REVIEWS

 

 

 

"The origin of the park is full of twists and turns, beginning in 1867 when a man named Joseph Warren Welch bought about 350 acres of 'tall timber' in the area encompassing that grove of extraordinary trees. But instead of a massive logging operation, 'Welch had another plan …'"

"Just what happened is detailed in 'Historic Tales Of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park: Big Trees Grove' ($21.99 in paperback from The History Press, historypress.com) by Deborah Osterberg. The Bonny Doon author is a Chico State grad, with degrees in history and geography, and was a volunteer docent at the park starting in 2016."

"With dozens of historic black-and-white photographs, some supplied by Special Collections at Chico State’s Meriam Library, Osterberg tells the story from 'the first stewards,' the Native peoples, to 1954, when the park officially opened (and which now includes more than 4,600 acres with more than a million visitors a year)."

"An appendix lists the names of the Big Trees — including the General Fremont, a burned out stump large enough for indoor living; another provides a guide to some 13 silent movies filmed amongst the Big Trees — including 'The Last Man On Earth' in 1924: 'An epidemic kills off all virile men except for one hermit. When he is discovered living in the Fremont Tree, every woman on the planet wants him.'"

"... Osterberg’s account is rich with detail, including the visit in 1891 by President Benjamin Harrison, which proved to be a public relations bust when Harrison declared his visit personal with no pictures taken."

"Osterberg’s beautifully written narrative will prepare armchair travelers for the real deal."

                   Dan Barnett, The Biblio File,  

                   Chico Enterprise-Record, February 23, 2021

 

 

"Deborah has been a docent at Henry Cowell for many years and her 208 page book is jammed backed with history, photos, a list of all the named trees in the grove and an extensive bibliography. This is a must-have for your local history book collection. Unfortunately this book came out just before the Covid-19 pandemic so Deborah hasn’t had many opportunities for book signings. This book is available at BookShop Santa Cruz and Henry Cowell State Park." 

        Scotts Valley Historical Society

 

"This year we read an extraordinary book written by an author who lives in Santa Cruz and personally experienced the recent fires in California."

 

"Every time we read about a California wildfire we hope and pray that none of the historic and much-loved tourist destinations are involved. One such destination is the Big Trees Grove at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park."

 

"This historic book by author Deborah Osterberg is an exciting read for people who love the ages-old redwood forests of California. It details the trials and tribulations of great Americans who saved may of these wonderful stands of trees from the logger's ax - it wasn't always an easy task."

 

"We highly recommend this paperback book for a self-reading or as a gift."

 

        Travels with Wayne and Judy Bayliff* 

 

* Wayne Bayliff is a past president and CEO of the National Automobile Club and publisher of the print edition, the National Motorist travel magazine.