RIDING THE RAILS TO THE REDWOODS

Santa Cruz Weekly Sentinel, May 10, 1879

"A little over a year ago articles of incorporation of the Santa Cruz & Felton Railroad, and also of the San Lorenzo Flume & Transportation Company, were filed in the office of the Secretary of State … The main object was to open up and develop the inexhaustible resources of the vast redwood region lying in the Santa Cruz hills. The flume had its terminus at Felton (founded in 1868), a little town situated on a flat in the heart of the lumbering region, and the nucleus of all the mills which so thickly dot the hills thereabouts … But the crowning effort of this magnificent enterprise was the construction of a narrow-gauge railroad from Felton to deep water at Santa Cruz … After leaving Santa Cruz there is a rise of 126 feet to the mile for two miles. The distance is eight miles, and there are sixteen bridges and one tunnel. The wharf at deep water, now in process of construction, will be completed by the 1^st of November. It is over 700 feet long and will cost $25,000. The narrow-gauge runs through the main street of Santa Cruz, but none but horse-cars can be used upon it ... their intention is to tunnel through the big hill back of the St. Charles hotel and run to the wharf by way of the western suburbs. Men are already at work on the tunnel. This is a stupendous job and will cost ‘heaps o’ money, but the Directors are men of indomitable enterprise and the word fail is not to be found in their dictionary.”

The rail route to Felton formally opened to the public on October 13, 1875.

“The magnificent groves of mighty redwood trees would frequently shut out all view of anything else but sky; then an abrupt bend would bring into sight a deep and picturesque canyon through which the lovely San Lorenzo meandered. Lime works, powder mills, lumber mills, and other evidences of natural wealth and human enterprise, could be seen along the entire line of the road. Felton has taken a surprising start since the work on the railroad and flume commenced. We noticed over a dozen new buildings, among them a fine livery stable, a large boarding house and several fine residences. It is destined to become a large and thriving settlement.”

“After a short stop [in Felton], the train backed down to the Big Trees station, a distance of about one mile, where the cars were speedily emptied of their living freight. The picnic grounds were half a mile distant in the woods, and in the most charming and romantic spot we ever visited. A clearing has been made in the vicinity of some of the largest redwood trees in the Santa Cruz hills and fitted up with rustic seats, tables and a dancing ground. The total number of excursionists, who came up on the two trains, amounted to between 1,700 and 1,800.* It was the largest turnout for Santa Cruz and the surrounding country within the memory of the oldest inhabitant.”

“After partaking of a magnificent lay out of edibles, a dance took place under the shady branches of the large redwood, the Santa Cruz band furnishing tip-top music. We took a measurement of the big tree and found its circumference to be 65 feet. The [height] is over 350 feet …”

The Giant - Author's Personal Collection

The Santa Cruz & Felton Railroad continued to bring thousands of tourists to Big Trees Grove. When tourists today travel aboard Roaring Camp's Big Trees & Pacific Railroad to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, they are following this same historic route.

It appears that the redwood measured on the railroad's opening day was the Giant. You may still view this magnificent tree on the Redwood Loop Trail at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Today it is marked as #7 on the trail brochure. It has changed a little since 1875. During a storm, a portion of its top broke off. The Giant now measures just over 275 feet. But many believe that the Giant is still the largest, overall big tree in the grove and perhaps the oldest with an estimated age of just over 2,000 years.

The General Sherman Tree - Author's Personal Collection

Currently the Bear Claw Tree located just behind the Visitor Center is taller than the Giant (but only by a couple of inches). There is debate over the age of the Giant and the estimates range from 700 to over 2,000 years. Some believe that the General Sherman Tree [a large curly bark redwood with extensive fire scars located at #11] may be older than the Giant. Over the years there has also been debate over the greatest height the Giant reached in the past, some claiming that it reached as high as 365 feet. We will never know for sure. Most visitor accounts in the late 19^th century calculated the Giant to be 306 feet.

Learn more about the history of the grove and its magnificent monarchs in my new book, Historic Tales of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park – Big Trees Grove.

* Other accounts claim the event attracted up to 2,500 attendees.

Source: “In the Redwoods – Trip to the Railroad and Flume – Notes by the Way – A Grand Exhibition of San Jose Enterprise,” San Jose Mercury-news, Volume VIII, Number 30, 16 October 1875.