Santa Cruz History. While this is presumably not considered ancient history, where was our June 1957 graduation party held?
But first a photo I took a few weeks ago and a question. What noted local architect was largely responsible for the design of the small town to the left of the large silos? [Click once or twice for a better view. And for whom was the town named?
The SCHS Class of '57 Graduation Party was held at the Riverside Hotel, which was also sometimes call the New Riverside Hotel.
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The June 1957 graduation party was held at the Riverside Hotel. Here's what Margaret Koch wrote in her Santa Cruz County: Parade of the Past in a section titled "They Came and Stayed A While in Those Days...."
"Santa Cruz had hotels which became famous, like the great Sea Beach which was known nationally and was a favorite society watering place before Del Monte across the Bay gained its wide reputation.
"Others, perhaps not so well known as the Sea Beach, but known to the San Francisco society, also operated for years -- particularly the years from 1880 to the early 1900s.
"In those years it was fashionable and sensible for big city folk from Oakland and San Francisco to pack up their families and come to the seaside for the two or three summer months. Trains disgorged hundreds of such families -- even the family dog came along in many cases, according to oldtimers who witnessed the great 'invasion!' year after year.
"There were several Santa Cruz hotels which were highly popular with the family trade. The Pope House [at King & Mission Streets] -- where Mrs. Pope pounded her cane [on the floor] when she wanted the servants; the Barson family's Riverside Hotel which set a fabulous table, the St. George Hotel, lost to the 1989 quake, and for Italians, the Garibaldi Hotel [next the the Chinatown recorded on photos by George Lee] torn down years ago.
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"Two generations of Barsons operated the Riverside Hotel which stood from 1870 in a bend of the San Lorenzo River, where the modern structure [sometimes called the New Riverside Hotel] of the same name is located, today.
"When Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Barson died, four sons and four daughters took over: Fred, William, Arthur, Robert, Sadie, Mary, Gertrude, and Lilla.
"The hotel was popular from the 1870's through the turn of the century, becoming in later years a restaurant instead of actually a hotel. In the 1880's, an octagonal 'clubhouse' was built where dances were held.
"In the late 1870's, two footbridges crossed the San Lorenzo, extending from the Pacific Avenue side and the beach side. Later, the cut-bias bridge was built on an angle and bisected the Barson pear orchard.
"The Riverside raised nearly all its own food. There were extensive vegetable gardens, orchards, an cows for milk, butter, and cream. The Basons were among the first Santa Cruzans to plant semi-tropical fruits, [for] according to Ernest Otto they had oranges, figs, and lemons.
"Jim, the Chinese cook, worked for the family for more than 30 years. He had requested that when he died, that he be given a funeral service like Mr. Barson's. His wishes were carried out -- even to the religious service.
"The Barson orchard was even more famous than the hotel and covered the entire flat back of the hotel, reaching to the hillside below Ocean View Avenue. Today this former orchard area is built up with motels and homes. A few isolated old pear and apple trees still stand in a few backyards, remnants of the once-famous orchard."
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The photo above is of Spreckels, which may no longer have the sugar beet factory started by San Francisco and Santa Cruz resident Klaus Spreckels. But it does still have a post office.
And while Pasatiempo developer Marion Hollins gets all of the press for developing a polo grounds, Klaus earlier had one across what is now SR1 from where the old Deer Park Tavern stood.
And the architect who planned both the sugar factory and the town of Spreckles was the same architect who designed both Santa Cruz High School and the former Branciforte Elementary building as well as the current Beach Boardwalk Casino.
His name: William H. Weeks. For more on his architecture see an article I did some time ago subtitled "Architect Extraordinaire."
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