Viola Russ McBride1906 – 1996 Viola Russ McBride was born Dorothy Russ on March 9, 1906 in Eureka, California. She was the granddaughter of 19th century Humboldt County pioneers who were active in ranching, lumber, and railroading in the West. When Dorothy was seven years old, her family moved 20 miles away to Ferndale. As a young woman, Dorothy adopted her mother’s name “Viola.” She studied at UC Davis in the College of Agriculture, graduating one of only three coed “farmerettes” out of 300 students in the Class of 1927. In 1932 she married Rex McBride. The couple had three sons: William “Cowboy Bill” McBride, Jon, and Andrew. By Viola’s death in 1996 at the age of 90, she had 10 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. Viola broke several gender molds in her lifetime. She was a rodeo rider in her youth. She was one of the first women students allowed to attend the UC Davis College of Agriculture. She wrote a book titled The University Farm Versus Co-Eds, circa 1926-1927, which discusses the sexism felt by her and other female students at the “University Farm” by sexist professors. Preceded by her husband in death, she stepped up as a third-generation rancher to operate their large cattle and sheep ranch that still stretches along the Pacific coast in back of Cape Mendocino. She was the first woman president of the Humboldt County Cattlemen’s Association, and she managed a redwood timber company. Her adventurous spirit was likewise notable in her impulsive purchase of a 45-foot racing cutter with sloop rig called Fidelia. When she learned of an upcoming sailing competition from San Diego to Acapulco in 1958, she jumped into action, signed on a crew, and appointed herself cook just ten days before her first major sailing race ever began. When rigging problems presented themselves en route, she was dropped off on her own at the then-quite-remote village of Yelapa, located on the Mexican coast just south of Puerto Vallarta. Essentially marooning herself for several weeks, she completed many watercolors while awaiting retrieval. The Fidelia came in sixth place, quite a respectable finish among a large group of contenders. A pupil of legendary painter and CAA Artist Member Armin Hansen in the 1930s, Viola became an accomplished watercolorist and was juried into the Carmel Art Association. Three decades later in 1966, Viola opened her own art gallery in Ferndale called “Candystick,” where her local landscapes and architectural scenes sold well to residents and tourists alike. Besides distinguishing herself as a watercolorist, Viola wrote and illustrated books. Lobbying to preserve Ferndale’s “Victorian Village” architecture, she extended her dedication to the arts by restoring these old buildings and then renting these out to artists. She served as a patron to many of them by purchasing their artworks. Before her death Ferndale honored Viola for her community service and historic preservation efforts with a ceremony and a bronze and stone plaque erected outside her art studio, to the left of Ferndale’s Centennial marker. To this day, Ferndale carries on Viola’s tradition of respect for both artistic freedom and historic preservation. She was the subject of a January 1994 North Coast Journal cover story.