News and Events

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:

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.

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.

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.

On March 17, 2022 the Historical Society, together with about two dozen invitees gathered at the historic marker site above the Carmel Valley Post Office parking to commemorate the former Carmel Valley Vintage Airfield that the California Historical Resource Commission ruled eligible for listing in the California Register in 2000.

Historical Society President Kim Williams and 5th District Supervisor Mary Adams are pictured in this photo with the historic marker after she presented the Society with a Supervisorial Proclamation in honor of the historic marker.

Of special mention is invitee James Keefe of BCC Real Estate, owner of the Carmel Valley Post Office property, who graciously allowed the Historical Society to install the marker on his property. Other invitees included Community leaders, pilots who used the airfield, and current and former Historical Society Board members.

The Historical Society has mounted their exhibit at the Carmel Valley Library for the month of March 2022. The exhibit features the black & white film photography of Carmel Valley photographer George Seideneck. Exhibit curators are Exhibit Committee Chair Cherie Ohlson (shown in photo) and committee members Elizabeth Barratt, Jane Chaney, and Jeff Ohlson.

Since the traditional Santa Fly-In was cancelled in 2020, the 62nd Santa Fly-In of 2021 and following parade through the Village to the Community Park was special. On a beautiful sunny day, Carmel Valleyites and visitors thronged to the old airfield site in the Village to see the helicopter bring Santa to kick off the parade and the festivities in the Park.

CVHS President Kim Williams and longtime volunteer Tom Augustitus driving his antique Farmall Cub tractor are pictured taking part in this years parade.

CVHS Historian Elizabeth Barratt is shown giving a talk on Robert Louis Stevenson and Carmel Valley at the Cottages of Carmel this October.

CVHS Historian Jeff Ohlson is shown giving a talk on the Carmel Valley Vintage Airfield at the History Center this October.

Visitors to the History Center museum may recall the fossil bone displayed in its popular “Mammoth or Mastodon” exhibit. The bone was uncovered in a riverbank after a Carmel River flood years ago and has been on display in the museum since 2014. Since then, it has been a mystery if it was a Mammoth or a Mastodon fossil. That is, until recently!
Ron Long, the paleontologist who made the touchable reproduction on the display, has told the Historical Society that the bone definitely is from a Mastodon. He also provided interesting information and photos describing the complex process of creating the reproduction.