A panoramic photo of the Santa Cruz skyline in 1909
Timeline
Old streetcar wheels at West Cliff Drive & Woodrow Avenue
1542 — Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo discovers Monterey Bay
1769 — Gaspar de Portolà explores the area at the northern end of Monterey Bay
1791 — Father Fermin de Lasuen establishes the Santa Cruz Mission near the San Lorenzo River.
1821 — Mexico wins independence from Spain.
1846 — Mexican-American War begins.
1848 — California becomes a territory of the United States. The Gold Rush begins.
1850 — California granted statehood. Santa Cruz County is formed; one of the original 27 California counties.
1860 — London Nelson (also known as "Louden" Nelson) passes away and wills his estate to the school children of Santa Cruz, which some historians credit as paying for the first school house built locally on Mission Hill.
1866 — Santa Cruz City is incorporated
1875 — First railroad connection to Santa Cruz
1902 — Big Basin State Park is created to protect the majestic redwoods from logging. It is the first state park in California.
1907 — The Boardwalk is built.
1955 — December 22 flood inundates downtown; leads to construction of levees along the San Lorenzo River.
1965 — UC Santa Cruz established
1968 — Pacific Garden Mall design approved
1989 — Loma Prieta Earthquake fatally damages most historic downtown buildings; three persons killed by falling debris. Subsequent downtown redesign replaces Pacific Garden Mall with current design.
Early History: The Ohlone and Coastanoans
The people who inhabited what is currently known as the Santa Cruz area for thousands of years before European explorers ever came to the area were the Ohlone. Before Spanish exploration, approximately 10,000 to 20,000 Ohlone tribal members, many of varying tribelets in the area, existed
Spanish Exploration
Establishment of the Santa Cruz Mission
Establishment of Branciforte Villa
![[WWW]](http://wikispot.org/wiki/eggheadbeta/img/sycamore-www.png){kind=small}
Wikipedia Aricle: Branciforte Villa
Gold, War and Statehood
The Early 1900's
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Chinatown Past Chinatowns of Santa Cruz.
Tourism Comes to Santa Cruz
The Boardwalk in 1908, as seen from the Pleasure Pier
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Rispin Mansion Built in 1922
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Miss California Pageant 1924-1985
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La Bahia Luxury Suites on Beach Street built in 1926
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Tree Circus Axel Erlandson's crazy botanical experiments brought people to Scotts Valley from the 40s to the 60s
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Santa's Village Holiday theme park that operated from 1956 to 1979
Recent History
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Fair Avenue Temple The mysterious Westside landmark was built during WWII
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In 1955 Ansel Adams photographed Salz Tannery
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Myth California Pageant 1979-1985
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In 2008, three big wildfires broke out locally, the Summit Fire, the Martin Fire, and the Trabing Fire
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In 2009, two more major wildfires occurred in Santa Cruz County, the Lockheed Fire and the Loma Fire.
Local Historians and History Writers
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Bruce Bratton He features a local historical photo every week in his on line column
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Sandy Lydon The local historian's website includes some great area facts
Related Links
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Wikipedia Article: National Register of Historic Places listings in Santa Cruz County, California
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Santa Cruz Public Library - Santa Cruz County History
http://www.santacruzpl.org/history/ Includes many on-line articles and a large historic photo collection.
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Local Books A list of books written about the area
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http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/index.aspx?page=369 Historic Preservation in Santa Cruz - Links of Interest
Researchers Anonymous. An informal group of people involved in local history research, sponsored by the Museum of Art and History. Find them on the MAH website at http://www.santacruzmah.org/index.php?page=researchers-anonymous
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