Author Archives: Bruce

DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ 1966. Amazing and even shocking to see the changes in our downtown in the last 49 years. The U.S. Postoffice is just about the only recognizable structure from those days. Mc Hugh Bianchi Market, The Tea Cup … Continue reading →

DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ….PACIFIC AVENUE AND MISSION STREET. How time flies, what changes we’ve seen. That’s where McHugh & Bianchi used to be on the right side corner. Now it’s Bank of The West, There’s still an empty lot where Bookshop … Continue reading →

THE VENETIAN WATER CARNIVAL (June 1895-1927). Back in the day they’d dam up the San Lorenzo River, build elaborate floats and the community would have a great time. An annually built stage and grandstand held hundreds of folks. photo credit: … Continue reading →

A VERY WIDE PACIFIC AVENUE IN 1910. Look this over carefully, note the two way traffic, note the two trolley car lines, note the cars and carriages parked at the curbs. Yet the stores were exactly as far apart as … Continue reading →

EARLY PACIFIC AVENUE. Car collectors should inform me exactly when in the 1960’s this photo was taken. It’s just before Chuck and Esther Abbott changed the Avenue so completely with their “Mall” ideas. This is of course Pacific and Cooper … Continue reading →

THE OLD PACIFIC AVENUE 1960. This is the Hotel St. George originally built in 1893. There were many versions of this hotel due to fires and earthquakes. The one we know today is a Barry Swenson Builders creation. photo credit: … Continue reading →

TOM SCRIBNER October 28 1964, Davenport CA. Here’s a photo of Tom doing what he loved the most, editing and creating the Redwood Ripsaw Review. The Review was a hard hitting opinion generated “newspaper” . Known mostly as the subject … Continue reading →

THE FABLED SEA BEACH HOTEL circa 1898. This lovely hotel was yet a another attempt to compete with Monterey and Carmel for the overnight tourist trade. It stood over near where our municipal wharf is today. It burned down on … Continue reading →

DOWNTOWN BOULDER CREEK, circa 1890’s. That’s of course Central Avenue with The Alpine House on the right. Do note how very wide the Avenue is, and with all the flags flying we can assume it must be a Fourth Of … Continue reading →

ROMANCE OF ROSY RIDGE, part 2. Same young women as pictured last week (scroll down) only with Guy Kibbee who co-starred with Van Johnson and Janet Leigh while they filmed here in Santa Cruz in 1947. That would be an … Continue reading →