Monterey County Historical Society

#tbt Camp Ord Theatre - defined as a region in which active military operations are in progress. Postmark on this postcard is dated 1941. Thank you to Michael Finney of Wisconsin for donating this to our collection.

Vintage cigar boxes from our Museum collection. "It wasn’t until the Revenue Act of 1864 that all cigars were required to be packed in boxes, and in 1865, President Lincoln enacted a law that required they be packed in bundles of 25, 50, 100, or 250." (Collector's Weekly)

One more item from our collection, an original Hotel Cominos luggage tag attached to one of our vintage suitcases.

Before the Cominos brothers bought the property that was to become the Hotel Cominos, it was the Abbott Hotel, originally built by local businessman and civic leader, Carlisle S. Abbott. Both hotels, in their time, served as the focal point of the town's social life and entertainment.

The Hotel Cominos, owned by George and Mike Cominos, was the premier hotel on the Central Coast for years. It had the area's first elevator; hosted dignitaries like President Taft, Hoover and Coolidge, as well as every California governor from Juan Alvarado to Pat Brown. It was a gathering spot that brought all of Salinas together. In 1989 the Loma Prieta Earthquake brought an end to its dominance on Main Street.

MEET THE AUTHORS The story of one of the opening battles of the modern environmental age is detailed in "Humbled, How California’s Monterey Bay Escaped Industrial Ruin," written by local authors Glenn Church and Kathryn McKenzie. The book recounts the many twists and turns that swamped a refinery project and eventually dismantled plans for a vast industrial complex in Moss Landing. MCHS is hosting Zoom presentations given by the authors on Saturday, October 17 at 3pm again on Wednesday, November 18 at 7pm and finally on Wednesday, December 16 at 7pm. 25 percent of the net proceeds of book sales resulting from these Zoom presentations will be donated to MCHS. Those wishing to be invited to the zoom presentations can email James Perry at [email protected].

View of Partington Cove from Partington Canyon trail, part of Julia Pfeiffer State Park (trails currently closed). Ripplewood, built in the 1920s, is one of the Big Sur areas oldest resorts. At the turn of the 20th century, logging was prevalent in this area. Ships would load and unload cargo in the small sea ports along the coast, as shown here.

#tbt The Salinas Valley Handicap was a 100-mile air race between Salinas and Paso Robles. We have records for a first, second and third annual race in the 1940s. Any history buffs remember this event?

Monterey Harbor through the lens of Lewis Josselyn's camera. Not much has changed!

#tbt The quintessential quaintness of Carmel is defined by the Comstock Cottages scattered throughout town. Hugh Comstock, the man behind the designs, came to Carmel in the 1920s, met his wife, doll maker Mayotta Brown, and created an architectural legacy by building a life-sized doll house for her creations.

From our collection of Vintage Paper Doll booklets meticulously researched fashions recalling clothing from the early 20th century.