ARTICLE
Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce Another History Lesson The roaring 1920s were a booming time in Santa Cruz County. The county was developing the Boardwalk as we know it today, launching the Miss California pageant, promoting Santa Cruz as an industrial region, and promoting tourism via the new Suntan Special trains from San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose. In 1920 the Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce incorporated as a local, non-profit member organization dedicated to promoting economic vitality and prosperity in Santa Cruz County, to ensure a high quality of life, fairness and efficiency in community decision making, and efficient and sustainable business practices." George H. Cardiff was a longtime businessman and civic leader in Santa Cruz. In 1920, he was the President of the Chamber. His family moved to California where he was educated and worked in a local grocery store, the livery company he and his brother owned in the 1890s. Their lumber and building materials company was later purchased by the Cowell Company. He was on the Library Board and worked for the Chamber of Commerce, where in this role he helped establish Santa Cruz's first modern hospital. For the complete text [PDF] of George Cardiff: Santa Cruz and the Cowell Ranch, 1890-1964 (UCSC Library Digital Collections) In 1924, Chamber member Arthur Looff was granted a permit to build the Giant Dipper roller coaster, supporting the Chamber's plans to develop a year-round tourist season. Following in his father’s footsteps as his father was known as one of the great carousel carvers of all time who delivered the merry-go-round to the Boardwalk in 1911. The Chamber continued to promote tourism with the Suntan Special trains that brought visitors from San Francisco, San Jose, Los Gatos and Felton to the Boardwalk. Also in 1924, The Miss California Pageant was co-founded by the Chamber of Commerce and Fred Swanton. The annual event was run by the Santa Cruz County Chamber and held in Santa Cruz until 1985. In 1926, George P. Becknell was the President of the Chamber as ideas to grow Santa Cruz tourism was lively conversation throughout the town. In January, 1926 two hundred people attended a forum to heartily endorse talk of extending the Boardwalk from the west side of the San Lorenzo River from Kay to Water streets. Becknell told the crowd, “The San Lorenzo as it courses through the City could and should be made the most beautiful attraction in the city. Building a river Boardwalk will do more towards making the City a year-round resort than any other one improvement…” Funds for this endeavor would come from local banks issuing notes with interest and local businesses buying the notes. Concern was raised that it (the project) should be paid for by a city tax because the entire city would benefit. Mr. Cardiff suggested that various organization could sponsor sections of the project with recognition through plaques. City leaders of the day, Mrs. Fred McPherson and Mrs. Alice Dixon spoke in favor of this idea but Mrs. Hazael Marsh Piper asked about the unsightly backs of buildings facing the river. Another community leader, Leslie Crenbourne, said that the “city will undoubtedly adopt proper zoning law.” The Seaside Company began work on their portion on July 15, 1926. Fast forward to today - the recent Downtown Plan was updated last year to include opportunities to open the downtown to buildings facing the river and advantaging the natural beauty of the San Lorenzo River as ‘ a river promenade’ - an extension of the downtown toward the river and to the Boardwalk. Amazingly, almost a century later, we are getting closer to the vision of our 1920s city leaders. Stay tuned for your next Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce history lesson.
Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce Another History Lesson
The roaring 1920s were a booming time in Santa Cruz County. The county was developing the Boardwalk as we know it today, launching the Miss California pageant, promoting Santa Cruz as an industrial region, and promoting tourism via the new Suntan Special trains from San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose.
In 1920 the Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce incorporated as a local, non-profit member organization dedicated to promoting economic vitality and prosperity in Santa Cruz County, to ensure a high quality of life, fairness and efficiency in community decision making, and efficient and sustainable business practices."
George H. Cardiff was a longtime businessman and civic leader in Santa Cruz. In 1920, he was the President of the Chamber. His family moved to California where he was educated and worked in a local grocery store, the livery company he and his brother owned in the 1890s. Their lumber and building materials company was later purchased by the Cowell Company. He was on the Library Board and worked for the Chamber of Commerce, where in this role he helped establish Santa Cruz's first modern hospital. For the complete text [PDF] of George Cardiff: Santa Cruz and the Cowell Ranch, 1890-1964 (UCSC Library Digital Collections)
In 1924, Chamber member Arthur Looff was granted a permit to build the Giant Dipper roller coaster, supporting the Chamber's plans to develop a year-round tourist season. Following in his father’s footsteps as his father was known as one of the great carousel carvers of all time who delivered the merry-go-round to the Boardwalk in 1911.
The Chamber continued to promote tourism with the Suntan Special trains that brought visitors from San Francisco, San Jose, Los Gatos and Felton to the Boardwalk.
Also in 1924, The Miss California Pageant was co-founded by the Chamber of Commerce and Fred Swanton. The annual event was run by the Santa Cruz County Chamber and held in Santa Cruz until 1985.
In 1926, George P. Becknell was the President of the Chamber as ideas to grow Santa Cruz tourism was lively conversation throughout the town. In January, 1926 two hundred people attended a forum to heartily endorse talk of extending the Boardwalk from the west side of the San Lorenzo River from Kay to Water streets. Becknell told the crowd, “The San Lorenzo as it courses through the City could and should be made the most beautiful attraction in the city. Building a river Boardwalk will do more towards making the City a year-round resort than any other one improvement…”
Funds for this endeavor would come from local banks issuing notes with interest and local businesses buying the notes. Concern was raised that it (the project) should be paid for by a city tax because the entire city would benefit. Mr. Cardiff suggested that various organization could sponsor sections of the project with recognition through plaques. City leaders of the day, Mrs. Fred McPherson and Mrs. Alice Dixon spoke in favor of this idea but Mrs. Hazael Marsh Piper asked about the unsightly backs of buildings facing the river. Another community leader, Leslie Crenbourne, said that the “city will undoubtedly adopt proper zoning law.” The Seaside Company began work on their portion on July 15, 1926.
Fast forward to today - the recent Downtown Plan was updated last year to include opportunities to open the downtown to buildings facing the river and advantaging the natural beauty of the San Lorenzo River as ‘ a river promenade’ - an extension of the downtown toward the river and to the Boardwalk.
Amazingly, almost a century later, we are getting closer to the vision of our 1920s city leaders. Stay tuned for your next Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce history lesson.