The Local History collection consists of historical maps, old newspapers on microfilm, land records, oral history tapes and transcripts, numerous subject files, photographs, manuscripts, and many rare books on desert history.
Subject files cover such topics as railroads, mining, schools, ranches, businesses, development, plants, animals, geology, water issues, land use, and history of people and towns. Oral histories include interviews from the early 1970s of old-timers who had lived in the Victor Valley as far back as the early 1900s.
Local History books are searchable through the Library's Catalog. Materials in the archival collection must be used in the Library, but may be photocopied or scanned. The collection is accessible to researchers by appointment.
Files with news clippings, photographs, oral histories, brochures, biographical information, and other historical documents are organized by places in the Victor Valley, places in the Mojave Desert, People, and Subjects.
Agriculture, Animals, Archaeology/Anthropology, Arts, Aviation, Businesses, Camels - History, Cement Industry, Cemeteries, Churches & Religions, Clubs & Organizations, Communications, Directories, Economy, Energy Sources, Environment, Fire/Fire Departments, Geology, Government, Growth & Development, Health Care, Homeless, Homesteads, Indians, Kingdom of the Sun, Law Enforcement, Libraries, Maps, Mines & Mining, Minorities, Monuments, Movie Making, Museums, Newspapers, Old Buildings, Paleontology, Parks & Recreation/Zoos, Places to Go, Plants, Promotional Brochures, Railroads, Ranches - Agriculture, Ranches - Guest, Real Estate & Land Promotion, Recreation/Sports, Roads & Trails, San Bernardino County Fair (Victorville,) Schools & Education, Soil Conservation, Transportation, UFOs/Ghosts/Strange Phenomena, Water, Weather & Climate, Women.
Adelanto, Apple Valley, Baldy Mesa, Cajon Pass, Deep Creek, El Mirage, George Air Force Base, Helendale, Hesperia, Jess Ranch, Juniper Flats, Kalin Ranch, Lane's Crossing, Lucerne Valley, Mojave Narrows, Mojave River, Oak Hills, Oro Grande, Phelan, Pinon Hills, Silverwood Lake, Spring Valley Lake, Summit Valley, Victor Valley, Victorville, Wrightwood.
Afton Canyon, Amboy, Anza-Borrego, Bagdad, Baker, Barstow, Beaumont/Banning, Big Bear Valley, Boron, Bryman, Bureau of Land Management, Cadiz, Calico Ghost Town, Camp Cady, China Lake, Cima Dome, Clark Mountains, Colorado River area, Daggett, Darwin, Death Valley, Devil's Punchbowl, East Mojave Desert, Eastern Sierra places, Edwards Air Force Base, Fort Irwin, Fort Mojave, Fort Piute, Giant Rock, Goldstone, Government (Mojave) Road, Hinkley, Hodge, Holcomb Valley, Joshua Tree, Kelso, Kern County, Kramer, Lake Arrowhead, Landers, Last Chance Canyon, Little Rock, Llano, Lytle Creek, Ludlow, Marl Springs, Mitchell Caverns, Mojave County, Mojave Desert, Needles, Nevada/Las Vegas, Newberry Springs, Nipton, Ord Mountains, Panamint, Pioneertown, Primm, Providence Mountains, Rainbow Basin, Randsburg, Redlands, Rodman Mountains, Salton Sea, San Bernardino County, San Bernardino Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, Searchlight, Shoshone, Tecopa, Stateline/Primm, Trona, Twentynine Palms, Valyermo, Willis Wells, Yucca Valley, Zzyzx (Soda Springs)
A variety of people are included in the files.
Barstow Printer: 1914 - 1917
Daily Morning Argus (San Bernardino): May 1877 - Jan 1878
The Guardian (San Bernardino): 1867 - 1874
San Bernardino Valley Index: March 1886 - Feb. 1882
Weekly Times Index (San Bernardino): 1896 - Sept. 1906
Victor Valley News Herald: Sept. 1913 - Dec. 1916 (incomplete); Dec. 1914 - Dec. 1921 (incomplete); 1917 - April 14, 1951
Apple Valley News: 1948 - 1982
Victor Press: 1937 - 1967
Victor Valley News Herald: Assorted dates, incomplete
(*Issues are not complete, some missing)
Agriculture, Afton Canyon, Barstow, Big Bear Valley, Bill Bender/Artist, Cajon Pass Train Derailments, Community Services Council, Daggett, Helendale/Hodge 1936-38 & Brisbane Voter Registration, Indian & Petroglyphs, Kiggins Family, Lake Silverwood & Cedar Springs, Llano Del Rio History & MHS Field Trip, Lucerne Valley, Mines, Mojave River Forks/Baily Bridge & Camp Rock, Mojave Road Field Trip, Monuments to Jedediah Smith, Mormons in San Bernardino County, Route 66, School Publications 1941-1951, Sheriff's Department/Criminals/Crime, Spring Valley Lake, Tales of Inyo-Mono Magazine Summer 1993, Military and Victor Valley Response to WW I and WW II, Mojave River & Floods, Victor Valley Newsclips 1960s to 1980s and 1980s to 1990, Victor Valley Post Offices, Victorville "Dusty Files" Newsclips, Victorville Newsclips 1992-1996.
Apple Valley Inn, Apple Valley School, Cajon Pass, Cement Industry, Churches & Religion, Daily Press: Top Stories of the 20th Century, George Air Force Base, Guest Ranches of the Victor Valley, Historic Buildings of the Victor Valley, Kemper Campbell Ranch, Kingdom of the Sun, Movies & Movie Stars in the High Desert, Newspapers, Railroads, Rancho Yucca Loma, Victor Valley Early Days, Victor Valley College
Burr Belden Articles, Las Flores Ranch & Mojave River - Cajon Pass by Glenn S Dumke, Phelan & Wrightwood Histories, School Histories of Victor Valley written by students in 1917, Apple Valley Improvement Association newsletters 1950s-60s, Desert Grapevine Lucerne Valley newsletters 1946-52, Friends of Mojave Road, Odyssey San Bernardino Historical Society newsletters, Roadsigns Route 66 newsletters