"Doing Business in Ukiah," a local history book published by The Ukiah Daily Journal several years ago, is still in print and available at the newspaper office.
The Daily Journal recently relocated to 415A Talmage Road (the first suite in that office complex on the south side of Talmage Road, with plenty of parking right outside our door.) Readers are invited to stop by anytime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to pick up one or more copies of "Doing Business in Ukiah" ($9.95 plus tax).
It's the fifth and most-recent title in the softcover "Reflections of Ukiah" series I compiled and designed at the request of former Daily Journal Publisher Kevin McConnell, and is the only one of that series still in stock at our office.
It includes stories from the digital archives of The Ukiah Daily Journal as well as dozens of local historic photos. The cover features a full-color Mendocino Mountain Bartlett Pears fruit crate label design that was used on crates of pears packed by Cunningham & Thomas in Ukiah.
The 130-page book features a variety of local business stories as they were printed in the newspaper (the earliest is from 1860), including: The early days of Ukiah remembered; nights at the Opera House; the railroad business; the fish hatchery at Gibson Creek; Coyote Valley, before the dam; an airport for Ukiah; and many others.
Those who've been watching downtown Ukiah's Streetscape Project as it progresses would likely be interested in learning about the 1911 paving of State Street, another historic event for the town, which is also featured in "Doing Business in Ukiah."
And here's an excerpt from that Nov. 16, 1860 article from the Mendocino Herald, which had been established earlier that year and was the first newspaper published in Mendocino County:
"Our little town: As many of our neighbors, who have never visited us, know but little of our increasing prosperity, it may not be out of place to refer to the following statistics.
"Considering that we were only laid out as a town a little over a year since, and had great difficulty in procuring proper building materials, we claim that we have done monstrous well.
"We have already here 14 dwelling houses, 2 hotels, 2 stores, 3 saloons, 2 billiard tables, 2 livery stables, 1 express office, post office, 2 wagon shops, 2 blacksmith shops, 2 barber shops, 1 cigar and fruit store, 1 school house and church, 1 butcher shop, fire-proof brick court house and jail, with county offices complete, 2 physicians, 4 attorneys, 2 resident ministers. Of our buildings, 3 are
brick, the remainder frame. As our population is increasing very rapidly, we have every reason to believe another year will
find us quite a sprightly country town."
If you're looking for a gift for someone who enjoys local history, or some rainy day reading for yourself, stop by our newspaper office at 415A Talmage Road (Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), for one or more copies of "Doing Business in Ukiah."
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