freda carr photography ben lomond california Columns History Local History 

Fredda Carr’s Photography Studio | Local History

By Ronnie Trubek The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported record snow in the county on January 28, 1957. Pictured above from that day is the snow-covered Ben Lomond studio of photographer Fredda C. Carr (1903-1992). Fredda was born in Massachusetts in 1903. Her family moved to California a few years later. In 1949 Fredda moved to Boulder Creek opening a photography… Read More
county bank felton 1948 Columns History Local History 

A Glimpse of the Past: County Bank in Felton 1950s

By Ronnie Trubek From the image above, can you tell where this bank was located? The Felton branch of the County First Savings Bank (established in 1870 as the Santa Cruz Bank of Savings and Loan) opened in November 1948. The Santa Cruz branch opened the first “Drive-up Teller” in the area in 1953. The name was officially changed in… Read More
oganookie Entertainment History Music 

Oganookie Reunion at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center

By Julie Horner Guitarist, piano player, and songwriter Jack Bowers talks about it like it was yesterday. “We came to Brookdale in 1970 and set up camp in a big house on the top of Western Drive with an apple orchard.” Dubbed the “Oganookie Farm,” Bowers said it was “14 musicians, a manager, and kids and women living cooperatively.”  According… Read More
Scotts Valley Community Barn Columns History Water 

A History of Scotts Valley Water

By Randall Brown August 1958. The Scotts Valley Barn was practically empty on the night the residents were invited to learn about the upcoming water election. Engineers, county officials’ consultants, and public-relations men nearly outnumbered the ten interested citizens. There would be one question on the ballot, according to a spokesman: “Do you wish to buy a reserve water supply… Read More