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Title excerpt for The Reign of the Lumber Barons

Press Release: The Reign of the Lumber Barons

Explore mid-county history in new book on the lumber industry in the late 1800s SANTA CRUZ, CA, October 23, 2021—They came with axes. They came with oxen. They came with greed. Nearly 150 years ago, a group of venture capitalists began the clear-cutting of what became The Forest of Nisene Marks. By 1902, the decimation along Aptos Creek was complete, leaving behind nothing but broken trees and barren hills as far as the eye could… Read More »Press Release: The Reign of the Lumber Barons

Santa Cruz Trains is coming to your doorstep in March!

On this day 75 years ago, the last train ran over the Santa Cruz Mountains. Celebrate the railroad’s history with Santa Cruz Trains: Railroads of the Santa Cruz Mountains, a 352-page book of articles and photographs surveying the history of the communities that interacted daily with the railroads. The period spanned by this survey includes virtually the entirety of Santa Cruz and Los Gatos history, from the 1850s to the present. Each article discusses a… Read More »Santa Cruz Trains is coming to your doorstep in March!

The Great Writing Blitzkrieg, Round 2

December: 01-07 – Finalize maps, contact reviewers 08-21 – Second round of editing from start to finish; rewrite Santa Cruz Freight Yard article; correct and update citations; add citations where needed 22-Jan. 4 – Photographic editing; insert caption boxes throughout; begin adding photographs January: 5-18 – Third round of editing, incorporating edits from reviewers and comments from blog and Facebook 19-Feb. 1 – Finalize photographs and caption boxes; finished Foreword & Acknowledgements; final proofread on… Read More »The Great Writing Blitzkrieg, Round 2

whaley at the Mountain Charlie portal

Public Announcement

Since 2010, I have been researching the historic railroad lines of Santa Cruz County. It should come as no surprise to anybody that the intent of this research all along has been to write a book. In fact, I hope that someday two books may come out of this research. For the time being, however, only one book is planned: Santa Cruz Trains: Railroads of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Derek Whaley in front of the… Read More »Public Announcement