easter Concert. Ferndale Community Choir performs sacred songs of the

season. April 4: Ferndale Assumption Church, 8 pm April 11: Ferndale Community Church, 3 pmApril 9-11: CA State High School Rodeo, District 2. Sat. 8 am; Sun., 10 am. Fairgrounds. 707-786-9511April 28-May 2: California Blacksmith Assn. Spring Conference, "A Gathering of California Masters."

250-450 people gather to watch demonstrations by nationally-known blacksmiths, attend workshops andlectures, and meet other people interested in blacksmithing. At the fairgrounds. Info: 707-786-4216

May TBA: Cinco de Mayo Fiesta by Ferndale Elementary School students. Main Street parade, 11 amFolkloric dancing, authentic food and Mariachi music, noon to 3 pm Belotti Hall, fairgrounds. 786-9668

May 8: 31st Annual Bicycle Tour of the Unknown Coast. 10-, 20-, and 50-mile cycling courses plusCalifornia's toughest "century," 100-mile loop through the redwoods, tracing the Lost Coast to the FStart times: 100-mile, 7 am; 50-mile, 8 am; 20-mile, 10 am; 10-mile, 11:30 am 707-845-6117

erndale.

May 9: Kinetic Klassic. Reenactment of the original Main St. race. 707-499-0643May 15: Ride for Life. Equestrian teams ride for American Cancer Society, 9-5, Fairgrounds. 476-1632May 22-23: 86th Annual Portuguese Holy Ghost Celebration. 6:30 pm Saturday rosary, bean & linguica

dinner. Sunday, line up (9:30 am) for parade to 10:30 am mass; noon dinner, Portuguese Hall; 2 pmauction, fairgrounds, followed by dancing; evening meal at Portuguese Hall, 7 pm. 786-4346.

May 31: Memorial Day Parade. 10 am parade followed by a solemn remembrance of the day.May 29-31: 41st Annual Kinetic Sculpture Race. Wild & crazy people-powered sculptures leave the Arcata

Plaza Saturday to reach the Victorian Village on Memorial Day, all for the glory! 845-1717

May-Oct.: Ferndale Farmers Market. Certified market, Main & Shaw Sts., Saturdays 10:30 am to 2 pmJune 5: Pet Parade. Young children parade costumed pets, Main Street to Firemen's Park at 10:30 amJune 5: Ferndale Kiwanis Cow Pie Bingo & Barbecue Lunch . Main & Francis Sts.

Events subject to change without notice. Confirmdates & times at VictorianFerndale.com or call 707-786-4477

The Becker InsuranceAgency began in 1950 inthe office section of theFerndale Meat Market.Before it became a full-time operation, it ran forseven years in conjunc-tion with other occupa-tions.

Around 1960, thebusiness moved to itscurrent location at 521Main Street. From here,Beckers offers a fullrange of insurance. (Areal estate office was partof the business until1982.) Most of the insur-

ance business is on a per-sonal line basis, andincludes autos and

homes.Small commercial

accounts and farmaccounts are also animportant segment of theagency.

The business hasstayed in the family. JerryBecker sold the businessto his two sons, Bill andDon Becker, upon hisretirement in 1987. Theentire Becker family hasenjoyed doing businessin Ferndale.

Kelli Boots ( formerlyKelli Townsend) joinedthe staff in May 2007. She

was born and raised inFerndale and graduatedfrom Humboldt State

University in 2006. Kelliobtained her agent'slicense in March 2008.

Their agents continueto be most supportive oflocal functions, particu-larly those for youngpeople. The entireagency also is involved incommunity activities andremains a strong backerof the Victorian Village.

THE BE

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The Becker Insurance Agency

GB Farmgirl & Com-pany has a new look andlots of new inventory tooffer Main Street shop-pers.

The fanciful shop,located at 358 Main Street,has expanded its inventoryto include high-end Hum-boldt Apparel sweatshirts(for men, too) and otherclothing, some 50 differ-ent kinds of candles(everything from applebutter to shortbread), andspecialty kitchen andhouseware items, includ-ing spices developed byhome maven Martha

Stewart.Born-and-raised Fer-ndaler and owner MerrittBrodt says she wants tokeep the shop upbeat and

fun.Its fun to put

together things that peo-ple like, she said. Purses,

jewelry, lotions and scoresof other colorful and fra-grant products fill up theshops space. You can evenbuy Jelly Bellies.

Brodt, who studiedtextile and design atGeorge Fox University inNewburg, Oregon, saysher Cowgirl Tuff clothingline products are perfectfor cowgirls like herself,and her new Farmgirl lineof clothing and Farmgirlhats are hot!

Theyre stylish andcomfortable, and cowgirlslike them, she said, turn-ing around to model her

jeans . Brodt has been

around cattle her wholelife and is now raisingdairy replacement heifersfor her fathers dairy.

And if youre lookingfor something less practi-cal, theres always the flow-ered hammer with thehidden screwdriver or thesterling Tollbeads.

GB Farmgirl & Com-panys summertime hoursare 11 to 5 Mondaythrough Saturday and 12to 4 on Sundays.

GB FARMG

IRL &C

OMPANY358 Main Stree

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Cowgirls always welcome

at GB Farmgirl & Company


8/17


JAKE DRAKEREALTOR

FRANK CASASANTAREALTOR

444 MAIN STREET(On the corner of Main

and Washington)

PO BOX 217FERNDALE, CA 95536

707-786-4720

Serving allyour RealEstateneedsthroughoutHumboldtCounty.

Evenings andweekends byappointment.

Information on:

Lodging

Dining

Sightseeing

Hiking

Camping

Birding

TheaterShopping

www.ferndalerealestate.net

Laura Easts Ferndale Dance Academy offers a variety of classes

Perra Properties owner Barbara Perra bringsyears of experience to local real estate market

Courtesy Aesthetic Design & PhotographyThe cast of Ferndale Dance Academys La Marionnette.

Enterprise staff photoReal estate agent Barbara Perra, right, with Ferndaler clientsPaul and Suzannah Mellon.

When we moved toFerndale, says Laura East,the director of Laura EastsFerndale Dance Academy,people told me that a

dance studio in this areawould never make itbecause the kids were onlyinterested in sports. How-ever, having a dance stu-dio has been a dream of

mine for years so Ithought it was at leastworth a try.

The first Dance Acad-emy classes were held in

2003 at An Exercise Placein a space about as big asa matchbox, says East.The floor shook likecrazy whenever we

jumped . One leap and

you were across. Twoleaps and youd run into awall.

That was six years ago.Since that time, the Dance

Academy has moved to alarge studio space on thesecond floor of the Dan-ish Hall. Enrollment hastripled, and this fall Eastis hoping to expand her

Ferndale real estateagent Barbara Perra hasbeen in the real estatebusiness since the early1970s, receiving her bro-kers license in 1984.

In 1987 her business,Northcoast Realty,received an offer from aprospective buyer. Theoffer was enough toencourage Barbara andher husband, Art, to takean early retirement and hit

the road.We got into our VW

van and traveled, recalledBarbara. And then builta cedar home on a moun-tain side in McCann, Cal-ifornia.

In 1994, Barbara

returned to real estate inthe field of mortgage lend-ing.

However, in 2001 thecompany I was workingfor went out of business,she explained. I startedlooking for a new careerand was amazed to haveseveral real estate brokershere in Humboldt Countyoffer me a position.

Barbara accepted oneoffer and stayed with the

company until the brokerretired.

In 2008 the Ferndaleresident struck out on herown, establishing PerraProperties.

Her 30-plus yearsworth of experience in

Humboldt County realestate means Barbara hasindepth knowledge of theins and outs of our par-ticular market here on theNorth Coast.

Barbaras website,www.perraproperties.comis designed to be a com-plete real estate resourcefor both those looking tobuy and for those wantingto sell.

My website has the

entire inventory of theHumboldt County Multi-ple Listing Service at yourfingertips, she said.

Barbara has completeddozens of transactions inFerndale, and specializesin both residential and

commercial properties.The Victorian Village

of Ferndale provides avibrant commercial dis-trict that attracts shoppersthrough the variety ofgoods and the friendlinessof its merchants, said Bar-bara. Ferndale is sur-rounded by lush farmlandand has a prevalent oceanbreeze. I, myself, live hereand find that all my needsare met within walking

distance of home.

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program to accommodatea growing waiting list forclasses.

I have students fromFortuna, Rio Dell, Loleta,

Carlotta, Hydesville, andof course Ferndale. Thereally amazing thing to me

Every student counts at six-year old academyhas been all of the supportI have received from theFerndale community. Thepeople here have reallyembraced the dance pro-gram and have helped tomake its success possible.

The Dance Academyoffers Mommy/Daddy &

Me, Creative Movement,Rhythm and Movementfor Boys, Ballet, Pointe,Jazz, and adult classes andfeatures an annual fieldtrip to a dance perform-ance, a scholarship pro-gram, and an assistantinstructor apprenticeshipprogram.

Dance Academy stu-dents have auditioned andbeen accepted to summerprograms, including Ana-heim Ballet, City Ballet ofSan Diego, and CaliforniaTheatre Arts in WalnutCreek.

The highlight of theyear is the Dance Acad-emys annual full-scale

production performed atthe Ferndale RepertoryTheatre and Arkley Cen-ter in Eureka.

Last years production,La Marionnette, gavefour sold out perform-ances. This years produc-tion, South Side,incorporates themes fromWest Side Story. It is abouttwo rival crews set inPhiladelphia in the 1980s.

It really is true that atthe Dance Academy everystudent counts, says East,because our shows are

very theat rical , and Iincorporate the uniquepersonalities of my stu-dents into our shows andcreate roles that highlighttheir individual talents.

South Side perform-ances are June 25 and 26at 7pm at the Ferndale Repand June 27 at 7pm at theArkley. Tickets can bepurchased at theatre boxoffices.

LAURA EASTSFE

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YOURvisitto Ferndale isNT

completewithouta stopat

NILSEN FEED &

GRAIN COMPANYAN OLD-FASHIONEDgeneral

store for ranch,home& gardenSince 1896

NILSEN COMPANYNursery & Garden Gifts

An old-fashioned General Store Hay, feed, seed, hardware1593 Market St. 786-9501 Open seven days a week

Come seeour

huge nursery

Indoor plants

housewares

pet supplies toys

Hardware

western clothing

paint

fencing

Coffees alwayson . . . Stop by!


9/17



10/17


Times Remembered:a step back in time

Step back in time tothe classic elegance of aVictorian-era gift shop at431 Main Street in a build-ing that has been a meet-ing hall, variety store,grocery, bowling alley andshopping arcade. Todayyou will find TimesRemembered, a delightfulgift shop and toy store ina richly-appointed settingfilled with items to delightevery family member,regardless of age.

The Times Remem-bered building was con-structed in 1875 for$3,800 as the first MasonicHall. It was purchased bythe Odd Fellows in 1890and received the "I.O.O.F"letters on the facade thatit bears to this day.

Inside, shop ownerNancy Zimmerman addsolde-time flair with atreasure trove of gifts,including a wide assort-ment of teapots, tea-for-ones, vases, colorfulumbrellas, decorativegifts, ornaments and col-lectibles. Nancy alsoshowcases creations bylocal artisans such as Vic-torian home cross-stitchpatterns (Nancy Spru-ance), jewelry (Araxa),sawblade art (RogerBradley), local photogra-phy (Dan Tubbs, Jr.), andmuch, much more!

Times Rememberedcarries a variety of spe-cialty cards and boardgames, jigsaw puzzles forall ages, old-time toys, and

an expanded selection ofchildrens books. Stop inand check out their selec-tion of fun and educa-tional items.

Remember the toysyou played with as a tod-dler or young child?Youll find them at TimesRemembered. VisitTimes Remembered inthe I.O.O.F. building tobring back happy memo-ries and to make somenew ones!

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Enterprise staff photoTimes Remembered can be found in the I.O.O.F. building.

Photo by Dan TubbsChef Marilyn Cowan, seen behind counter, has expanded her antique store toinclude Rose Cafe.

Rose Cottage Antiquesincludes delicious cafe

Marilyn Cowan,owner of Rose Cottage,says that the first thingpeople say when theywalk in is, It sure smellsgood in here! They seethe antiques in the front

of Rose Cottage andthink, thats all there is.But, if you follow yournose to the cafe in theback prepare for adelightful experience!

The space allowsMarilyn to unite her twopassions. The first islocating distinctive homefurnishings and the sec-ond is creating deliciousfoods. The warm kitchenaromas drift along MainStreet to gently persuadepeople into her shop andbakery.

First you see thecharming displays ofhome furnishings. Near

the entrance of the shopyou may find an Art Decocigar humidor nearantique blue transfer warechina. Walking a little far-ther you may see hand-embroidered linen atopan Eastlake rocking chair.And then you find theappealing dining area andsmell the freshly bakedscones, coffee cake or fruitcrumble.

The small tables aretopped with an assort-ment of cloths that arealso available for sale else-where in the shop. Thetables also hold a smallarrangement of flowers

from Marilyns garden orfrom Gail and GlenGiamos garden. Anassortment of flatwarereminiscent of a favoritedistant cafe completeseach table. The tables arearranged around herbeautifully craftedcounter where Marilyncan welcome each cus-tomer as they arrive.

Marilyn prepares twolight meals each day.Menu items are alwaysfresh, unique andscrumptious.

The menu changesdaily so I can take advan-tage of what is in season,

she says. In addition tomorning-baked goods,Marilyn serves lunch thatmay include soup andsalad or a hot entree.

And she always hasher delicious French presscoffee. Marilyn knowsthe best way to make cof-fee is with a coffee makerknown as a French press.The French presses arewonderful machines with

which the individualdrinker manually controlsthe exposure time, result-ing in a rich, perfect cupof coffee.

Because the ingredi-ents are so important to

Marilyn, she makes everyeffort to know her sup-pliers. She uses productsfrom Humboldt Countylike Gold Rush Coffeefrom Petrolia, MonasteryCreamed Honey fromWhitethorn and Hum-boldt Creamery productsfrom Fernbridge.

I list them on themenu board to showappreciation for their con-tribution to what I createin the kitchen, Marilynsays. It gives me pleas-ure to have a place wherefriends can meet, feelcomfortable and havesomething delicious to

eat.Hours are Wednesday

through Saturday, 11-4;Sunday brunch, 11-2.

ROSE COTTAGEANTIQUESROSE CAFE385 Main St

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tTel. 707/786-4880

Come and dis

cov

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at the cor

ner of Ocean and Main in the

Victor

ian Village of Fer

ndale

Graduate Gemologist

Cer

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ied Ge

mologist AppraiserAccredited Gem Laborator

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merica

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Featuring: ELEGANT JEWELRY ESTATE JEWELRY

CUSTOM DESIGN APPRAISALS NATURAL GOLD QUARTZ

Lowell Daniels Jenny Oaks

(707) 786-4425 [email protected]

Open daily


11/17


water is stored in a milliongallon underground reser-

voir which has been fea-tured in The FerndaleEnterprise.

Over the years, DelOro has made manyimprovements to the Fer-ndale District. In 2003,Del Oro installed anAlarm Notification Sys-tem that monitors thetreatment parameters andnotifies Del Oro withproblems. This improve-ment saves $3,000 to$4,000 per year in over-time. Also, in 2005 DelOro purchased an under-ground leak detector tolocate leaks below the sur-face. In 2006, Del Orobrought in the Liquid

Engineering Corporationto clean the reservoir forsediment and assess it forstructural soundness. In

Enterprise staff photoDel Oro Water Co. employees Troy Hubner, left, andPete Thoresen, stand at the door of one of two his-toric tunnels thought to be dug by Chinese laborersnear the turn of the twentieth century. The tunnels

produce 12 and 20 gallons per minute of fresh springwater.

Del Oro Water CompanyIn Humbolt County,

Del Oro Water Company(and its predecessors)have provided service tothe City of Ferndale andsurrounding areas since1872, when the systemwas installed by Mr. Fran-cis Francis.

The name of FrancisLand and Water Com-pany was incorporated in

1906. The company pur-chased the Cold SpringsWater Company in 1910,in order to supply waterto customers in the east-ern section of Ferndale.

The Francis estateowned the system untilNovember 23, 1954, whenCitizens Utilities Com-pany purchased all of thecapital stock. The systemwas first issued a waterpermit by the CaliforniaState Board of PublicHealth in July 1953 andwas granted a water per-mit by the Department ofHealth Services on Janu-ary 31, 1962. The watersystem was transferred

from Citizens Utilities toDel Oro Water Companyon October 1, 1996.

Del Oro currentlydraws from both the lowand high springs as theirprimary source of water.These springs, which con-tain 28 individual springs,have a combined outputof 113 gallons per minute.Interestingly, the springsare fed by two historictunnels that were dug intothe hillside, presumablyby Chinese laborers, nearthe turn of the twentiethcentury.

The Van Ness Treat-ment Plant is used as asecondary source of water

by Del Oro. This plantproduced 27.39 gallonsper minute as an annualaverage for the year 2007.Prior to distribution, the

addition, over the past tenyears Del Oro has installed

4,135 feet of new main linewith 73 new service lines.

Del Oro employs twofull time staff membersand provides a 24-hourRegional Call Center totheir Ferndale customers.Also, the organization isproud to sponsor theHumboldt County Fair, theFerndale Repertory The-atre, and has contributedto many community activ-ities.

Del Oro looks forwardto servicing the FerndaleDistrict in the future.

DEL ORO WATERCOMPANYTel. 800/

7

94-0276jec

@corporatecenter.usdelorowater.com

Enterprise staff photosYoull find authenticMexican cuisine atRestaurant Matias, aswell as a welcomingatmosphere and excellentservice.

Right in the heart ofthe Victorian Village ofFerndale, there is Restau-rant Matias with newmanagement, newatmosphere, but, withthe same old Mexican"grandma recipes."

Pepe and Lulu, cele-brating 18 months ofownership, invite you tocome and enjoy their

variety of unique Mexi-

can recipes with thetouch that only their her-itage can give you.Everything is preparedfresh daily.

Mild, medium, andspicy dishes are made toyour order. And, to washthem down, all flavors ofMexican sodas are avail-able Jarritos, Sangria,Sidral, Fanta, Coca-Colaand Tehuacan. Restau-rant Matias also offershorchata, coffee, iced orhot tea, juices, and milk.

Or, how about yourfavorite Mexican beer?Choose from Corona,Negra Modelo, Bohemia,Tecate, Pacifico, CartaBlanca and Modelo

Especial. We also havenon-alcoholic, Ameri-can, and now localorganic Eel River beers.

Restaurant Matias

For those that preferwine, we offer red andwhite.

We have specials everyday on our menu. Comeand try something neweach time you visit us.There is no extra chargefor groups. Private par-ties are welcome. Dontforget to visit the backpatio, which is open inthe summer for your

enjoyment. And, nowon Monday, Tuesday andSaturdays there is livemusic.

Owners Pepe andLulu Matias pay specialattention to all their cus-tomers to ensure satis-faction.

For reservations, callus, or we can fax themenu to you, so you canorder ahead for yourgroup. Well have yourorder ready and waitingfor you at your arrival!

Aqui nos vemos!

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Photo courtesy of History of Humboldt County, 1882The Poppa Joes building, at 409 Main Street, used tohouse the Alford Drug Store.

Courtesy photoPartners at Poppa Joes: (from the left) Steve Sterback, the partner responsbilefor the wonderful Friday night dinners; Maurice Silva, a former milk truckdriver; Glenn Martella, a local dairyman; and Loretta Alexandre, wife of theoriginal partner, Joe Alexandre.

Good eats at Poppa Joes

Poppa Joes (yes, weknow! Other peopledont spell it that way ...but Poppa Joe does),

located at 409 MainStreet, is just about thebest place in town to getbreakfast and lunchseven days a week. It isalso the only place to sitdown with friends inthe morning or after-noon and play a gameor two of Pedro, (a cardgame made popular bythe Portuguese people),Pinochle or Rummy.

No alcohol isserved, but one mightthink it flowed freely,

judging from the ener-getic outbursts from thetables every now andthen.

In the early days (1876until the 1890s, at least) thebuilding housed the AlfordDrug Store downstairs anddoctor and dentist officesupstairs. It was also, dur-

ing this time, a Wells Fargo& Company express sta-tion.

At some point in timeit became Beckers PoolHall, and it was at this

Ferndale RepTheatrePresents Our 38th Season!

2009-2010

Crimes of the HeartOct 8 - 25

OliverNov 27 - Dec 20

Wait Until DarkFeb 11 - 28

Man of La ManchaApril 1 - 25

Same Time Next YearMay 28 - June 12

RENTAug 5 - 29

Plus Special Events throughout the year.Stop by and see whats on stage!

Box Oce 707.786.5483447 Main St Ferndalewww.ferndale-rep.org

point that some of thetraditions the patronscherish to this day gotstarted ... such as playingcards, sharing informa-tion on the dairy andtimber businesses, enjoy-ing large and deliciousbreakfasts and dairylunch specials, and shak-ing dice (usually, roundthe horn) to see whowins the privilege of pay-

ing.In July of 1993,National Geographicmagazine did an articleon Californias NorthFace, in which it featuredthe premises in wordsand photographs. It wasthen known as TheGreek Investment Com-pany ... but the guysholding the cards are stillthe same.

The proprietors whoown the building andbusiness have an unusualreason for doing so.They truly believe in aneed for this very specialplace to continue, so thatthe guys and gals whoenjoy its old-time down-home camaraderie maystill use it. Also, anothermotivation of namesakeJoe (Poppa Joe) Alexan-dre, a local dairyman,was to have a Day CareCenter for himself tospend his time when heretired.

P

OPPA JOES409 Main St

r

ee

tTel. 707/786-4180


12/17


HUNT(Continued from page 1)

Enterprise staff photoThe Coffee Creek School bus shelter.

Enterprise staff photoThe former Island School.

Enterprise staff photoThe American BreedingService sign.

Enterprise staff photoThe former Price Creek School.

Enterprise staff photoThe remains of the old Port Kenyon port.

Enterprise staff photoThe old Grizzly Bluff School.

Enterprise staff photoThe author (left) and cousin Catherine Monroe Macetravel inside the Cape Mendocino lighthouse in 1947to view to touch! the Fresnel lens.

Enterprise staff photoThe former Grant Union School.

Enterprise staff photoWatch out for cows!

Heres our 2009 solu-tion: a scavenger hunt witha prize at the end. Theprize, sadly, is merely a freecopy of From the BackPew, a collection of earlyessays from this columnwhich you can claim, onyour honor, at the officesof this newspaper.

Let the games begin.1 . A century ago,

sea-going vessels dockedat Port Kenyon. Find: Theremains of the old port arestubbornly planted in a

field that belongs to MikeToste (and is protected byan electric fence). Viewingfrom the road is highlyrecommended.

2 . Unti l the middleof the 20th century, the

valley boasted an impres-sive collection of ruralschools. Find:

a. The Coffee CreekSchool bus shelter (pic-tured).

b. Gr ant Unio nSchool (pictured).

c. Price C re ek School (pictured).

d. Island School(pictured).

3. Find: One of theseschools (Centerville),

which was moved to stateproperty and preserved.4. T he Amer ican

Breeding Service (ABS)was founded just over 60years ago; herd improve-ment with artificial insem-ination was something tobrag about. Find: a badgeof modernity (the sign saysCows bred artificially)on the sides of old barnsand milk sheds.

5. Before the watersof the Eel River weredammed and diverted, wewere internationallyfamous for fishing andfor fishing resorts alongthe river. One, WeymouthInn, is survived only by the

remnants of its swimmingpool. Find it.6 . F ind: the oldest

house in the valley, outGrizzly Bluff Road. (Hint:

It has its date of birthproudly painted over thefront door.)

7 . During the ColdWar, the U.S. Navy choseCenterville as a base forkeeping watch on nuclearsubmarines from theU.S.S.R. The road hascrumbled and is danger-ous; the base has beenabandoned and neglected.Find it anyway. You paidfor it.

8 . As the Americanautomobile industrydownsizes across the coun-try, we nod to the formerdealerships that were once

in Ferndale. Here are yourclues:

a. Chevrolet/Pontiacwith Flying A gasoline:now, you can buy carinsurance there.

b. Ford: right acrossthe street from the SignalGas Station. Does thathelp? Hold the anchovies.

c. Dodge and Rich-field gas: Jim Carreys fakediner.

d. Willys-Jeep: Inevery heart, theres art.

e. Hamlins tractors:convenient for a ham-burger and a beer at Mads& Guys.

9 . In the FerndaleCemetery, there are hun-

dreds of recognition postsand medallions for U.S.war veterans. And oneConfederate. Find him and be kind. Its been alonely outpost.

10. Once, creameriesdotted the valley; milkcouldnt travel too far with-out spoiling. Two, nolonger in operation,remain: the Valley Flowerand the Golden State. TheValley Flower is a few hun-dred yards from one of themost elaborate (and care-fully restored) butterfatpalaces, and its for sale!Only $3.5 million, no cowsincluded.

Bonus finds:a) The author (left)

and cousin CatherineMonroe Mace travel insidethe Cape Mendocino light-

house in 1947 to view totouch! the Fresnel lens.Where is it now?

b) Until a few yearsago, wild turkeys had allbut disappeared from theseparts (spooked, no doubt,by the rambunctiousautumn shoots atCapetown). Now, theflocks are growing, andspotting families along theroadside has becomealmost common.

c) Bird enthusiastswho do not inhabit adjoin-ing property will also bedelighted with the hordeof black-crowned nightherons that live in the cen-ter of town. Finding them

is a gimmee.

Did you findall of thelocations?

If so, stop byThe

Enterprisetopick up your

prize forsuccessfulycompletingthe 2009FerndaleScavengerHunt . . .A copy ofcolumnistWendyLestinas

book, From

the BackPew, a selec-tion of essayspublished in

The

Enterprise.

Were at 600

Main Street,

Ferndale

Congratulations!


13/17


Theres more to explore ...

For an exciting ridetry The Wildcat

Thirty miles oftwists, turns

and dips

Photo courtesy of the HannafordsFern Cottage is located just outside of Ferndale, toward the beach on Centerville Road.

From its facade, FernCottage looks like a cozyVictorian English house.Walk around it, however,and you will see a ram-

bling 31-room home builtin three phases by Hum-boldt County pioneersJoseph and Zipporah Russfor their large family.

One of the few homesin California owned andoccupied by the samefamily for over a century,Fern Cottage is on theNational Register of His-toric Places and is openfor tours from 11 am- 4pm Wednesday throughSunday from June 25through August 31. Tourtickets are $7 (childrenseven and under areadmitted free).

Inside, Fern Cottagetoday looks much as it didafter the original sectionwas built in 1866. The sec-ond section was added in

1878; the third in 1897.Originally, Fern Cottagehad eight rooms, but asthe family grew, more andmore were needed (the

Russes had 13 children inall).

Though wellappointed, Fern Cottagewas not a mansion but aworking farmhouse forthis large family, and itwas the nerve center of theextensive Russ enterprises:50,000 acres of ranches(26 in all) for dairy andbeef cattle and sheep; tim-ber, a sawmill, a slaugh-terhouse, a chain of meatmarkets, a general store inFerndale, and a bank.

Located on green dairypastures that line thebanks of the Eel River,

Fern Cottage sits on a siteselected by Zipporah Russ.One day, riding across thisrise, she said to her hus-band, "This is where I

would like to have ourhouse."

Joseph Russ had sailedaround the Horn fromMaine, arriving in San

Francisco in March 1850.Zipporah Patrick, at age14, accompanied her fam-ily from Pennsylvania ina covered wagon in 1852.They were married inDecember 1854.

For years Fern Cottageresounded with the laugh-ter of children. Theyoungest to live to adult-hood, Bertha Russ Lytel,was born in the house andwas the last to live there.She died in 1972 at age 98.Fern Cottage today isowned and operated bythe not-for-profit FernCottage Foundation.

Joseph Russ becameactive in public affairs andwas elected to the Cali-fornia State Assemblythree times. He was in the

midst of his third term in1886 when he died.

At that time he wasunder consideration tobecome the Republican

Partys nominee for gov-ernor.

A visit to Fern Cottageand its two-and-a-halfacres of gardens will giveyou a taste of life in the lat-ter half of the 19th cen-tury. The furniture andfurnishings include thosethat Zipporah and JosephRuss themselves chose fortheir home.

Others were addedover time, including somechoice Craftsman piecesfrom the workshops ofGustav Stickley.

The parlor was usedonly for the most formal

occasions, with one excep-tion: piano practice byRuss daughters on thesquare grand piano, saidto be the first piano inHumboldt County. Youwill see many other roomsthat look much as they didwell over a century ago:the family living room, theoffice, dining room,kitchen (with its largewood-burning range),ironing and laundryrooms, the multi-purposetrunk room and severalbedrooms. Throughoutthe house are displayedbeautifully preservedantique gowns belongingto Mrs. Russ and herdaughters.

Fern Cottage has manysurprises for the modern

visitor and tells a vividstory of American enter-prise and the building ofthe young state of Cali-fornia.

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Fern Cottage showcases early Victorian life;historic home just a few minutes from town

One long block west ofthe intersection of MainStreet and Ocean Avenuestands an iron sign on twotall wooden posts, pro-claiming "Cape Town Petrolia." The sign standsnext to what looks like acountry lane meanderingin from the left. But thisis no country lane; it's thebeginning of "The Wild-cat" 30 miles of twists,turns, dips and rises andsome of the most spec-tacular ocean scenery inAmerica.

The Wildcat had itsbeginning well over a cen-tury ago as a trail acrossthe big cattle and sheepranches that cover thecoastal hills, peaks and

valleys between Ferndaleand the Bear and MattoleValleys. Then, in the1880s, Chinese workers originally brought to thiscountry to build railroadsthroughout the West carved a narrow track outof the sand hills aboveFerndale to make a roadfor stagecoaches and wag-ons.

The country laneaspect of The Wildcatevaporates soon after youhave turned onto it. Youclimb quickly aroundnumerous curves underthe sandstone cliffs thatwere once the bed of theocean. From there youcontinue to climb for fivemiles through dense Dou-glas fir forests (but withoccasional views of thehighest Coast Rangepeaks some 50 miles tothe east). You reach a crestof sorts where Bunker HillRoad comes in from theleft, then you wind yourway downward towardBear River and Capetown.If you've been in the fogcoming up, you'll be look-ing down on white billowsof clouds at this point. Or,if it's a clear day, you'll seethe Pacific Ocean in thedistance.

You pass ranch afterranch on windswept ridgetops and moors; they havesuch names as SpicyBreezes, Mazeppa, CapeRanch, Dublin Heightsand Ocean House. AtCapetown, whose one-room school house (nowin disrepair) was the lastone to close in HumboldtCounty (about 40 yearsago), you cross the BearRiver and begin climbingagain. On top of the nextcluster of mountain topsyou suddenly look out

and down at the vastnessof the Pacific, its rows ofbreakers methodically

rolling in toward shore asfar south as you can see. Asyou descend toward sealevel, off to the right is aGibraltar-size rock just off-shore from Cape Mendo-cino the farthest westernpoint in the contiguous 48states. It looks just as itmust have when the Span-ish explorer Vizcaino andhis crew spotted it nearly400 years ago.

Crossing a small creek,you pass Ocean House, theonly residence you will seealong this 10-mile stretchof coast. Offshore, on abright day, chances areyou'll spot several wind-surfers maneuvering their

boards not far from a largerock that, in silhouette,looks as if it must be theghost of Admiral Dewey'sflagship.

A few miles farthersouth, the road winds upMcNutt Gulch to gentlefarmland, ending at Petro-lia, near the site of Califor-nia's first drilled oil wells(1864). Just beyond the vil-lage is the wild, undammedMattole River, now under-going watershed restora-tion to rebuild stocks oftrout, steelhead andsalmon. Just across theriver, turn right on Light-house Road and follow itfive miles to its terminus

behind the dunes of Mat-tole Beach. The Bureau ofLand Management main-tains the beach and the vastKing Range ConservationArea that covers 66,000acres of the Coast Rangefrom this point south for30 miles.

Stop for lunch in Petro-lia or buy supplies for a pic-nic at the beach. If you stayovernight, consider a hikethe next day to the decom-missioned lighthouse atPunta Gorda, three milesdown the beach from theMattole Beach parking lot.

Caution: even on warmdays, the wind blowsbriskly, so dress accord-

ingly. And, the ocean, whilebeautiful to see, is too coldand the riptides too strongfor bathing. Beach strollingis another matter. Themouth of the Mattole atrickle over the sand dunesin summer is about half-a-mile north of the park-ing lot. The summer duneshold a large lagoon withmany shore birds.

Or, if tea beckons backin Ferndale, you can let TheWildcat take your breathaway twice in one day byreturning after yoursojourn in Petrolia and theMattole Valley.

MUSEUM(Continued from page 1)Omori seismograph stillin operation, a variety oflocal Native

Documents

2009-10 Souvenir Edition