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News and Events

Grand Opening of the Carmel Valley Little League Exhibit

Click image for slideshow

The Grand Opening of the Carmel Valley Little League exhibit was a great success over the March 7th and 8th, 2026 weekend with about 200 Valleyites attending under warm and sunny skies. Parents, grandparents, and friends of CV Little Leaguers poured over the exhibit’s history and photos and reminisced about this important era in their lives.

March 2026 Newsletter Now Available

In this issue:

  • A Message from CVHS Co-Presidents
  • The Snows of Carmel Valley
  • Muriel Vanderbilt’s Carmel Valley Motor Corps Unit
  • Upcoming Events
  • Financial Contributions
  • Documents, Photos, Artifacts, Etc
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Annual Membership Meeting April 11, 2026

Please join us at our annual Membership Meeting
Saturday, April 11, 2026
from 4 to 5:30 PM
at the CV History Center Museum
77 West Carmel Valley Road
Light refreshments will be served.
You are invited to bring a friend.

Video: 1953 F51-D Crash in Carmel Valley

On February 6, 1953, while the Korean War was still raging, F-51D Mustang fighter pilot 1st Lt. John Maxey and 8 other F-51Ds took off from Castle Air Force Base for a live fire demonstration at Fort Ord; Castle was located just 80 miles northeast of Ft. Ord. Maxey’s Mustang, however, had problems from the onset and he ended up bailing out over the Oppenheimer Ranch (now the Santa Lucia Preserve) and his Mustang crashed in nearby Garzas Canyon. This is a recording of a talk that Jeff Ohlson gave to an aviation group at the Monterey Elks Club on February 17, 2026. He gives a detailed account of the incident that is now part of Carmel Valley’s rich history and folklore.

Play video (23 mins)

Happy Holidays

For the 13 th consecutive year, the History Center is all decked out for the Holidays. This is a reminder that our museum will be open the weekend after Christmas, Sat & Sun 1 to 4pm, December 27 th and 28 th. It is a great place to unwind after Christmas week. See you there!

December 2025 Newsletter Now Available

This issue of the Historian is the 44th edition published over the last 11 years with Kim Williams as editor. It will be the last edition published on paper. On the one hand, we are sad to say goodbye to the paper publication, but we look forward to issuing an online version in 2026. Stay tuned for our newsletter’s new digital era!
In this issue:

  • Adobe Brick-Making in Carmel Valley
  • A Message from CVHS Co-Presidents
  • Kim Williams Steps Down as Historian Editor
  • Dance Cards – Even in Carmel Valley
  • An ESP Lab in Carmel Valley
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November 2025 Update to “Brands and Branding”

41 pages (8.5×11 format), 29 photos and many images of brands

Now titled “Heritage and Traditions of Carmel Valley’s Cattle Brands & Branding“, this story was first assembled by Historical Society Historian Jeff Ohlson in 2015 and first presented by Steve Dorrance at the Carmel Valley Library in September 2016 and for the second time at the Carmel Valley History Center by Steve and his daughter Mollie in April 2017. It was presented for the third time by Jeff Ohlson at the Carmel Valley Trail & Saddle Club in 2024. It was reformatted and republished into its present form in the Winter of 2025.

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Annual Holiday Party December 13, 2025

Our yearly holiday party will be on Saturday, December 13 from 4:00 to 6:00. It’s a great event to catch up with old friends and meet new ones while enjoying refreshments and new exhibits.

We look forward to seeing you!

September 2025 Newsletter Now Available

In this issue:

  • Remembering Dale Vandervort’s Sycamore Farm
  • Taking a Look Back
  • Let’s Play Ball!
  • Signs of Times Past Exhibit Expands
  • Out of the Ashes/A Piece of History Preserved
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History Center Hosts the “P.E.O. Women’s Group”

About 20 members from the local chapter of P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) attended a talk given by Jeff Ohlson on May 13, 2025.

After the talk the group viewed the many exhibits in the museum and then listened to a song played on the museum’s antique graphophone. The group thoroughly enjoyed their visit.