A HISTORY OF FIRE

 

In light of the CZU Fire which recently devastated a portion of our beloved Santa Cruz Mountains, I offer the following excerpt which described a fire which swept through San Lorenzo Canyon on September 22, 1913. 

The fire described below threatened the first redwood resort known as Welch's Big Trees Grove (1867-1930).

The 1913 fire also endangered the neighboring resort, Cowell's Big Trees (Hopkins' Club House). The locations of both old resorts are now part of our beloved Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Felton. 

As we mourn the damage wrought upon our sister park, Big Basin (closed to the public for the foreseeable future), we find solace in the work of dedicated fire fighters (neighbors and professionals) who ensured that the CZU fire did not sweep down Ben Lomond Mountain to all the communities of the San Lorenzo Valley and Felton's historic grove of Big Trees.

This excerpt shows how earlier fire fighters accomplished a similar feat. 

September 22, 1913 - "A forest fire this afternoon threatened the famous Felton and Cowell big tree groves in which General Fremont once camped in the days before the bear flag was raised and at half past three was within 100 yards of the steel trestle at the southern end of the grove."

"The fire started at the rear of Mount Hermon, a third of a mile from Felton Station. It burned a few pines and brush on the outer edge of the Mount Hermon association property and then, crossed the Graham Hill road to Pine Flat* a sandy section of the country, covered with magnificent pine trees. It then swept along the ridge into the redwoods and pines of Stanley Welch and to the Henry Cowell Lime and Cement Co property where it burned fiercely amongst redwoods, pines, madrone, manzanita … and underbrush and covered a stretch of country three miles long and from a half to a mile wide."

"The Southern Pacific, the [C]owell’s and Welch’s within a few hours had over 200 men at work fighting fire. The Southern Pacific got 25 section hands at Watsonville Junction and 25 more between there and Santa Cruz. There were taken up on the 1:30 a.m. train and soon were using the wood roads for the building of fire trails and for backfiring."

"At noon the raging flames were within 500 yards of the big trees and the people in the grove were playing the hose on the building as it was then believed there was no hope from keeping the blaze from these monarchs of the woods, but the wind suddenly shifted and the course was changed southward down San Lorenzo canyon. There was another change in the afternoon about three and the fire went back and was within 100 yards of the grove, but by backfiring the flames were kept from further approaching."

"The passengers on the 1:35 p.m. train had a great sight as the train approached the grove. The hillside at different spots were masses of flame. The fire would leap from tree to tree then spread over a high fir or redwood with flames shooting 200 feet in the air."

"The greatest loss was to the Cowell Co as they had thousands of cords of wood cut on their land and they had big crews of men who were at work staying the work of [destruction]. Fire three times before in the last 20 years has visited this section but never has it been so close to the big tree grove. The clouds of smoke could be seen from Santa Cruz and caused much excitement. For a long time two fires were burning[,] one near the big trees and the other on the Pine Flat on the Graham Hill road. The fire was wonderfully spectacular with the roaring and the tongues of fire"

This article further notes that Cowell's Big Trees' resort proprietor, Milo Hopkins, furnished the 1913 fire fighters with "sandwiches and liquid refreshments." Amazingly, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park served in this same capacity once again. This time serving as a base camp to feed the hero fire-fighters of the CZU Fire.  

Happily the main section of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is once again open to the public. Please note that the Fall Creek unit of the park, which suffered significant fire damage, is closed until further notice.

The last fire which swept through the heart of Big Trees Grove came in 1867. It is reassuring for us today to know that the redwoods are remarkable survivors and have recovered from many fires in the past.** Because of the CZU Fire, Henry Cowell (open to the public) and Big Basin (currently closed) are now living classrooms to show us two very different stages in the life of a redwood forest.

At Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, a stroll along the Redwood Loop Trail (.9 mile) takes you through the site of the historic resort. Though none of the resort's historic structures remain, you will see the magnificent Big Trees which enthralled  thousands of visitors for the past 150 years. 

My book, Historic Tales of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park - Big Trees Grove, allows you to enjoy numerous historic images and learn the ground-breaking history of Big Trees Grove, the first redwood resort, and how it inspired the preservation of the redwoods.

* What is described as Pine Flat is what we today refer to as the Sand Hills ecosystem located upon an ancient, raised seabed which is home to many rare species found nowhere else in the world.

 

** For nearly 15,000 years the Native people of the Santa Cruz Mountains set seasonal fires to expand grasslands to promote the growth of edible plants and forage for game animals. With the arrival of European settlers, Native people were removed from their traditional homeland and the tribes' traditional resource practices were halted. In addition to the impact of climate change, this increased fuel load has significantly contributed to the devastation of fires today. Learning and restoring some Native resource management practices could go far in helping to restore the health of our forests.

 Source: “Forest Fire Threatens Big Trees,” San Jose Mercury-News, Volume LXXXV, Number 85, 23 September 1913.

IMPRESSIONS OF THE BIG TREES

Tourists pose beneath the General Grant Tree, circa 1880s - Author's Personal Collection

"At Santa Cruz I engaged a team to drive about seven miles to look at the big trees. This ride was very enjoyable. As we rode up the mountains close by the side of the road we could look down the ravine seven or eight hundred feet, and above us the mountain towered high. Part of our road lay through a forest of immense pine and hemlock, some of them 200 feet in height. At last we reached the big trees, a sight never to be forgotten. 'The giant tree' is said to be 300 feet high and 60 feet in circumference, and the Fremont 52 feet in circumference and 275 feet high. There is a hollow or opening in this tree and said to be large enough for thirty-three persons to stand inside of it. It is said that when General Fremont was exploring this country he and his party encamped for about six weeks in the tree’s base, which is about 14 x 16 feet in interior diameter. It was also once used by a trapper and his family. There were children born in it, holes were cut for windows, a stove was put up and pipe, giving it the appearance of a home."

"One tree, above all, deserves special mention. It is called the General Grant, whose name will never die and will be a household word for future generations."

Several ladies rest besides Ingersoll's Cathedral, circa 1880s - Author's Personal Collection

"Another tree is named Colonel Ingersoll, and is said to be ninety-eight feet in circumference."

Source: “California Impressions,” by J. Whitney Farlin, The Inter Ocean, (Chicago, Illinois), December 11, 1887.

 

Boosterism and the Big Trees

Santa Cruz advertisement (featuring the General Sherman Tree), circa 1900 - Author's Personal Collection

This circa 1900 item touting Santa Cruz as the perfect place to live included an image of the magnificent General Sherman Tree at Big Trees Grove. 

Interestingly the description included the line that Santa Cruz "... is the cheapest place in the state in which to live."

LINK TO THE "TAKING CARE OF HISTORY" PRESENTATION

By clicking the image above, you may link directly to the Bookshop Santa Cruz author talk, "Taking Care of History" to listen to my part of the presentation about the history of Big Trees Grove. 

Note: It may take a minute or so for the presentation to load. Enjoy!

TAKING CARE OF HISTORY EVENT

You may register to participate in this virtual event by going to Bookshop Santa Cruz

 

 

FOR SOME PERSPECTIVE

Josephine Clifford McCrackin looks over the remains of her fire destroyed home. Andrew P. Hill image from the British publication, World Wide Magazine, August 1900.

Here is an excerpt from my book about the 1899 fire which led to the movement to save the redwoods. This fire took place in the hills above Los Gatos. This quote is from the photographer Andrew P. Hill ...

"I could see a great blaze at the base of the trees that seemed like a furnace. Then, one after the other, they were simply enveloped from the base to tip with flame, which leaped upwards with a velocity so great that it seemed unable to stop when it reached the top of the tree. Then, with one great bound, it continued, leaving tree and earth far behind, and exploding high in mid-air, lighting up the country for miles around."

Hill was hired to take photographs for an article in the British publication, Wide World Magazine. The August 1900 article by Charles Frederick Holder was entitled, “How a Forest Fire Was Extinguished with Wine."

Hill headed to the Welch family's Big Trees Grove to take photographs for the article. What better place to take such photographs than the place where redwood tourism began, Big Trees Grove. Hill was famously and unceremoniously kicked out of the grove when he attempted to photograph the giant redwoods without paying the Welch's entrance fee.

The March 7, 1900 Santa Cruz Sentinel editorial by Josephine Clifford McCrackin (who lost her home in the fire), chastised the Welch family for kicking out Hill and advocated for the preservation of the redwoods. It was her editorial, along with the later Wide World Magazine article which accelerated calls to preserve the coast redwoods.  

Some concerned citizens wanted to acquire the Welch property for a proposed state park, but others had long been advocating for the preservation of another grove of Big Trees farther up the valley. Since the Welch family refused all overtures about their property, the focus of all preservation efforts quickly turned to the redwood forest outside Boulder Creek. Starting in May 1900, a group of women and men activists composed of academics, politicians and journalists began an extensive, statewide publicity campaign to save the redwoods. The newly formed Sempervirens Club turned its sights on acquiring the only other remaining grove of old-growth redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains. After a hard-fought two-year effort, the hopes of countless advocates were realized when the redwood park bill was signed into law in March 1901. In 1902, Big Basin opened as the state’s first park.