Category Archives: Weekly Articles

VIETNAM VIGIL, NOVEMBER 27, 1965. There’s not much of a caption needed for this photo. It’s obviously taken in front of the Post Office at Water and Front streets. Do note (it’s hard to miss the gung ho stalwart with … Continue reading →

LOCH LOMOND RESERVOIR. This was taken at the inauguration of the “Loch Lomond” reservoir in Ben Lomond on July 27th 1963. Left to right that’s Margaret Browning, Anne Laurie, Capt. Wesley M. Hoffer (the then Sheriff of Santa Cruz County) … Continue reading →

HERB CAEN IN SANTA CRUZ, JUNE 18,1978. That’s me talking to Herb Caen at the Miss California Pageant. It was the only time I attended. My “Goodtime Washboard 3” had played for his and Jessica Minford’s joint birthday parties in … Continue reading →

BAD FIRE SATURDAY NIGHT 10:40P.M. APRIL 14, 1894. This is the block bounded by Cooper Street, Pacific Avenue and Front Street. There wasn’t any water pressure because the City Water mains had been turned off. All this according to Sheila … Continue reading →

DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ. I don’t dare put a date on this photo. There are too many cars in it and car nuts like Paul Elerick can date it within months. So lets hear it from auto enthusiasts. It’s before The … Continue reading →

PACIFIC AVENUE 1960. Most of this photo shows the Hotel St. George. Built mostly in 1893, and damaged beyond repair in the 1989 earthquake. It had a Garden Court, and held The People’s Bank (according to John Chase) Tanners Drug … Continue reading →

PACIFIC AVENUE 1925. Squint a little and notice the Piggly Wiggly market on the right with the quote “all over the world”(like Trader Joe’s!). The brick building on the close right was the Trust building. Built in 1910 and named … Continue reading →

THE OLD OX ROAD. Circa 1885, this photo looks a lot like one taken behind what’s now the Brookdale lodge back in the day. The guy in the vest maybe Chris Iffert. These log roads were built to stop the … Continue reading →

DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ, 1946. Absolutely one of my favorite photos. Before the original Catalyst, there’s The Hotel Arlington, McHugh Bianchi were going strong, the City Library (the beautiful one) was still standing, town clock was still high atop the ODD … Continue reading →

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS CIRCA 1957.As you can see this was before they built the J.J. Crosetti building. As we should always remember, this isn’t a County Fairgrounds it’s the State of California 14th Agricultural District show grounds. In the … Continue reading →