Osip Volkov was born to a Russian father and Kamchadal mother in Petropavlosk, Kamchatka around 1798. Nothing is known of his early life, but it appears he became an employee of the Russian America Company as a young man. In 1815, he was either captured by the Spanish or jumped ship near Point Conception, California. Although the Russian American Company tried to get Osip back, Osipn evaded working for the company again by becoming an interpretive for Spanish governor Pablo Vicente de Solá. Osip aquired the Spanish name of José Antonio Bolcoff, as an alias during his work for the Spanish government. Bolcoff married Mariá Candida Castro and was later sent to Mexico on official government business. Governor de Sola later granted Osip Volkov a land grant in present day Santa Cruz County. Historians think that he constructed a house in what is now Scotts Valley, near the site of the Scotts Valley mall. During this period, Osip Volkov was named Alcalde (Spanish for mayor) of Santa Cruz. Osip Volkov is more commonly known in historical sources as Jose Bolcoff, a Hispanicized version of his Russian name. Later in life, after he sold his lands, the records indicate that Jose Bolcoff worked as a shoemaker. Osip Volkov died in 1866, marking the end of a remarkable life.
Hamilton Historical Records 