Local History

The Local History Department is the archives for Carmel-by-the-Sea, and is devoted to acquiring, preserving, and making available historically significant items concerning the history of Carmel. These collections include: photographs, books, letters, diaries, programs, manuscripts, maps, scrapbooks, and works of art. 

Digital Collections

• Carmel Fire Department Films: Historical films from the Fire Department, 1930s-1980s.
• Herbert Heron Collection: Hundreds of photographs from the Forest Theater (1910-1960s), and the diaries of the Theater’s founder. (Full collection guide.)
• Local History Lecture Series: Lectures on the history of Point Lobos, Robinson Jeffers, Henry Miller, and much more.
• Local History Shorts: Short educational videos on topics in Carmel history.
• My Carmel Oral History Project: Interviews with Carmel residents that capture some of the history and daily life of our village.

Genealogy

• America’s Obituaries & Death Notices: US obituaries from 1860 – current
• California Death Index: Deaths occurring 1940-1997
• Find A Grave: Millions of cemetery records
• Legacy.com: Find obituaries from over 1000 newspapers, 1998-present
• Monterey Family History Center: Great resource for genealogical information. Volunteers available to assist.
• Social Security Death Index: 1935-2014, nationwide

In-Library Resources

• Ancestry Library Edition: US & international genealogy research
• City directories and reverse look-ups: 1926-present, some gaps
• Nixon Files: Newspaper articles and obituaries from local newspapers, 1900-present
• Yearbooks and alumni resources

Houses & Buildings

• Carmel House & Building Research: A resource guide put together by our local history librarian
• City of Carmel Building Permits (1920-1928)
• House Names in Carmel (This map is not created or maintained by the City of Carmel-By-The-Sea.)
• List of Deeds of Property, Carmel Development Company Papers (1903-1935)
• Sanborn Fire Maps 1867-1970: Ask librarian for password, or use in the library

Historic Building Brochures

• Artists and Artisans - Carmel Woods
• The Eighty Acres - Carmel-by-the-Sea
• Historic Houses - Carmel-by-the-Sea
• Historic Inns - Carmel-by-the-Sea

In-Library Resources

• Carmel Development Company Collection
• Carmel Preservation Foundation Collection
• City of Carmel Building Permits (1939-1940)
• Historic Resources Inventory: Information on properties in Carmel deemed historic
• M.J. Murphy estimates/costs for home building/projects (1915-1917)

Maps

• Homes of Famous Carmelites (Additional information)
• House Names in Carmel (This map is not created or maintained by the City of Carmel-By-The-Sea.)
• Old Carmel on Historypin: Explore Carmel’s history overlaid on today’s streets. Find Jo Mora’s studio, George Sterling’s home, Carmel’s first library and much more.
• Sanborn Fire Maps 1867-1970: Ask librarian for password, or use in the library

Newspapers

• California Digital Newspaper Collection: Selected newspapers, 1846-present
• Carmel Magazine: 2006-present
• Carmel Pine Cone: 1915-2006 (with some search tips) and 2007-present.
• Monterey County Herald: Search articles from 2002-present
• Monterey County Weekly: Archived and searchable, 1998-present.
• Monterey Historical Newspapers: 1846-1959