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News and Events

Annual Membership Meeting April 27

Be sure and attend this year’s Annual Membership meeting on Saturday, April 27, 2024 from 4 to 6 pm at the History Center.

Elect new board members, review our 2023 accomplishments and financial status while enjoying light refreshments and meeting old and making new friends. Then sit back and listen to Historian Jeff Ohlson’s talk on one of Carmel Valley’s interesting histories.

The History Center’s “Talking Machine”

A Living History to the Sounds of the Past

Many millions of 78 rpm recordings were pressed on shellac (beetle resin) records between 1898 and 1950. These particular recordings were made by the OKEH Phonograph Corp. of NY in the 1920s with one 3-minute recording on each side of the 10-inch diameter record. The songs “Are You Lonesome To-night?” and “Carolina Mine” are both sung in 1927 by artists Jerry Macy & John Ryan. The record is played on the museum’s 1909 Columbia Disc Graphophone that is wound up like a clock to play – no batteries needed or electricity attached. The cost of a record in the 1920s was about 50 to 75 cents ($7.50 – $11.25 today).

CAROLINA MINE

ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT

October 2023 Update to “Jamesburg Earth Station”

Many Valleyites may not be aware that Carmel Valley’s Earth Station played a vital role in Intelsat’s world-wide communications global network from the late 1960s to the 1990s. Among its historic transmissions was the famous “first step” TV pictures of Apollo 11’s moon landing mission. An updated and improved version of this amazing history is now available on our website and at the History Center Museum. It is authored and self-published by CVHS historian Jeff Ohlson.

New Exhibit: Piazzoni Cowgirls

The early 20th Century saw many ranches and farms in Carmel Valley. Whether wives, mothers, or daughters, women played important roles in family life. The Piazzoni Ranch was one such ranch. Luigi (with Swiss ancestry) and Tomasa (with indigenous Rumsien/Esselen ancestry) had nine children: one boy and eight daughters, all born and raised on their ranch. All their children had to pitch in with ranch work, as it was their only livelihood.

Several of the daughters became outstanding western horsewomen who participated in the famous 1913 parades in San Francisco and Oakland to herald in California Rodeo Salinas, California’s first Wild West Show.

The Society is pleased to honor these women with a new ranching exhibit called “Piazzoni Cowgirls”. To see this eye-popping exhibit in person, visit the History Center Museum, open Sat. 1 to 4, Sun 11 to 2.

December 2022 Update to “A History of Ranching”

The December 2022 update of the ranching book is now available at the History Center and on this website.

This one-of-a-kind, 140-page book now includes 260 rare images and over 2 dozen rare ranch histories. It is a stylish addition to coffee tables or a great gift idea for ranching aficionados.

It is authored and self-published by CVHS historian Jeff Ohlson.

See & Hear the Village Bell Ring!

Some may not know that an old Yosemite railroad train bell sits atop the Village Shopping Center. Silent for many years, it was rung during the 2022 Santa Fly-In parade to the enjoyment of nearby revelers. Click on the video link below to see and hear the bell tolling.

The complete story of the bell was chronicled in the December 2022 Carmel Valley Historian Newsletter:

Play video (9 sec)

Annual 2022 Christmas Party

Our 2022 Holiday Party and debut of the “Good Eggs of Carmel Valley: Honoring 70 Years of Community Volunteers” Exhibit was a huge success! Over 100 people came out in spite of pouring rain to gather for delicious food, beverages, and catching up with old friends and making new ones.

Months in the making, the Good Egg Exhibit is an important addition to the histories in main gallery. It chronicles 175 people honored for their volunteer work in helping make the Valley what it is today.

GEO exhibit at CV Library

The Historical Society has mounted a new exhibit at the Carmel Valley Library for the summer/fall of 2022. It is a condensed version of the one currently on display in the History Center Museum.

The earth processes that formed Carmel Valley over eons of time are both interesting and complex. By learning about them, we can have a greater appreciation of the world that surrounds us. This exhibit is educational and thought provoking for both the young and old.

Membership Meeting 4/23

Carmel Valley Historical Society Annual Membership Meeting! Saturday April 23, 2022, 4 PM – 6 PM at the History Center.

This is a good opportunity to hear firsthand of our past accomplishments and finances, and help elect new board members.

It is also a great opportunity to meet with old friends and enjoy light refreshments.