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Category: Local History

steam donkey in boulder creek History Local History Local News 

Journey Through Time: Historic “Steam Donkey” Logging Artifact Finds New Home

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By Julie Horner A historic steam-powered logging winch, or “steam donkey,” has been moved from deep in the Santa Cruz Mountains to the San Lorenzo Valley Museum in Boulder Creek. SLV Museum President Lisa Robinson took receipt of this logging industry artifact on Friday, June 23, 2023, from tree professional Bruce Baker and a team of expert movers and heavy… Read More
chinese laborer in the santa cruz mountains Columns Local History 

China Grade and the Chinese in Boulder Creek | Local History

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by Lisa Robinson Between 1884 and 1885, Winfield Scott Rodgers, brother of Charles Campbell Rodgers who founded the Mountain Echo Newspaper, built a road from his timber claim on the headwaters of Boulder Creek, to the county road at the “Sequoia settlement.” Initially about two and a half miles long and costing $1,500, Rodgers built the road with “three hired… Read More
mountain echo fig leaves Columns History Local History 

The Mountain Echo Fig Leaf Editions

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By Ronnie Trubek 18 year old newspaper model, Miss Helena Farrell, displays three issues of the Mountain Echo, the Boulder Creek newspaper, published November 11, 18, and 25, 1916. After the turn-of-the-century lumber boom collapsed, Luther McQuesten, the final publisher and editor, would not buy newsprint due to “the high cost of papers and the delinquency of quite a few… Read More
quail hollow ranch park Columns History Local History Local News 

A Visit with the Last Private Owners of Quail Hollow Ranch

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Harry and Maude Owen – Quail Hollow Ranch 1957 to 1974  By Richard James and Jim Bahn In November of 1957, Hayward, California rancher Harry Owen and his wife, Maude, purchased Quail Hollow Ranch from Sunset Magazine owner Larry Lane. Harry Owen, a descendant of an old time California ranching family, sold his Hayward ranch as urban development began to… Read More
freda carr photography ben lomond california Columns History Local History 

Fredda Carr’s Photography Studio | Local History

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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

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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
sandbags santa cruz county Local History Weather 

Where to Get Sandbags in Santa Cruz County

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North Santa Cruz County CAL FIRE Big Creek Station:  240 Swanton Rd, Davenport, 831-426-1664 Boulder Creek Fire:  831-338-7222 CAL FIRE Fall Creek Station:  7272 Empire Grade, Bonny Doon, 831-335-5353 Felton Fire Department:  131 Kirby St, 831-335-4422 Ben Lomond Fire 831-336-5495/Valley Churches United, 831-336-8258 Scotts Valley Fire Station #1:  7 Erba Ln, 831-438-0211 Zayante Fire:  7700 Zayante Rd, Felton, 831-335-5100 Mid Santa… Read More
Downtown Felton Columns Local History 

Streetwise: George Fetherston and the Felton Heritage Tree

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By Lisa Robinson Have you ever thought about how the street where you live got its name? In the Streetwise column, we look at street names in the San Lorenzo Valley and explore the history hidden in their names.  Fetherston Way just off Felton Empire Road is named for George Arthur Fetherston. His father was William John Fetherstonhaugh an Irishman… Read More
Brookdale Lodge outdoor dining Attractions Local History Local News 

Brookdale Lodge: The Jewel of the San Lorenzo Valley

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By Michele Murphy The historic Brookdale Lodge is known for its lore, magic, and mystery. The resort complex, having gone through multiple owners, renovations, fires, and the pandemic, remains a jewel of the San Lorenzo Valley. The Lodge opened in 1870 as the headquarters for Brookdale’s Grover Lumber Mill. In 1920 it became a hotel. In 1922 Dr. F.K. Camp… Read More
a history of indigenous people in the Bay Area Events History Local History Webinars 

6/11 Indigenous History in the Bay Area

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From California State Parks: Join us for a three-part webinar on the history of Indigenous Peoples in the Bay Area. For thousands of years, the Bay Area has been the home of many, diverse groups of Indigenous Peoples with complex cultures and relationships to the land. Join Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen), and California… Read More