KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The grand opening of the Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum will be celebrated at a special event this month.
The event will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 24. The official ribbon cutting will be held at 2:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
The Ely Stage Stop dates to the 1880s and, over the years, served as a stagecoach stop, hotel, post office, general store and at one point, even a gas station before taking on its current role as a historical and agricultural center.
When complete, the museum complex will encompass the Ely Stage Stop building, as well as several reconstructed old barns, farm equipment displays, agricultural demonstrations, and interpretive and living history exhibits, including a blacksmith shop.
Attendees at the grand opening will view the new museum, see the progress to date, and learn about development plans for the future exhibits. Light refreshments will be available.
Musical entertainment will be provided by Don Coffin and Friends and sponsored by Wildhurst Vineyards.
Coffin, Andi Skelton and Eleanor Cook will be playing old-time fiddle tunes and other songs on fiddle, mandolin and guitar. On-site shuttle transportation will be provided courtesy of People Services Inc.
Several vintage, antique and classic car clubs will be participating in the event.
The Lake County A’s car club is hosting a special club tour day in honor of the grand opening event. The club, whose members include Model A Ford owners from Lake County and surrounding counties, will have several 1928-1931 Model A Fords on display during the event.
The Clearlake Car Club will be present at the grand opening with a display of one dozen special interest antique and classic cars from 1900 to the present.
Mt. Konocti Antique Auto Club will be present with approximately 10 1920s-30s-era classic cars on display.
A collaborative project, the Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum is owned by the county of Lake and will be operated by members of the Lake County Historical Society.
The project was made possible through the generous donation by Beckstoffer Vineyards of the historic building and the five-acre parcel upon which it rests.
A generous donation was made by the Kettenhofen Family Foundation, funded by the estates of Ernest and Polly Kettenhofen who owned the S-Bar-S Ranch from 1960 to 2000.
On July 29, 2007, the historic Ely Stage Stop structure was relocated from its original location at 7909 Highway 29 across the highway and one mile north to its new location on Soda Bay Road/Highway 281.
Although its age and condition made the relocation a challenge, the building’s varied history adds character to the new museum. The site also features dramatic views of Mount Konocti and overlooks the former S-Bar-S Ranch.
The Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum is located between Kelseyville and Lower Lake at 9921 Soda Bay Road (Highway 281), near the intersection with Highway 29 (Kit’s Corner). For more information, call 707-274-8323.
Donations of artifacts and old barns are still being sought. Photographs that depict the original building, its transformations and many uses, also are needed.
Anyone interested in contributing time or resources to the project may contact Greg Dills, chairman of the Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum project for the Lake County Historical Society, at 707-263-4180, Extension 12.
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