Monterey Bay · CA
Santa Cruz
A boardwalk, a wooden coaster and early California surfing.
- Population
- 62,956 (2020 census)
- Mission founded
- 1791
- Giant Dipper
- 1924
Then
- 1769
The Portolá expedition camps by the river and names it San Lorenzo. The Awaswas Ohlone live along this coast.
- 1791
Mission Santa Cruz is founded.
- 1885
Three Hawaiian princes surf redwood boards at the river mouth, one of the first published accounts of surfing in California.
- 1904
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk opens, now California's oldest amusement park.
- 1989
The Loma Prieta earthquake destroys nearly all of downtown's 19th-century buildings.
Now
UC Santa Cruz, opened in 1965, is the largest employer. The Giant Dipper and the 1911 Looff carousel are both landmarks on the boardwalk.