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News and Events

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.

Dedication of Vintage Airfield Historic Marker

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.

George Seideneck Photography

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.

62nd Santa Fly-In

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.

Historian Gives Talk to the Community

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

Historian Gives Talk to the Community

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

Mystery Solved!

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.

Docent Training

Closed for over a year due to the pandemic, there was a lot of enthusiasm at a recent Docent Training & Pizza Party at the History Center. Almost two dozen current and new volunteers attended to hear Volunteer Chair Kim Williams and Cherie Ohlson review greeting, open/close, and other procedures. They then adjourned to enjoy pizza and socialize and review the museum’s new and updated exhibits. New docents will then be paired with experienced docents a few times before being able to assume the role as a primary docent.

McDonald’s Coming Soon?

Visitors to the History Center lately have probably delighted in viewing the many historic signs hanging from its outside walls. Projects like this can be challenging but are rewarding when visitors give us positive feedback. Or not: some have pointedly asked: “What is that McDonald’s Coming Soon sign doing up there??”
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The answer to this question was so intriguing that there was an article published in the April 15, 2021 Carmel Pine Cone that told the real story of why the sign was first put up in the Village and why. It then became even more interesting when a follow-up article was published in the April 29 Pine Cone after one of the original perpetrators fessed up to their trickery – both articles are worth a look and are linked to below.

Video: A History of the CFPD

An overview of the history of Carmel Valley’s Cachagua Fire Department. This presentation takes you from its formative days of the mid-1970s to present. The presentation includes the history of the department’s founders and directors, its volunteer firefighters and their rigorous training, their fire vehicles, its legendary fundraising and community support, and major fire incidents. Photo courtesy Trish Hansen.
Play video (30 mins)