About Nealis Hall

 Cecile Clarke, the founder of the Clarke Historical Museum, was known to be a collector of a variety of things-including Native American basketry. In the photos on the left, most of which were taken in 1960 when the museum first opened its doors at its current location in the old Bank of Eureka Building, baskets were displayed on counter tops, hung from the walls, columns, even windows. As the museum collections grew, more room was needed to store and properly display the increasing basket collection.

The Liberty Theater

The building adjacent to the Bank of Eureka was known as the Liberty Theater. It opened in October of 1904 as a vaudeville theater with "moving pictures on the Bioscope", originally known as the E Street Theater. After a few years, it was torn down and replaced by the Theater Margarita, which eventually became the Empire, the Orpheum, the Orpheus, and the Liberty Theater in 1938. An excerpt from "Movie Theaters of Humboldt County" gives a glimpse into how the Theater operated:

"On March 14 the Times ran a full page of articles, photos, etc., and theatre management highlighted "new roof, carpets, seats, acoustical drapes, screen, new front and entrance. .." The Liberty remained in operation as a mostly family or second run house until the Eureka Theatre opened in 1939, whereupon it reverted to weekends only and special showings. It opened more often during World War 11, then opened a full month in December, 1945, while the Rialto [another nearby theater] was closed for renovation. Later the Liberty opened on weekends with westerns for kids --even giving a pony away at some shows. Then, about 1953, Tempest Storm and her troupe put on a live show, but it lasted only two days. The Liberty finally cut its openings down to a "B" movie bill about once every three months until it closed for good [in 1958]."

​Nealis Hall is Built

In 1979, the owner of the defunct Liberty Theater, George Mann, agreed to sell the land  to the City of Eureka if they promised to add an additional wing to the Museum. With the help of a federal Economic Development Administration grant awarded to Eureka in 1979, an addition to the museum was built on the old Liberty Theater land. That additional wing became Nealis Hall, which now houses the Native American collections of the Clarke Museum. In the time since then, various community members and families have donated items to be preserved and displayed in the hall for the enjoyment and education of museum visitors.

View of the redwood dugout canoe and display when Nealis Hall opened.

Who Was Mr. Jim Nealis?

"If a problem arose on the horizon, the first thought was to "Get hold of Jim Nealis. He knows what to do.""
​-Times Standard, Eureka, April 30, 1971 "Phone 'Operator' Nealis Ending Official Career"

Jim Nealis moved to Eureka in 1941 and worked for Pacific Telephone and Telegraph where he eventually became District Manager for Eureka. He was described as a "good natured, gravely - voiced friend" by those who knew him. He was well-known throughout the community and was a longtime board member for the Clarke Historical Museum.  He played a large role in the agreement between the City and the Museum to ensure the construction of Nealis Hall, which the Museum named after him in his honor.

Nealis Hall Today

Nowadays, Nealis Hall is world-renown for its basketry collection. The hall also serves as the main special events location for the museum, hosting a number of events throughout the year including Archaeology and Cultural Awareness Day, numerous guest speakers, local bands, and school tours.  Each Arts Alive, volunteers and board members answer questions from visitors about the displays, and displays rotate out every few months. Want to see what's on display right now? Stop by Nealis Hall during the Museum's open hours or see a small selection of the displays on the Nealis mini-exhibit page here.

Board Member Shirley Laos leading a school tour through Nealis Hall. Her tour includes sections spoken in Yurok.