Colton Hall fame, said the Salinas Valley could
be a Garden of Eden if it had water," says Clovis.
"Once water was brought to the valley, princi-
pally through the efforts of Claus Spreckels, it
changed the whole agricultural scene."
These surprising twists that shaped the
Salinas Valley economy and culture boost the
entire region's historical appeal, believes Clovis.
"I think it may resonate with people on the
Monterey Peninsula because they're maybe not
as familiar with local agriculture. It's sort of like
the lost towns topics — it's yet undiscovered for
some people, this history of agriculture, how
diverse it is, what the beginnings were, how
much it's changed over time," she says. "The
changes are substantial."
Researching those changes, and the charac-
ters behind them, is a time-consuming process
that involves pouring through old newspapers,
exploring historical archives, examining photos
and talking with members of the public. Clovis
finds motivation with each new discovery and
uncovered connection.
"It can take hours," she says, "but when you
find that little nugget of information, it's a
moment of 'Eureka!'"
Historian Meg Clovis presents "What's in a Name:
Place Names of Monterey County" on Wednesday,
October 7. For details, visit CSUMB's Osher Lifelong
Learning Institute at olli.csumb.edu.
In addition to working
with the county's
Historic Resources
Review Board and
Historical Advisory
Commission, Clovis
manages the Monterey
County Agricultural
& Rural Life Museum
(MCARLM).
C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 1 5 231
Anita Dyer, joined in 2013
YOUR CREATIVE
Life.
Anita enjoys all that the coast has to offer and she may even offer you a
tour of her weaving studio in downtown Pacific Grove, only a short walk
from Canterbury Woods. Entry fees? There are none, and that makes our
senior living community surprisingly affordable. To learn more, or for your
personal visit, please call 831.657.4195.
A not-for-profit community owned and operated by Episcopal Senior
Communities. License No. 270708224 COA #89 EPCW721-01dg 080115
651 Sinex Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 canterburywoods-esc.org
