THE HISTORY OF UKIAH’S PALACE HOTEL
FORT-BRAGG-MENDOCINO COAST HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESENTED A PROGRAM WITH KAREN RIFKIN, AUTHOR OF THE HISTORY OF UKIAH’S PALACE HOTEL
On Saturday, March 29th, the Fort Bragg-Mendocino Coast Historical Society presented author Karen Rifkin discussing her recently published book, The History of Ukiah’s Palace Hotel.
Ms. Rifkin, who has lived in Ukiah for 50 years, was employed by the Palace Hotel as kitchen manager, cook and sous chef following an extensive renovation in the 1970s, when the hotel and its bar and restaurant experienced a renaissance. Her book details her long-standing affection for the venerable building, and her dismay as it went from chic to crumbling to condemned.
Ms. Rifkin combines her talents as a journalist, photographer, and teacher of history and English (retired) to tell the story of the Palace Hotel from its beginnings as Ukiah’s first “luxury” hotel in 1891 to its now pending revitalization. But this is not a dry, linear timeline of the Palace’s history; it is full of stories of the colorful personalities and wild events that characterized the Palace. It is also a sobering chronicle for those who value historic preservation – a cautionary tale of what can happen when owners, the community, and the city fail to connect and cooperate.
Ms Rifkin will present a slide show that includes over 200 historic photos of the Palace Hotel, as well as contemporary interior photos which will be truly shocking to those who enjoyed the Palace Bar and Grill during its most recent heyday, from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s. As a journalist and professional photographer, Ms. Rifkin was granted special access to the collapsing hotel to document its current condition.
This presentation was at 2pm and held at the Fort Bragg Public Library* in their Community Room, at 499 E. Laurel Street in Fort Bragg. Copies of Ms. Rifkin’s book were on sale.
*This program is neither sponsored by nor affiliated with the Mendocino County Library
The FB-MCHS hosted a celebration for
25th BIRTHDAY
of the
FORT BRAGG-MENDOCINO COAST HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Guest of Honor: John Skinner, Founding Member
This Birthday Party was held Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 3:00 pm
at the Guest House Museum
343 N Main St, Fort Bragg
This milestone birthday was made possible by the continued support of members like you! Please come for the birthday party!
There was cake and the good fellowship of those who care about our local history and seek to preserve it and educate new generations about it.
Ask an Historian, was held January 27, 2024, 2 – 4 pm.
Bring your questions, your photographs and artifacts and our well-versed historians will help shed light on them.