Little River, CA has been previously known as Littleriver, Bell’s Harbor, and Kent’s Landing.
In keeping with the time period highlighted, we have utilized the historic naming “Littleriver.”
The quaint town of Little River is known for gorgeous ocean vistas, accessible beaches, and an incredible expansive resort with all the amenities needed to enjoy this kayaking paradise.
But why is this splendid natural attraction on the coast of Mendocino County even there?
Like many small towns, it was once a booming commercial logging hub, thanks in no small part to the Coombs Family.
Blazing trails inland, inspiring new ways to harvest lumber, building sawmills from the ground up, managing sailing fleets and a commercial wharf, the Coombs kinsfolk utilized the skilled craftsmen and hardworking women of their family to turn Little River into a vivacious timber port.
While Little River did fade as a timber hub, it has become an iconic natural destination. The home Silas Coombs built to make his family comfortable, became the lasting legacy of the Little River Inn, which is enjoyed by tourists and locals alike.
Eleven children were born to Richard Coombs (1784-1840) and Elizabeth Fossett Coombs (1788-1840) in the state of Maine.*
Martha Coombs White (1811-1899)
Martha married Mr. White and was the only sibling that did not emigrate to California and remained in Maine. However, their son William did emigrate to California with Richard G. Coombs.
Mary Jane Coombs Bean (1812-1895)
Mary Jane married Daniel Bean in Maine. After becoming a widow, she emigrated to Littleriver in 1877, at age of 65, and ran a boarding house there.
Emmaline Coombs (1815-1816)
Died in infancy.
Child Mortality was extremely common in the 19th century. The child mortality rate in the United States, for children under the age of five, was 462.9 deaths per thousand births in 1800. This means that for every thousand babies born in 1800, over 46 percent did not make it to their fifth birthday.**
Silas B. Coombs (1817-1894)
Silas was successful in the farming and lumber industries in Maine, but at age 39, he emigrated to California with his brother-in-law Ruel Stickney. During their travels to California, awaiting a ship in Panama, both men were caught in a native-immigrant uprising, where 26 passengers lost their lives and Silas only escaped with the clothes on his back. Silas and Ruel travelled up the coast from San Francisco and found work in the Albion Mill, gaining intimate knowledge for seven years about the lumber industry. Silas travelled back to Maine and married Margaret Boyd in 1863. Upon returning to Littleriver, he brought his bride, the Charles Pullen family, and his young sister Caroline.
With the knowledge they gathered, Silas and Ruel, along with friend Tapping Reeves, bought land and built the Littleriver Mill, which began operating in 1864. Due to his prospects, Silas became an affluent and wealthy businessman. After the success of the sawmill, he expanded his business ventures to create a shipping wharf in Littleriver Bay, another sawmill, and several sailing vessels to carry his commodities.
Though Silas had a house built already, eventually another, more expansive home was constructed. This bigger home helped accommodate his four children, Susan Vandalia Coombs (1866-1929), Ann Louise Coombs (1868-1953), Silas Warren Coombs (1870-1940) and William Boyd Coombs (1872-1936). That home went on to become the Little River Inn, which is still owned and operated by his descendants today.
Emily Coombs Bean (1820-1858)
Married Daniel Bean’s brother. Died at age 38, cause unknown.
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Coombs Pullen (1822-1917)
Elizabeth was married to Charles Pullen in 1859. She was Charles’s second wife and became stepmother to eight of his ten children and birthed three of her own. Charles Pullen was an amazing carpenter and millwright, and upon arriving in California, helped construct the Littleriver sawmill with his brothers-in-law. After that, he was influential in the construction and repairs of mills, bridges, chutes, dames, etc. all along the coast.
Alexander Coombs (1825-1825)
Died in infancy.
Ann T. Coombs Stickney (1826-1915)
Ann was married to Ruel Stickney, and they had eight children, four of whom were born in Maine, and the other four in California. Ann was the first sister to emigrate to California; she and her first four children arrived in 1859.
With his experience in lumber, Ruel had a notion that sawing large redwood logs would need more alterations than the smaller lumber back East. He noted that the creation of alternate raking teeth in the long-crosscut saws would improve the sawdust for the kerf, would make the job easier, and save on labor. His idea worked, and although he did not seek a patent on the design, the type of saws became a prominent lumber industry tool.
Rebecca Coombs Stevens (1829-1898)
Rebecca married Isaiah Stevens in Maine. Rebecca was Isaiah’s second wife and they, with three of his children, emigrated to California in 1864 and agreed to manage the Littleriver Mill Cookhouse. Rebecca was the chief cook, and reportedly a good one, while Isaiah was the chief clerk and bookkeeper for the mill, along with doing some of the heavy lifting and working at the company store. His daughter Rachel Stevens became the first teacher in Littleriver.
Caroline Coombs Rice (1833-1909)
Caroline emigrated to California in 1863, and married James B. Rice in 1873. James worked a variety of jobs at the Littleriver Mill including “contract hunting” and farming 80-acres that belonged to Isaiah Stevens to produce vegetables for the mill cookhouse and working the south lumber chute.
Richard G. Coombs (1835-1910)
Richard emigrated to California seeking a better climate for his poor health. He, along with his nephew William White, headed to Littleriver to join Silas and Ruel in their ventures. He is credited with having ‘blazed’ the trail along the Albion River, which later became the road to Comptche. He later helped Silas and Ruel at the Littleriver Mill as an engineer and carpenter, staying on as the mechanic when the mill was built.
Richard married Narcissa Evans in San Francisco in 1872. They had two children, Mary Carolyn “Callie” Coombs (1873-1927) and Richard H. Coombs (1875-1955). Callie became a teacher and taught throughout Mendocino County, but never married. Richard H. Coombs studied engineering and worked for the Mendocino Lumber company. Richard H. married Julia Theresa Smith but they had no children. Julia is the aunt of Jessie Woodcock Turner, whom we highlighted as “The First Female Mail Carrier in the West.”
Richard G. Coombs passed in August of 1910 from complications of an accident in June. On his way back from Ukiah with his two sisters, Ann and Lizzie, the coach they were traveling in, with five other passengers plus the driver, slid of a steep grade. One passenger died and others were injured, including Richard’s leg. A month later, due to complications and age, Richard passed away. Narcissa moved to Fort Bragg to live with Callie, and eventually passed in 1916.
Inside of Silas B. Coombs home, which later became the Little River Inn. Note the portraits on the wall.
Credit to McKinney, Mel. The Finn, The Twin, and the Inn: A History of The Little River Inn and Its Families. The Abalone Press, 1994.
Copy of this book is available for research and viewing in MCM’s Reference Library upon appointment.
Why isn't it white?
Most people these days believe wedding dresses to be white. However, this concept is a relatively modern take on the dress, only becoming popular as the standard after Queen Victoria wore white at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840.
White did not symbolize purity, as we often think today, rather it was worn by the wealthy to show status. Conspicuously wearing white and other light colors was a social sign that a person had the time, money, and often servants to keep the garment clean.
Most wedding dresses before this time were a variety of colors; blue, black, gold, brown, etc. The concept of only wearing a dress once was preposterous, even Queen Victoria reused her wedding dress and veil on other occasions.
Wedding dresses were often the best dress the woman already owned, or if one was made or purchased, that dress became a woman’s ‘Sunday Best.’ Consequently, the idea of white was not a common occurrence, falling back on the problematic notion of keeping it clean.
Did you notice?
On the lines of utilizing a dress more often, did you notice that Narcissa’s dress has a waterproof fabric around the hem of the bottom of the skirt? Used to keep dirt and water at bay, this addition made the dress practical for everyday wear.
Where's his hat?
Though hats were a prevalent fashion accessory for both men and women, Richard seems not to have worried as much about them. He is often pictured without one, though there are a few snapshots where he donned headwear.
While a hat would have been common wedding day attire, in a tip of the hat to the many photos taken of Richard without one, there is no hat in this display.
*Macdonald, Irene Mallory. Littleriver's Yesteryears, 1853-1965. I.M. Macdonald, 1999. Information on each member derives from this book and is available in our reference library for research and viewing.
**https://www.statista.com/statistics/1041693/united-states-all-time-child-mortality-rate/#:~:text=Child%20mortality%20in%20the%20United%20States%201800%2D2020&text=This%20means%20that%20for%20every,it%20to%20their%20fifth%20birthday. Accessed: 2/2/2023
To read the in-depth story about the Coombs Lumber Company, see the Roots of Motive Power's article linked below.
Roots of Motive Power, Volume 26 No. 2, August 2008
"Logging on the East Branch: The Story of Coombs Lumber Company and other articles"