In the late 1800s, Claus Spreckels ran a mill that processed locally grown sugar beets, a thriving industry that is generally credited with seeing Santa Cruz County through troubled economic times.
But when Spreckels tried to underpay the Japanese community—cutting their wages in half—they walked, and took up strawberry farming they learned from Chinese immigrants that came before them.
The ripple effect from that decision had an enormous impact on Santa Cruz County, catalyzing the agriculture industry that would follow.
“The rest is history, so to speak,” says Bill Beecher, a volunteer with Pajaro Valley Historical Association (PVHA). “There are just unbelievable histories here.”
That is just a tiny sliver of Santa Cruz County’s history, a tapestry of people, places and events that tell the story of the region.
On May 17, local organizations that preserve the county’s history for the public will come together for the Santa Cruz County History Fair, held this year at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple.
“It’s a one-stop-shop to come find out about all of the history-related organizations in the entire county, what their focuses are, and what they can see if they visit that location,” PVHA volunteer Georg Romero explains.
This year’s event will be co-hosted by Watsonville Library, Santa Cruz Public Library, UC Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, among others.
This research can be as simple as curiosity about the people who have attended local schools, Romero says, pointing to a shelf full of old Watsonville High School yearbooks: “We have Manzanitas going back to 1907.”
For its part in the history fair, PVHA will have old photos, artifacts, posters, books and selections of vintage clothing, among other things.
Also on board at the festival will be an early 1900s fire engine thanks to the Watsonville Fire Department’s Chief Gene Friend Museum.
Past events held in other parts of the county have drawn hundreds of people—from families with children to people curious about their ancestors.
And that knowledge is essential for anyone, Romero said.
“You can’t know who you are without knowing where you came from, and where you’re living,” he said.
The Santa Cruz County History Fair is scheduled for May 17 from noon to 4pm at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple at 423 Bridge St. For information, visit santacruzhistoryfair.wordpress.com.
