California History Collections

California History Collection, Special Collections, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. © 2007 Trustees of the California State University. All rights reserved.

We fulfill the mission of our local, regional and California history collections, including ethnic studies, by acquiring and preserving original materials; delivering electronic versions of finding aids; assisting students, faculty and other researchers; licensing materials for study, publication, exhibition and broadcast; and assisting with classes, lectures, and public programming. We also promote the preservation and study of local and ethnic studies materials as an integral part of California's cultural heritage.

Regional and California History Collections

California Fairs Collection, 1856 — 1997 (MS 009)

Central Coast Farm Labor Organizing Collection, c. 1960 — 2003, (MS 098)

Hearst Ranch and Cayucos Photograph Collection, 1890s, 1920s (bulk 1920s), (MS 158)

Laumann Yosemite Collection, c. 1908, 1923 (MS 153)

Alice M. Martin Papers, 1943 — 2004 (MS 122)

NAACP Convention, Los Angeles, California, Photograph Collection, July 1949 (MS 152)

Painted Rock Pictograph Collection, c. 1870s (MS 041)

San Luis Obispo County Historic Lithographs Collection, 1883 (MS 047)

San Luis Obispo County Regional Photograph Collection, 1850-1980 (MS 168)

Sinsheimer Collection, 1868 — 1997 (MS 036)


See the Links to the Land collection for an insight into stewardship of the land by San Luis Obispo County ranchers throughout history.

San Luis Obispo County Environmental Archives

Enrico Bongio Papers, 1952 – 1993 (MS 124)

Norman Clyde-Robert C. Pavlik Collection, 1906-2009 (MS 164)

Kathleen Goddard Correspondence, 1918 & 2002 (MS 173)

Kathleen Goddard Jones Papers, 1933 – 2001 (MS 119)

Ian McMillan Papers, 1925 – 1990 (MS 111)

McMillan-Wreden California Condor Collection, 1953 (MS 044)

Harold Miossi Papers, 1942 – 1990 (MS 112)

Lee Wilson Papers, 1956 – 1989 (MS 113)


World War II Collections

Manzanar Collection, 1942 – 1994 (MS 026)

Messinger Pacific Theater World War II Collection, August – October 1945 (MS 064)

Smith Family Papers on World War II, 1936 – 2005 (MS 065)

Waller Bataan Prisoner of War Collection, 1941 – 1980 (MS 170)