the book:
Newport & Kibesillah
Newport & Kibesillah — A Tale of Two Mendocino County Coastal Logging Towns is the first and only book devoted solely to the colorful history and residents of this picture-perfect spot on the North Coast of Mendocino County, nestled between Fort Bragg and Westport.
In Newport and Kibesillah, communities inhabited primarily by men, “…the saloons were overflowing with gamblers, drunken tie makers and other mill employees. Stacks of $20 gold pieces decorated tables everywhere. The population went around dressed most viciously, usually carrying large knives or pistols.” These activities were tempered by several churches and the rise of rise of the “Blue Ribbon” Temperance Movement in the late 1870s and early 1880s.
The residents of Kibesillah, Newport and the lumber camps in the woods — loggers, tie-makers and others employed by the lumber mills — were very isolated. Even after their wives and children joined them, it was a solitary life. Eager for companionship, they came together for picnics, dances, holiday parties and weddings.
To learn more about the hardy North Coast pioneers, purchase the book, Newport & Kibesillah — A Tale of Two Mendocino County Logging Towns, by Kathleen M. Nevin, with your PayPal account, using the “Buy Now” button below:
Reviews of the Book
“It is hard to put this book down — one of the most interesting books I have read in some time! Henry (Whipple) was a grand writer and had contributed so many interesting articles to the Mendocino Beacon.”
— Debra Callahan, 3rd Great Niece of Henry E. Whipple
"Newport & Kibesillah provides a fascinating look at two communities of the past that until now had largely been forgotten. I would recommend the book to anyone with an interest in Mendocino County history or simply in the history of California coastal communities more generally. Thank you, Kitty, for the extensive research and effort you clearly put into producing this fine work."
—J. D. Saunders, descendant of early Mendocino Coast pioneers and Kibesillah residents
“I finished the book today. Thank you for opening the window to the past for me in your wonderful book about Newport and Kibesillah. I envisioned my family in their daily lives in the 1800s. With the turn of each page, the thrill continued. I have been looking at photos of my grandmother as a little girl and, in my mind’s eye, I can see her playing on those wind-blown hills and watching the ocean roll in day after day. What a wonderful childhood she must have had.”
— Sharon Sherrick Rippetoe, Great Granddaughter of Frank Whipple