Nathaniel Smith was at one time "known to every man, woman and child on the coast," according to an early account of his life. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, as a free person, he arrived in Mendocino on a whaling ship in 1851 as a young man. He spent the rest of his life here, was married twice to Pomo women, and used his ingenuity and skill to become indispensable. A logger, hunter, fisherman, farmer, stagecoach driver and sailor, he was also said to be witty and quick with repartee. When he died in 1906 at the age of 75, his funeral was reported to be the largest ever in the burgeoning community.
The Kelley House Museum is currently showing an exhibit chronicling his life, along with a timeline of historical events that affected him as a person of color. The exhibit runs through May 27th. Museum hours are Thursday through Monday, 11 am-3 pm.
In this report, Kelley House director Anne Semans talks to Marty Durlin about the historical importance of this first-ever exhibit of Nathaniel Smith's life.