- The place to peek into Mendocino County's past is the Held-Poage Memorial Home and
Research Library. A veritable treasure trove for historical buffs, the library contains
over 4500 books covering local, state and national history, as well as over 13,500
historical photographic negatives, microfilms, documents, maps scrapbooks, Great
Registers, genealogies, extensive newspaper collection and artifacts (including Mendocino
County native basketry) - all relating to Northern California history.
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- The house itself is on the historical registry and was deeded to the Mendocino County
Historical Society in 1969 by William P. Held. William's parents: William D.L. and
Ethel Poage Held, moved into the Queen Anne Victorian house, located on the corner of Dora
and Perkins Street in Ukiah, soon after their marriage in 1903. Built for the munificent
sum of $2,000, it remains much the same structure as originally designed by Mssrs. Orr and
Evans, with the addition of a new kitchen and second bathroom while the family was still
in the residence.
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- The senior Held, known as "Billy," served in the California State Legislature
between 1904-1912. Elected Mayor of Ukiah in 1928, on 1932 he became Judge of the Superior
Court of Mendocino County where he served for 12 years. Meanwhile, Ethel tended the
home and children: William and Kathryn. Ethel died 3 April 1953 and her husband 1
March 1968, the year after the family home was donated to the Historical Society.
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- In July of 1976 the Society formed the Held-Poage Memorial Home and Research Library
Trust Fund to provide an income that now endows the facility. This community resource,
dedicated to the preservation of archival materials relating to county and state history
was greatly augmented in 1983 when Estle Beard, lifetime Mendocino County resident and
historian, left his extensive collection to the society's growing collection.
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- To facilitate research, volunteer staff members are available by appointment.
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