The fraternal order, the Knights Templar, often published accounts of the
pilgrimages they made to their annual conclaves. In 1892 the Mary Commandery of
Philadelphia produced one for their trip to a conclave in San Francisco. Part
of that trip included a detour to Big Trees Grove. An excerpt from their
account, detailing their journey to the grove, was reproduced in the February
16, 1893 Santa Cruz Daily Sentinel.
"The route crossed the Santa Cruz mountains through as wildly picturesque a region as any we had yet seen. Deep gorges on the one side with high cliffs on the other, made up the prospect when we had left the river and turned up along Boulder creek. The situation was reversed as we ascended, the mountains towering to a lesser height above us and the depth of the gorge being fearful to look down upon. The creek was well named, as boulders of every shape and tonnage lay thick in the rushing waters. Yet we looked down occasionally upon a peaceful farming scene or a small hamlet whenever enough level ground could be found on which to locate. At 3:15 p.m. our train halted at Big Trees Station."
"The route crossed the Santa Cruz mountains through as wildly picturesque a region as any we had yet seen. Deep gorges on the one side with high cliffs on the other, made up the prospect when we had left the river and turned up along Boulder creek. The situation was reversed as we ascended, the mountains towering to a lesser height above us and the depth of the gorge being fearful to look down upon. The creek was well named, as boulders of every shape and tonnage lay thick in the rushing waters. Yet we looked down occasionally upon a peaceful farming scene or a small hamlet whenever enough level ground could be found on which to locate. At 3:15 p.m. our train halted at Big Trees Station."
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| Scott Peden Collection |
"A board enclosure made necessary the handing over of a fee of one dime
to gain admittance to the grove. A number of visitors were already on the
ground, having come out from San Jose in carriages ... The grove is quite an
extensive one and has many trees that would be considered large with us,
outside of those that give the name to the station. The largest of the show
trees has a sign with the name of ‘Giant’ thereon and is surrounded by a picket
fence, over which we lifted two small boys and got them to run a line around
the tree near its base."
"The measurement was found to be fifty-seven feet. The ‘Fremont,’ near the entrance of the grove, has been burned out hollow at the bottom for many years. In the space thus produced, forty of our party were introduced and stood comfortably at one time, leaving room for half a dozen more if they would have brushed against the charred wood. Notwithstanding the amount of heart taken out of the tree, there was still sufficient of the trunk left to carry sustenance to the top, which was as green and flourishing as any of the other trees. The inside of the cavity was plastered with visiting cards bearing names from all quarters, and one or two of our party discovered their own cards that had been put up in 1883. Each of these trees was nearly 400 feet in height and as straight as a ramrod as were all the other trees of their species in the grove. They are of the sequoia or redwood growth, but the foliage resembles the pine in every way. Many of the other trees reached a diameter of six to eight feet, but seemed insignificant beside their larger companions. A dance floor about twenty feet square was said to rest upon the trunk of one tree that had been cut down."
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| Author's Personal Collection |
"The measurement was found to be fifty-seven feet. The ‘Fremont,’ near the entrance of the grove, has been burned out hollow at the bottom for many years. In the space thus produced, forty of our party were introduced and stood comfortably at one time, leaving room for half a dozen more if they would have brushed against the charred wood. Notwithstanding the amount of heart taken out of the tree, there was still sufficient of the trunk left to carry sustenance to the top, which was as green and flourishing as any of the other trees. The inside of the cavity was plastered with visiting cards bearing names from all quarters, and one or two of our party discovered their own cards that had been put up in 1883. Each of these trees was nearly 400 feet in height and as straight as a ramrod as were all the other trees of their species in the grove. They are of the sequoia or redwood growth, but the foliage resembles the pine in every way. Many of the other trees reached a diameter of six to eight feet, but seemed insignificant beside their larger companions. A dance floor about twenty feet square was said to rest upon the trunk of one tree that had been cut down."
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| Redwood pin cushion from Author's Personal Collection. This bucket style pin cushion is probably circa 1940s-1950s. |
"Pieces of bark from the big trees were on sale, together with
photographs and other bric-a-brac. The
bark makes capital pin cushions and is equal to emery for keeping those useful
articles bright. Shaw bought a sample of the bark which Enochs, after
measurement, reckoned up as costing him eighty cents per square foot. Some of
the park specimens were from eighteen to twenty inches thick and of a deep red
color. These are cut from the larger trees in the Mariposa valley. Brown gathered
a number of the party in front of the Giant and trained the camera on them for
a large picture with the tree as a background."
"At 4 p.m. the bell rang and the train was re-occupied after much persuasion and repeated calls. Our road still ran along the wild mountain scenery with the tumbling waters of the creek in the defile below. We had to run through several tunnels, one of which was a mile in length. At a station where we met another passenger train and a long freight train, it was quite a problem of railroad engineering as to how we were to pass both, with the limited side track accommodations. Some of the freight cars were loaded with bitumen and samples were gathered therefrom, with a view of testing its qualities as a chewing gun. With the stain taken out it might have worked all right. The two trains were finally passed by splitting them up and we continued our wild mountain journey without further interruption, although some of the sharp curves apparently made sudden stops possible. In many places vineyards were planted on slopes of the mountain sides that seemed almost impossible to climb."
While walking the Redwood Loop Trail, please stay on the designated trail and respect all fences/barriers which protect the Big Trees.
Please remember that all natural and cultural features in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park are protected by law; do not disturb them. Keep in mind the saying: “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.” Thank you.
"At 4 p.m. the bell rang and the train was re-occupied after much persuasion and repeated calls. Our road still ran along the wild mountain scenery with the tumbling waters of the creek in the defile below. We had to run through several tunnels, one of which was a mile in length. At a station where we met another passenger train and a long freight train, it was quite a problem of railroad engineering as to how we were to pass both, with the limited side track accommodations. Some of the freight cars were loaded with bitumen and samples were gathered therefrom, with a view of testing its qualities as a chewing gun. With the stain taken out it might have worked all right. The two trains were finally passed by splitting them up and we continued our wild mountain journey without further interruption, although some of the sharp curves apparently made sudden stops possible. In many places vineyards were planted on slopes of the mountain sides that seemed almost impossible to climb."
While walking the Redwood Loop Trail, please stay on the designated trail and respect all fences/barriers which protect the Big Trees.
Please remember that all natural and cultural features in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park are protected by law; do not disturb them. Keep in mind the saying: “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.” Thank you.
Source:
“Eastern Eyes
– As Santa Cruz and its Suburbs were seen by Philadelphians,” Santa Cruz Sentinel, February 16, 1893.
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