A FEMININE PERSPECTIVE

"Two New England ladies of intelligence and wealth who have ‘taken up’ ranches in Monterey county, have enjoyed their life and experience while going through the necessary period of residence very much. One of them writes to her home paper, the Nashua (N.H.) Gazette, a chatty and interesting letter, describing a visit to Santa Cruz, a part of which we transcribe."

Author's Personal Colleciton

"The mountains are covered with redwoods, tall trees resembling our hemlock, in foliage, and the pine in form, and composing the ‘Big Trees’ of Santa Cruz … We took an afternoon for visiting the Big Trees. A mile from town we begin the ascent of the mountain, the scenery growing more wild as we proceed, the track running in many places, just on the edge, where looking down was frightful; again and again changing from grand to beautiful, with glimpses of the San Lorenzo, like a purling brook hurrying along to Santa Cruz and the Pacific; the lovely red barked Madrone, the Bay Tree, with its glossy rich green leaves, and always the towering Redwoods. At the Big Trees high up in the mountains the train stopped, and we alighted close by the grove, dense wood surrounding. The grove and a large tract of land surrounding, including a fine dairy farm, is owned by a woman residing in San Francisco [Anna Welch, owner of Big Trees Grove]." 

The Giant - Author's Personal Collection

"We descend a flight of wooden steps from the railroad landing directly in the grove of 'Big Trees,' where tables are arranged for picnics. The grove covers about twenty acres all large trees but of the big ones, those that are immense, there are six. The first one at the right as we enter is, Gen. Fremont, so named from the General and his officers passing the night inside the trunk,* into which is a tent shaped opening six feet high; just beyond is Jumbo, named for the big elephant from a huge excrescence on one side closely resembling the head of that animal. Four large trees have grown up from its roots, indeed all the Big Trees except the Giant, have good sized trees clustered around them like children around a parent. Beyond Jumbo, circling to the left, are the Three Sisters their great roots upraised with large hollow spaces under their trunks. The Giant stands alone a short distance from these three, a gnarled, hoary veteran, the trunk measuring 63 feet, seamed and bulging into huge knots, then becoming smoother, it rises, towering three hundred feet … the grand old trees and their known antiquity standing here as they have for thousands of years." 

* It remains in dispute if John Charles Frémont ever camped within the hollow of his namesake tree.

Source: “Wayside Impressions – Notes of a Trip From San Miguel to Santa Cruz,” Santa Cruz Daily Surf, March 9, 1888.