Welcome to the CONFERENCE of California Historical Societies. CCHS was founded in 1954 as a federation of historical societies, museums, libraries, and other history-oriented groups and individuals.

CCHS helps historians, and others who are interested in history, to connect and share information -- joining efforts to preserve records, artifacts, sites, and buildings. CCHS also helps local societies and small museums with skills in management, acquisition, preservation, and restoration techniques.

This site is an extension of that effort. We hope you can learn from it and will enjoy it's resources. If you are not yet a member, please consider joining. Your help will make us stronger and you will gain the various benefits available only to members.

Features on this site include some of the articles and book reviews from previous issues of the California Historian, photo galleries from member collections, event calendar of members around the state, news of what our various member societies are doing, links to historical and local resources, and, of course, information on the CCHS and the work we do. Our easy-to-use menu bar on the left panel will get you where you want to go.

Thank you for visiting!

Read about our call to action as California state historical parks are in jeopardy due to the budget crisis.

An online exhibit of the Desert Communities, California Missions, San Clemente, Monterey, old Los Angeles, early Ridge Route, Santa Barbara, Redlands, Santa Ana, and San Luis Obispo postcard images.

• John Swett and the politics of public education in California
• The friendship between Charles Fletcher Lummis and Theodore Roosevelt
• Irene Neasham: California’s “First Lady of History”
• CCHS Honors Those with Commitment to History - 2006 Award Winners
• CA National History Day Winners - 2006
• Visiting Day at Ford's New 1930 Long Beach Plant
• Local History: What's Wrong and What's Right
• 50 Years of CCHS Movers, Shakers, & Do-ers
• Click here to see all the articles

• The American West: The Invention of a Myth
• Death Valley in '49
• A Good Camp: Gold Mines of Julian and the Cuyamacas
• Japanese Pride, American Prejudice: Modifying the Exclusion Clause of the 1924 Immigration Act

Our calendar of member events and exhibits is regularly updated with interesting and exciting events in your community!

We now have a good-sized sampling of articles and book notes from previous issues of the California HISTORIAN magazine. Take a look and enjoy the history. If you're not a member, see what you're missing. Be the first to get your copy and get all the articles and news. Join today! You'll be glad you did!

Local CCHS contact list. If you would like to join, or just find out about all the benefits CCHS offers.

Thanks for visiting our site!

Our members are always looking for additional California historical material -- articles, photos, vintage postcards, old ads, oral histories, etc., to share with others. Please let them know what you can write, donate, or loan to us. Thank you!

Please note that the all-volunteer members of the CONFERENCE do not have the time to perform any extended research tasks and may not be able to help you if you have a question that needs to be researched. Click here to go to the Links section where you will will find links that may be of assistance.