Custom House Tunnel Construction, 1967

Monterey mayor Minnie Coyle dedicated the one and only tunnel in Monterey on April 5, 1968. The actual dedication was delayed while over $9,000 worth of damage had to be repaired due to a construction vehicle damaging the ceiling tiles. The $2.5 million urban renewal traffic tunnel, then known as the Custom House Tunnel or Minnie's Ditch, took over two-years to complete. The tunnel connecting downtown Monterey with New Monterey and Cannery Row runs beneath Custom House Plaza

Miss Pacific Grove, 1958

Brown haired Gail Maitre (center) gives a big smile on Sunday, July 6, 1958 after being picked the winner in a close contest for Queen of the Feast of Lanterns and Miss Pacific Grove. Miss Maitre is wearing the calypso costume that went with the ballad she sang in the talent section of the contest. (Monterey Herald archives)

This was the scene at Pacific Grove's Beach on Sunday afternoon July 6, 1958 during the judging of contestants for Queen of the upcoming Fest of Lanterns. Several thousand people who attended the Pacific Grove event were part of what may have been the biggest weekend crowd in the Peninsula history. (Monterey Herald archives)

Dennis the Menace, 1956

The child in this picture is actually Jim Wiseman, son of Al Wiseman who illustrated the original Dennis the Menace comic books which were authored by Fred Toole. While Dennis inspired the original character, Jim was the inspiration for many of the comic books. He had the enviable position of seeing the creation of the comic books from initial sketches through the finished book - and got to preview each before it was published.

The inspiration for the comic strip came from Dennis Ketcham, the real life son of Hank Ketcham, who was only four years old when he refused to take a nap and somehow messed up his whole room. Hank tried many possible names for the character, and translated them into rough pencil sketches. But when his studio door flew open and his then-wife Alice, in utter exasperation, exclaimed, "Your son is a menace!", the "Dennis the Menace" name stuck. The character of Henry Mitchell bore a striking resemblance to Ketcham. The Mitchell family of Dennis, Hank/Henry and Alice were all named after the Ketchams.

The comic strip that was inspired by Dennis, was carried by 16 newspapers within five months. By May 1953, 193 newspapers in the United States and 52 abroad were carrying the strip to 30 million readers.. It is now written and drawn by Ketcham's former assistants, Marcus Hamilton and Ron Ferdinand, and distributed to more than at least 10,000 newspapers in 48 countries and 19 languages.

Armed Forces Day, 1959

Linda Howe, 5, smiles a bit anxiously as she knows her image is being flashed on the closed TV circuit behind her by Lt. C.M. Rigsbee at the Postgraduate School. The display was one of many seen by thousands who flocked to military insatllations all over the Peninsula to celebrate Armed Forces Day on May 13, 1959 (Monterey Herald Archives)

A look into the future on May 13, 1959 is given by this Fort Ord soldier wearing the latest in Army equipment. His infa-red binoculars allow him to see at night.(Monterey Herald Archives)