Santa Cruz County History Articles

It was 17 years ago that a group of volunteers began to restore the Rancho San Andreas Castro Adobe, a structure whose endurance over its 176-year lifespan helps paint a picture of California history.

The Giant Dipper roller coaster at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk turned 100 years old on May 17th, 2024. We celebrated by interviewing Jessie Durant, the Seaside Company's archivist about the history of the ride and the iconic boardwalk amusement …

With the unveiling of new interpretive exhibits, the once-crumbling Castro Adobe emerges as a first-rate State Historic Park.

California has been home to many Asian American and Pacific Islanders who have transcended barriers and reshaped society, from education to advocacy, art to sports, politics, and beyond.

The great roller coaster arose amid screams above the golden strand of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk—a tooth-loosener, eyeball-popper, and one long shriek.

How the California mental health crisis emerged out of the state’s history of deinstitutionalization and laws designed to protect the mentally ill, as well as the communities around them.

Santa Cruz has a powerful activist history, and one of the most impressive outcomes for our county emerged from the Women’s Health Collective of the early 70’s.
Monday, on the Talk of the Bay, two of the collective’s founding mother’s–Coleen …

As the end of the first quarter of the 21st century nears, creating and consuming music is easier and cheaper than ever.

Activist, poet and music manager John Sinclair died last week at 82. He was someone about whom everybody concerned about cannabis reform, of any age, should know.

Holly Harman’s Tale of 1960s Life at Ben Lomond’s Holidays Cabins

Local students find Jefferson’s ground sloth fossil in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the first fossil evidence for this species reported in county history.

Traces and remains of ancient creatures—from whale-ribs to a famous mastodon tooth—frequently surface on Santa Cruz beaches and in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

When Vanessa Quiroz-Carter and Maria Orozco were sworn in late last year as Watsonville’s Mayor and Vice-Mayor, it was only the second time in the city’s history two women have held the roles.

More than 200 people gathered Saturday in Watsonville’s Community Room to celebrate the life of Mas Hashimoto, who as a child was imprisoned with his family in a Japanese internment camp during World War II, and later used the experience …

These arts groups have deep roots in the capital city.

Based in California’s most iconic vacation spot, Katherine Hill celebrates Tahoe Guide’s 42nd birthday.

The Williamson Act, passed in 1965, now keeps more than 16 million acres of farmland out of the hands of developers. Here's how the law puts the brakes on the development of California agricultural properties.

How California’s 10 state conservancies buy up open land and shield it from developers to preserve the natural environment for public use.