Pajaro Valley Historical Association facts for kids
The Pajaro Valley Historical Association (PVHA) is a group dedicated to saving and sharing the history of the Pajaro Valley in Central California. They collect old items and stories from the area. The association is located in the Godfrey M. Bockius House. They also manage the Alzora Snyder Archive, which holds many historical treasures.
History of the PVHA
The Pajaro Valley Historical Association began in 1940. It was started by a local group called the Native Sons of the Golden West. The Watsonville Woman's Club also encouraged its creation. The PVHA officially became an organization in 1956.
In 1964, Helen Haynes Volck Tucker gave her home to the association. This home was used as a museum and opened on July 4, 1965. Later, in 1993, Zoe Ann Orr Marcus donated the Godfrey M. Bockius House to the PVHA. The association moved into this new home in 1997.
Over the years, the PVHA has helped to promote and protect the region's history. For example, in 1955, the association put up a monument at Charley Parkhurst's grave site.
What the PVHA Has Today
Today, the PVHA manages the Bockius-Orr house. They also look after the Alzora Snyder Archive. This archive is a huge collection of over 75,000 photos, maps, and historical items. All these items are important to the Pajaro Valley's past.
The archive also has special collections. These include original documents from important historians and people, such as:
- Historian Betty Bagby Lewis
- Charley Parkhurst
- Architect W. H. Weeks
