Category: Santa Cruz, California

In 1909, LRN 5, which would become known as California Route 17 in 1936, was built as a main highway between Santa Cruz and San José through the Santa Cruz Mountains. In 1950, when the Lexington Reservoir was created, the towns of Alma and Lexington were submerged under he reservoir and the road was rerouted around the new body of water.

The Seymour Marine Discovery Center is a musuem, which was formed as the public education component of the Joseph M. Long Marine Laboratory and the Coastal Science Campus of the University of California Santa Cruz.

In 1954, the Santa Cruz Historical Society was formed. In the 1970s, the Santa Cruz Historical Society Establishment their first musuem within the former Santa Cruz Hall of Records building.

October 2016, marked the 150th Anniversary of the City of Santa Cruz, California. During that year, the author Philip Andrew Hamilton worked as an office assistant for Santa Cruz City Parks and Recreation and assisted with the 150th celebrations by applying for Cal-Fire, and various other permits for the event.

In the 1950s, after serving as a U.S. Navy fighter pilot during World War II, Jack O’Neill developed a wetsuit which made “cold-water surfing” popular. In 1959, after acquiring word wide acclaim for his invention, Jack O’Neill opened a surf shop in Santa Cruz, California.

The building where the original O’Neill surf store was located was demolished. In the place of the former surf shop a Jack O’Neill Restarunt was established.

On June 7, 2017, Jack O’Neill passed away, at the age of 94, at his beachfront home in Santa Cruz, California.

The Sesnon House was constructed in 1911 in Santa Cruz County, California.

Inside the home are various historical photos of the building.

In the backyard the remnants of the Chinese temple remain.

In present day, the Senson Historical House is part of Cabrillo College.

In 1907, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was built as one of the first amusement parks in the state of California.  In 1911 a carousel was established within the park, and in 1924 the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster was added to the park’s attractions.  The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is one of a few amusement parks, such as the one in Santa Monica, that still exist on the coast of California.

In 1904, the Neptune Casino of Santa Cruz was designed by Fred Swanton and constructed. This structure was the first grande casino of the beach town.

In 1885, David, Edward and Jonah, were three princes who were all adopted sons of the Hawaiian King David Kalakaua and Hawaiian Queen Consort Esther Julia Kapi’olani, came to Santa Cruz, California to surf, for their first time, in the continental United States.

In 1882, a Hall of Records was established in Santa Cruz, California within “The Octagon”; which was modeled after a monetary gold piece first minted in San Francisco in 1851.

“The Octagon” served as the Santa Cruz Hall of Records until the 1968, the year the records was moved to the new Santa Cruz County Government Center.

Santa Cruz was incorporated in 1866 as a town under the laws of the State of California and received its first charter as a city in 1876. At that time the city was governed by a Mayor and Common Council consisting of four members.

In 1907, the citizens voted for a new charter designating a Mayor as chief executive and a City Council consisting of seven members. Subsequent charters gave a Mayor and four Commissioners both executive and administrative powers. At that time the city was divided into five departments: Public Affairs, Revenue and Finance, Public Health and Safety, Public Works, and Streets and Parks.

In 1948, the City of Santa Cruz adopted a new City Charter. This charter established a Council-Manager form of government, with a Mayor and six Councilmembers setting policy for the city and a city manager serving as the chief administrator of those policies. The Charter, with amendments, is still in existence today.

In the 1850s, the Evergreen Cemetery, one of the oldest continually operating cemeteries in the state of California, was established.

In 1769, the Spanish explorer Don Gaspar de Portola discovered the land area which is now known as the City of Santa Cruz. When he came upon the beautiful flowing river, he named it San Lorenzo in honor of Saint Lawrence. He called the rolling hills above the river Santa Cruz, which means holy cross.

The Santa Cruz City Hall was built from 1937 to 1938.

The City Hall has an exhibit highlighting African Americans living locally in Santa Cruz.