On the fourth Saturday of each month local historians come to the Ely Stage Stop to visit with guests and answer questions regarding different aspects of Lake County history. As these visits are recorded, the stories of Lake County’s history are being preserved for future generations.
The docents and volunteers of the Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum are excited to welcome back Gene Paleno, author and illustrator living in Witter Springs. Paleno will be available to museum visitors on May 28 from noon till 2 p.m. Paleno’s visit that day will focus on the Bloody Island Massacre of 1850. According to Paleno, his recently published Lake County History : A Mystical Adventure in Time includes the whole story as shared nowhere else. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and Paleno will be happy to sign them for interested visitors.
The Lake County Historical Society’s Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum is located at 9921 State Hwy 281 (Soda Bay Road) in Kelseyville, near Clearlake Riviera, just north of Hwy 29-Kit’s Corner. Current hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday. Living History events are held on the fourth Saturday of each month from noon until 2 p.m. Fiddlers’ Jams occur the first Sunday of every month, again, from noon until 2 p.m. Private tours can be arranged by appointment.
The Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum welcomes more docents to greet visitors and share information on our history, our current displays, and our planned events. Volunteers for maintenance and construction projects are also needed. Come join the Lake County Historical Society and become a volunteer at Ely or our sister museum, the Gibson Museum & Cultural Center in Middletown. Applications will be available during the day.
Visit www.elystagestop.org or www.lakecountyhistory.org, check out the stage stop on Facebook at www.facebook.com/elystagestop, or call the museum at 707-533-9990.
Gene Paleno welcomed to Ely Stage Stop for January’s Living History Day. Ely welcomes him back for May’s event and a book signing. Contributed photo.