Category Archives: Weekly Articles

TWO WAY TRAFFIC ON PACIFIC IN 1953. It really should be made a closed Mall, but here’s what it used to look like. Remember too, it had out of town corporations like Bank Of America, Woolworth’s, Montgomery Ward, J.C. Penneys, … Continue reading →

“WORLD FAMOUS” BROOKDALE LODGE 1967.This gorgeous place was first built in 1923 where the Brookdale Hotel used to be. It burned level in 1956, and was partially re-built later. That’s Clear Creek running through it. The food was lousy but … Continue reading →

CABRILHO COLLEGE CAMPUS An aerial of the Cabrilho College campus from days past. Imagine it that sparsely populated with cars today… photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com RUMORS … Continue reading →

NORM LEZIN (former mayor and Salz Tannery owner) addressing a civil rights “sympathy” group in front of city hall on March 13, 1965. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version. Additional information always welcome: email … Continue reading →

McHugh Bianchi Building circa 1972, corner of Pacific and Mission streets. This grand old building set Santa Cruz aside as a City that cared and greeted everyone way back as the Hotaling Building then as Hinkle’s Cash Store. We fought … Continue reading →

DREAM INN SITE 1960. In the lower right you can just see the Municipal Wharf and the Ideal Fish Restaurant. The large dark spot in the center is where the Dream Inn was built. You can also see the original … Continue reading →

FISHING ON THE SAN LORENZO, December 8, 1940. This was back in the day before the Santa Cruz City Council’s let pollutants and developers kill off our fish. This was the opening of the steelhead season, by Murray Street on … Continue reading →

PACIFIC AVENUE DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ AUGUST 29, 1957. Reeve’s Shoes is now The Gap and F.W. Woolworth Co. is now Graphfix and the World Market. Is this progress? Nope, all in all we just swapped some chain stores over the … Continue reading →

THE HIHN MANSION. The “only full Italian Villa style residence ever built in Santa Cruz” (Chase.” Santa Cruz Architecture”) The 1872 residence of Frederick Augustus Hihn,. Designed by Charles A. Davis. It’s on the site of our present City Hall … Continue reading →

OLD HABIT. CITY DESTROYING GRAND HISTORIC BUILDING. Back on September 12, 1966 Santa Cruz destroyed the Carnegie City Library and built the main library we have there now. End of comment. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click … Continue reading →