Piercy in Mendocino County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Mignon "Minnie" Stoddard Lilley
Yerba Buena Chapter 1 Capitulus Redivivus of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus
1. Mignon "Minnie" Stoddard Lilley Marker
Inscription.
Mignon "Minnie" Stoddard Lilley. . In the woods across the road behind you lies the mausoleum of Minnie Stoddard Lilley, a homesteader, pioneer and teacher of early Mendocino County. From 1904 to 1936 Stoddard taught in a one room schoolhouse in the Andersonia/Percy area. For many years, she used a horse-drawn buggy to pick-up some of her students to bring them to school. In 1904 Minnie set out to homestead a claim on the South Fork Eel River and discribed her first night alone in her cabin as having " a prayer on my lips and pistol in my hand." She married William Lilley in 1905. In 1925, they purchased a 55-acre parcel of redwood trees, simply because it contained the "Fraternal Monarch," a 301-foot-tall tree with a burned out center which now is known as "The World Famous Tree House." When construction of the Redwood Highway began in 1929, the Lilleys deeded land for the project to the state for $10.00 and the convict laborers working on the road lived in the Tree House during construction. With the subsequent rise in tourism in the Redwood Country, Minnie opened the first gift shop in the area in the center of her Tree House. Minnie passed away on March 8, 1947 and was buried, according to her wishes, to be amongst her beloved trees for eternity.
In the woods across the road behind you lies the mausoleum of Minnie Stoddard Lilley, a homesteader, pioneer and teacher of early Mendocino County. From 1904 to 1936 Stoddard taught in a one room schoolhouse in the Andersonia/Percy area. For many years, she used a horse-drawn buggy to pick-up some of her students to bring them to school. In 1904 Minnie set out to homestead a claim on the South Fork Eel River and discribed her first night alone in her cabin as having " a prayer on my lips and pistol in my hand." She married William Lilley in 1905. In 1925, they purchased a 55-acre parcel of redwood trees, simply because it contained the "Fraternal Monarch," a 301-foot-tall tree with a burned out center which now is known as "The World Famous Tree House." When construction of the Redwood Highway began in 1929, the Lilleys deeded land for the project to the state for $10.00 and the convict laborers working on the road lived in the Tree House during construction. With the subsequent rise in tourism in the Redwood Country, Minnie opened the first gift shop in the area in the center of her Tree House. Minnie passed away on March
Click or scan to see this page online
8, 1947 and was buried, according to her wishes, to be amongst her beloved trees for eternity.
Erected 2016 by Yerba Buena #1 E Clampsus Vitus Credo Quia Absurdum.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Settlements & Settlers • Women. In addition, it is included in the E Clampus Vitus series list. A significant historical date for this entry is March 8, 1947.
Location. 39° 55.133′ N, 123° 45.886′ W. Marker is in Piercy, California, in Mendocino County. It can be reached from U.S. 101. Marker is located at Confusion Hill. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 75001 US-101, Piercy CA 95587, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in California’s Wine Country, in the North Coast, and specifically on the Coast Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast and in the Pacific Northwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta
Sign above the entrance a few steps to the left of the marker.
circa 1948
6. Vintage Postcard View of the Tree House
circa 1948
7. Vintage Postcard View of the Tree House
Credits. This page was last revised on January 6, 2022. It was originally submitted on March 25, 2017, by Frank Gunshow Sanchez of Hollister, California. This page has been viewed 1,480 times since then and 78 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on March 25, 2017. 2. submitted on April 6, 2018. 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 25, 2017. 6, 7. submitted on April 1, 2017. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
