Author Archives: Bruce

PACIFIC AVENUE NEAR COOPER STREET 1880. That’s our Town Clock on top of the Odd Fellows Hall (its original location). The building on the far left is our County Courthouse 1866-1894. All of this before the Cooper House was built. … Continue reading →

POLITICS IN SANTA CRUZ, April 26, 1962. Yes, that’s the estimable Eleanor Roosevelt shaking hands with our then Mayor Bert B. Snyder jr., while Erva Bowen looks on. They are all at the Deer Park Restaurant out in Aptos. Erva … Continue reading →

EARTHQUAKES?? HOW ABOUT FIRES???? This is Pacific Avenue and Cooper Street on April 14, 1894 and because the water happened to be turned off that day, the fire consumed almost the entire block between Pacific and Front Street. That funny … Continue reading →

THE FAMED AND DOOMED SWANTON HOUSE. You could drive your horse and buggy right off the “street” and inside through the center door. This great structure stood about where our present post office is today. Albion Swanton built it and, … Continue reading →

CORNER OF FRONT STREET AND SOQUEL AVENUE on JANUARY 9, 1957. This is now entirely the CVS/Trader Joes parking lot aka Riverwalk Plaza. The photo includes a view on the right of where Home Mortage sits. photo credit: Covello & … Continue reading →

END OF THE LINE. Horsecar #1 at Soquel May 1890. This horsecar line went from Ocean Street to Arana Gulch (2 miles). That’s the Netherton and Williams Saloon in the background. That’s Ed Ely at the reins. photo credit: Covello … Continue reading →

OUR TOWN CLOCK’S ORIGINAL POSITION ON JULY 27, 1964. This shows the removal of the clock from high atop the International Order of Odd Fellows Building on Pacific Avenue. It went from here to sit in Harvey West Park for … Continue reading →

SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL NEWSBOY CARRIERS. Back in the day when school boys could get part time jobs. This was June 9, 1956. It doesn’t take long to count the girl deliverers. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional … Continue reading →

PACIFIC AVENUE & COOPER STREET. That would now be Cinema 9 , Palace Art & Office Supply and Peet’s Coffee + Tea on the left. Pacific Wave is on the right where it says County Bank. Any and all car … Continue reading →

DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ. Circa 1875. Those are the horsecar tracks going right down the middle of a very wide Pacific Avenue. The publicly owned horsecars would take folks down to the beach…of course that idea had to be stopped – … Continue reading →