San Antonio Valley Historical Association

06/15/2026

Pleyto Cemetery was the opening highlight of SAVHA’s Spring 2026 Cemetery Tour, and the video is now available on our YouTube channel.
If you missed the tour — or want to revisit the stories — you can watch it here:

03/23/2026

Don't forget t make those reservations for SAVHA’s Spring Cemetery Tour!

03/13/2026

Join Us for SAVHA’s Spring Cemetery Tour!
This spring, the San Antonio Valley Historical Association invites you to step into the stories of the people who shaped our valley. On Saturday, April 18th, we’re hosting our annual Spring Tour—a rare chance to visit several historic cemeteries and learn about the families, founders, and early settlers who built the community we know today.
It’s a meaningful, peaceful walk through local history, and we’d love to share the day with you.
Details on the flyer below — we hope to see you there!

01/30/2026

Patricia Ashe‑Woodfill’s presentation, “What’s Under the Lake?”—given at the King City History & Visitor Center on January 21, 2026— is now available to watch on SAVHA’s YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/ . Check it out at https://youtu.be/gkDoSDEFFxM?si=aelqXLIELB64Ptq3

Patricia Ashe Woodfill with the San Antonio Valley Historical Association uses historic photos and data to speak about Lake San Antonio. Lake San Antonio in ...

01/16/2026

A presentation titled "What's Under the Lake?" is being offered Wednesday, January 21 at 11 a.m. at the new King City History Center at 110 North Vanderhurst Avenue in King City. The public is invited.
Patricia Ashe Woodfill with the San Antonio Valley Historical Association will use historic photos and data to speak about Lake San Antonio. The presentation is expected to last 45 minutes.
Lake San Antonio in Monterey County, formed by the San Antonio Dam, was completed in 1965, creating the reservoir primarily for water supply, flood control, and recreation, with the dam built by the Monterey County Water Resources Agency. The lake covered land that once was home to the town of Pleyto and other historic sites.

Pictured are Rachel Gillett and Ranger Douglas Dean at Pinkerton Cemetery, Lake San Antonio, during the October 1977 drought.

01/01/2026

🎉 Happy New Year from the San Antonio Valley Historical Association (SAVHA)! 🎉
This year marks 58 years since Rachel Gillett and Cathrine Frudden, together with charter members Kathleen Andrus, Olive Wollesen, Alvin Davis, Stephen James, Edward Foley, Dan Hayes, Ramona Sutfin, Lila Roth, Rudolph Gil, and Sally Martinus, founded SAVHA to preserve the rich history of the San Antonio Valley and Southern Monterey County.
Are you passionate about local history? Want to make a difference in your community this year? Join us as a volunteer! Reach out at [email protected] or visit our website to learn more:

The San Antonio Valley Historical Association (SAVHA) was started in 1968 with the goal of saving the Dutton Hotel in Jolon, California. The hotel started as a one-story adobe, built by Antonio Ramirez in 1849 as a home and an inn for miners and travelers. The building changed owners several times b...