Stephen Payne
The Loma Prieta Museum is thrilled to announce that local author and historian Stephen Payne has published a second printing of his historical book A Howling Wilderness: The Summit Road Area of the Santa Cruz Mountains 1850-1906. The 2024 version will include new back cover artwork and a few corrections to the text. The last edition of this book was released 46 years ago in 1978. Topics that A Howling Wilderness covers include local mountain history from 1850 to 1906 as related to transportation, culture, pioneering families, logging, farming, education, religion, journalism, and nearby communities, some of which are now ghost towns.
Save the Date: July 13
Join us for a vibrant Fundraiser benefiting the Loma Prieta Museum and Alma Equine - a day of history, horses, and community spirit! Highlights include: *Talks on the rich local history of the Santa Cruz Mountains. *Guided Tours of the Lexington Hills estate, gardens and vineyards. *Live horse demonstrations, including a special appearance by Jess the Mustang. *Delicious Food & drinks. Bring your friends and family for a meaningful day supporting heritage, education, and equine care.
Jenny Whitman is the founder of the public-outreach programs at the Bear Creek Stables, co-founder of the Friends of Bear Creek Stables, and founder of Alma Equine, a nonprofit that uses horses and nature to help young people connect with the natural world. Jenny is the primary trainer at Alma Equine where she and her team of volunteers guide youth through work with horses. She envisions a world where young people interacting with the natural world, develop presence, empathy, and a deep connection to community.
History of the Soquel Demo State Forest
By Debra Staab
For millions of years prior to the colonial era, Native Americans coexisted with nearly 200,000 acres of old-growth forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains including Coast Redwoods, Douglas Fir, and mixed hardwoods. The largest Redwoods reached colossal heights of 350 feet with unbelievably large trunks ranging from eight to 28 feet in diameter. That all changed during the reign of the lumber barons from the mid to late 1800s when sawmills and logging companies ruled the mountains. Today, less than five percent of old-growth timber remains. Second and third-growth trees make up the forests of today.
Santa Cruz Mountain Tunnels
By Debra Staab
February 12, 1877 started out like any other work day for the Chinese diggers. Armed with picks, shovels, and a few sticks of dynamite, the gang of about 30 “coolies” lit their pine torches dipped in pitch to see their way. They entered the dark gaping hole that led 2,000 feet into the hill with a goal to meet a counterpart gang digging from the other side of the mountain. The work was brutal, but together they would punch all the way through 6,115 feet of earth and rock to form a tunnel large enough to fit a full-sized steam locomotive. A heavy swing with a pick suddenly broke open a seam of natural gas which quickly filled the cavern. In a flash the entire chamber was ignited by the burning torches. The resulting blast was so intense that it blew men straight out the tunnel hole, flipped a ten-ton compressor fifty feet away, and destroyed the Wright’s Blacksmith Shop which sat some 200 feet from the tunnel entrance. Only the foreman made it out alive.
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