Local History
MCFL Local History Digital Archive
Explore the Digital Archive. Images and documents from Monterey County Free Libraries local history collection.
Digital Stories and Oral Histories
Digital stories and oral history interviews from around Monterey County.
MCFL Local History Collections
Approximately 3,000 non-circulating books related to Monterey County and California are held at the Prunedale Branch, including Polk's City Directories and county directories. Titles can be searched on the MCFL Online Catalog. Call (831) 796-3080 for hours and how to make an appointment.
Historical photographs, pamphlets, papers and maps are located at the Library Administrative Office in Marina. Many photographs have been digitally reproduced and are available online. To view materials in person, call: (831) 883-7512 or email smithja@countyofmonterey.gov to make an appointment. High resolution digital copies are available for a fee: $20 per image (personal/research) or $35 per image (publication/commercial). If you wish to order a digital copy, please submit a Digital Image Request form.
Local History Archive - Access, Use and Reproduction Policy
Monterey County Local History Directory of Archives and Resources:
Monterey County Local History Directory of Archives and Resources A descriptive list of local repositories and their holdings.
Online Local Historical Newspapers:
- Big Sur Gazette, 1978-1981
- California Digital Newspaper Collection (includes Californian 1846-48, King City Settler 1889-1890, King City Rustler 1901-1948, Salinas Daily Journal 1889-1899, Salinas Index Journal 1905-1942, Salinas Californian 1929-2001)
- Carmel Pine Cone, 1915-2006 (Carmel Public Library) and 2007 - present (Carmel Pine Cone archive)
- Carmel Historical Periodicals (Carmel Public Library)
- Carmel Valley Outlook (Carmel Valley Historical Society) (1962-1981)
- Hartnell College (includes college newspaper, 1935-2002)
- Monterey Historical Newspapers (Monterey Public Library)
- Monterey County Weekly (1988- present)
- Monterey Peninsula College (includes college newspaper, 1948-1978)
- Seaside Post News-Sentinel (City of Seaside, Art and History Commission) (1970-1975)
- Watsonville and Pajaro Area Historical Newspapers (Watsonville Public Library)
Catalogs and Digital Repositories with Monterey County Local History Collections:
Search these resources by local place name, name of a person, etc. You will see extensive collections on Monterey County that are available online, many for free. Need assistance searching these resources? Please contact our reference librarians for basic help.
- Calisphere - More information with a video on how to use: About Calisphere
- Online Archive of California
- California Revealed
- California State Library, including the Sutro Library
- California State Archives Digital Archives
- Digital Public Library of America
- Library of Congress Digital Archive, including the Chronicling America, Historic American Newspapers
- WorldCat
Local History Donations to Monterey County Free Libraries:
We are happy to consider donations to our Monterey County-focused local history archive for preservation and access. We can also help direct you to other local historical archives. Per MCFL Gift Policy, gifts to the local history collection require approval by the library archive specialist, in conjunction with the Library Director, and if accepted, require legal transfer, deed of gift agreement, or other official acknowledgment from the donor. Please contact us at (831) 883-7512 for more information.
Additional resources funded by the California State Library:
Archives Unbound topically-focused digital collections of historical documents that support the research and study needs of scholars and students at the college and university level. Collections in Archives Unbound cover a broad range of topics from the Middle Ages forward-from Witchcraft to World War II to twentieth-century political history.