A Mid-Century “Atomic” Vault in the Santa Cruz Mountains
By Ronnie Trubek
In 1953, the Zayante Southern Pacific Railroad tunnel was purchased by the Western States Atomic Vault Corporation, touted for use as a storage place for vital documents and other priceless valuables in case of nuclear attacks. The Southern Pacific train route that ran through the tunnel had been abandoned since November 1940. But, the Zayante tunnel remained intact, and for the next 15 years was enjoyed as a local thoroughfare between neighborhoods.
Zayante Tunnel (Ronnie Trubek Collection)
By the end of 1953, the tunnel was upgraded and acclimatized, sealed on either end with limited-access entry doors, gated, fenced, and guarded 24/7. Stored artifacts included government documents, microfilm and microfiche records, Walt Disney Company film reels, and a massive miniatures collection. Sold in 1989 to FileSafe and subsequently resold in 2007 to Iron Mountain, the vault was shuttered in 2017. The storage facility was purchased in 2018 by private investors. By the way, the word “Atomic” was slapped on the name at the last minute as a means to garner free publicity, which it surely did, in spades!
Featured photo of the Western States Automic Vault by Getty Images.
Passionate about the history of Santa Cruz County, in her spare time you’ll find Ronnie Trubek participating in history classes, lectures, and walks around the county or at shows collecting maps, postcards, photos and other ephemera relating to our rich and diverse community.
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