Category: History

The Hidden History of SLV Street Names By Lisa Robinson Old Kenville Road, east of Zayante Creek, is the topic of this month’s article. But for whom is it named? There were two early Kenville homesteaders –  Joseph Kenville, who with his wife America, came to Santa Cruz County in 1866 and, seemingly unrelated, Solomon Kenville and his wife Edesse… Read More

Hidden histories of street names in the San Lorenzo Valley By Lisa Robinson While many local places are named after our babbling brooks – Brook Lane, Brook Drive, Brookdale, Brookside – Brooks Road in Ben Lomond is named for Elisha Brooks. Elisha, his wife Ellen, and their daughter Alice moved to their new cottage in Ben Lomond in 1904. Elisha… Read More

Plenty of Real Scenery for “The Primal Lure” By Randall Brown December 1915. The movie scouts needed to find a location for a Canadian Northwest story. The scenario called for forests, mountain trails, open clearings, and a river. Their instructions were clear: “No phony scenery.” They chose Felton. Carpenters quickly set to work recreating “Fort Lu Cerne,” a frontier trading… Read More

By Lisa Robinson In these articles, we will look at street names in the San Lorenzo Valley and explore their hidden history. James King and his family were among the first residents of the upper San Lorenzo Valley. James and his wife Mary Carpenter were from Missouri. They travelled across the plains by emigrant train arriving in Sacramento in September… Read More